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Phone: 212-860-5541 * Fax: 917-677-8247
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Price: $3000.00 |
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NEAR MINT CONDITION |
SIGISMUND NEUKOMM - COMPOSER |
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Two page complete fair copy, twice autographed manuscript in Neukomm’s hand of his Wiegenlied (cradle song), “Am dunkeln Himmel” from his 12 Gesänge für 2 Sopranstimmen mit Pianoforte, Manchester, Broomhouse, Eccles, April 16, 1855. He has dedicated the manuscript to the wife of an important German immigrant wool merchant, Madame Sichel Reiss. The manuscript was originally written in a staved composition book, the sheet measures 5” x 8.75”.
Neukomm (1778-1858) was a Salzburger. He trained with the Salzburger Dom organist Franz Xaver Weissauer and music theory with Michael Haydn. He was made organist of the Universalist Church there in 1792 and also chorus master of the Court Theatre there. In 1797 he went to Vienna and studied with Franz Joseph Haydn until 1804. He was appointed Kapellmeister of the Royal Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1804 and remained until 1808. He then moved to Paris where he became the court pianist to Prince Talleyrand. King Louis XVIII was welcomed to Paris after the allies defeated Napoleon in 1814 and Neukomm’s “Te Deum” was played at Notre Dame to honor the occasion. He was invited by Talleyrand in 1814 to Vienna for a special event at the Congress of Vienna where his Requiem in memory of King Louis XVI was performed. While there, he paid for a tombstone for his teacher Franz Joseph Haydn. Louis XVIII enobled Neukomm and made him a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur. Neukomm remained in Paris until 1816 when the Duke of Luxembourg took him to Rio de Janiero and the Court of John VI of Portugal. Her remained until the King assumed his reign in Portugal in 1821. At this point he returned to Paris and his patron Prince Talleyrand. Neukomm spent a great deal of his time travelling until his death in 1858. During his travels, he spent a great amount of his time in England.
The 12 lieds from which our manuscript comes were published in 2 volumes in Leipzig by the firm of Fr. Kistner in 1857, two years after our manuscript was written. (Based upon plate number 2250 listed in the Kistner catalog from 1894.) Neukomm in his time was extremely popular. His works covered the a wide range including operas, 2 symphonies, concerti, chamber music, solo works for piano, organ and harmonium and a large amount of religious music as well as lieder.
Slightly cropped at the left border, but no written detail missing.
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