HWV 49. Acis and Galatea, translated into German, scored by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings (including viola)

Title

HWV 49. Acis and Galatea, translated into German, scored by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings (including viola)

Shelfmark

MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn c. 74

Summary

Probably taken at least in part from a manuscript source, lacking the Aria 'As when the dove' and with unusual versions of certain numbers mentioned below. On fols. 4, 16a and 28 are references to pp. 8, 18 and 34 in an exemplar. Full score in the hands of F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy and of two copyists, dated at end 'Berlin 3. 1. 29'. Some of the words are in Fanny Hensel's hand. See also MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn b.5, 31.

1-9: Sections entirely in F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy's hand.

10-15: Score prepared by copyists, who generally wrote the original instrumental, voice and bass parts, with F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy completing the score; in some cases the work was differently shared.

(fols. 1-4) Overture.

(fols. 16a-17) Aria, 'Hush ye pretty warbling choirs', an unusual version, in 6/8

(fol. 21) Recit., 'Stay shepherd stay'.

(fol. 24) Recit., 'Lo here my love'.

(fols. 28-34v) Duet and chorus 'Happy we', in 6/8.

(fol. 60v) End of aria, 'Would you gain', to shorten the Da Capo.

(fol. 60v) Recit., 'His hideous love'.

(fol. 64v) End of aria, 'Love sounds the alarm', to shorten the Da Capo.

(fol. 68v) Recit., 'Cease oh cease'.

(fols. 57-60v) Aria, 'Would you gain'; the only section in the hand of a new copyist.

(fols. 61-64v) Aria, 'Love sounds th'alarm'.

(fols. 65-68v) Aria, 'Consider, fond shepherd'.

(fols. 69-76) Aria, 'The flocks shall leave'.

(fols. 76v-77) Recit., 'Help Galatea'; nearly all in F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy's hand.

(fols. 77v-110) Chorus, 'Mourn all ye muses'; Aria and Chorus, 'Must I my Acis still bemoan'; Recit., 'Tis done'; Aria, 'Heart, the seat of soft delight'; and Chorus, 'Galatea, dry thy tears'.

With the exception of items 1-10 above, the score is the work of one copyist who paginated the first part of the work, 1-76 (now fols. 5-15, 18-20, 25-7 and 36-56). The Aria 'Shepherd, what art thou pursuing', was added on a bifolium without page nos. (fols. 22-23). F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy's editorial marks and alterations appear throughout.

Inside the front cover is pasted a letter from Zelter to Fanny Hensel, returning the manuscript 24 Mar 1831.

Date

3 Jan 1829, 24 Mar 1831

Language

German

English

Physical facet

i + 112 leaves. Quires of varying paper, numbered for the binder in blue roman figures. 'Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy' inside front cover. Binding brown quarter-calf, blue paper boards. Labelled 'Haendel Acis und Galathea aus dem Englischen des Gay ins Deutsch mit neuen Blasinstrumenten von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy im Januar 1829'.

Physical extent

113 Leaves

Acquisition

Bequeathed by Helena Deneke, 1973.