'Passions Musik, nach dem Evangelisten Matthäus von J.S. Bach'

Title

'Passions Musik, nach dem Evangelisten Matthäus von J.S. Bach'

Shelfmark

MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn c. 68

Summary

The copy of the full score made by Johann Friedrich Rietz for Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Christmas present from his grandmother, Bella Salomon, née Itzig, 1823 or, more probably, as a birthday present in 1824. Copied from a manuscript scored from Staatsbibl. Preuß. Kulturbesitz, Berlin, Mus. ms. Bach St. 110 (see 'Kritischer Bericht' to J.S.B., Neue Ausgabe, II. 5, pp. 71, 94-97).

F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy pencilled numbers; directions for the substitution of instruments; cuts, most of which agree precisely with Zelter's cuts in the Singakademie MS. 1939 b (see G. Schünemann, 'Die Bachpflege der Berliner Singakademie'. Bach-Jahrbuch, 1928, pp. 165-6); corrections and dynamics for the copyists of parts for the performance of 1829. These were E. Rietz, his brother Julius, Fr. Knuth [identification by Dr. Yoshitake Kobayashi] and others. The recit 'Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel' was orchestrated by F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy and he refers the copyists to 'Anhang' no longer extant. On p. 258 the copyist is referred to a missing 'Anhang' for the oboi da caccia parts. Certain numbers were included on second thoughts, and these were marked later, when the extra parts were copied by a different hand. F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy's red crayon marks (e.g. on pp. 140 foll.) were added, and in some cases withdrawn again, after the parts had been copied.

Date

Dec 1823

Language

German

Physical facet

i + 353 pages. Very large quarto leaves quired in fours, the watermark changes at the title-page of the second part. Margins were uniformly ruled with dry-point. Staves were ruled according to need. Binding: half-calf with dark blue hatched paper boards, gold lettering and ornament on spine. 'Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy' inside front cover.

Physical extent

354 pages

Acquisition

Bequeathed by Helena Deneke, 1973.