Beethoven Studien by Ignaz Ritter von Seyfried. Rare 1853 2nd Edition. Text in German.

This book is the Second Edition of "Ludwig van Beethoven Studien im Generalbass, Contrapunkt und der Compositionslehre aus dessen handschriftlichem Nachlass" by Ignaz Ritter von Seyfried (1776 - 1841), an Austrian musician, conductor and composer. It's a magnificent find, being one of the earliest serious studies of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, written by a musician contemporary with Beethoven. Von Seyfried was a pupil of both Mozart and Johann Albrechtsberger, and was himself teacher to numerous musicians, including Franz von Suppe, Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, and Joseph Fischhof. In 1805 it was von Seyfried who had the honor of conducting the premiere of Beethoven's opera, "Fidelio". The first appearance of this important book was in 1832. The edition here presented is the Second Edition, as edited and revised by Henry Hugh Pierson (1815 - 1873). Pierson was an English composer who took up residence in Germany. He was a composer of operas and songs. Much of his work seems not to have survived, although various important repositories have a few manuscripts, including the Library of Congress, the Royal College of Music in London, and the Music Library of the Carl von Ossietzky Music Department in Hamburg. (Thanks to Wikipedia for some of the above information)

As well as the historical interest that the book holds for the world, and especially for musicologists, this specific copy has a unique musical provenance, having been owned by and containing the book plates of two musicians, one renowned and one a highly respected musicologist. This copy was previously owned by Paul F. Sanders, & with his bookplate affixed; and subsequently owned by Stephen Bonta, & with his bookplate affixed.

On the half-title is affixed the handsome bookplate of Paul F. Sanders, depicting in an art deco design a head, abstracted, with a fountain pen aimed at an ear and musical notes where the face would be. The plate reads "paul f. sanders' boek". This is so perfectly apt for Sanders, who was a music critic for the socialist daily, "Het Volk", and a musician whose letters included correspondence with Pablo Casals. During World War II Sanders worked to assist musicians who were fleeing Germany; and heroically joined the allied underground, becoming active in the Artist's Resistance Movement. After the war Sanders moved to New York , where he was a correspondent for "Het Parool". A true hero! Thanks to the International Institute of Social History website for the information on Paul Sanders.

The book came from the estate of Professor Stephen Bonta, esteemed teacher of music at Hamilton College, and scholar of musicology, whose work on Contrabass is highly valued by all whose interests lie in that field. His bookplate is lovely indeed and is printed as if it was a fragment of late medieval Gregorian music.

Not a book commonly found on the market, this copy is especially precious for the reasons given above.

TITLE : Ludwig van Beethoven Studien im Generalbass, Contrapunkt und der Compositionslehre aus dessen handschriftlichem Nachlass
AUTHOR : Ignaz Ritter von Seyfried
EDITOR : Henry Hugh Pierson
DATE : 1853
PLACE : Leipzig
IMPRINT : Schuberth & Co.
EDITION : 2nd Edition, Revised

Trade Hardcover; contains an engraved portrait of Beethoven as frontispiece, seven engraved plates (bound in at rear), which includes two facsimiles: one of a hand-written letter from Beethoven, and the other of a piece of published music; (Skizze der Adelaide); also copious amounts printed music scattered through the text for study; appendices which includes a biographical sketch of Beethoven and much supplementary material; also includes a Directory of the Published Works of Beethoven to date (1853).

xiv + 328 pages plus 118 pages of appendices; approximately 5 3/4" x 8 1/8" ;
deep forest green pebbled cloth with title, etc stamped in gold on spine; end-papers have been printed with a densely repeating abstract floral design in light olive-green and buff.

There is a possibility that the book is a rebind. I find the binding and end-papers a bit anachronistic for 1853. I have settled on the likelihood that it is indeed a later binding. It is nicely done.


CONDITION ... Previously owned, this is a clean, solid copy in very good antiquarian condition, with the following noted

BOARDS: Modest surface rub and weathering - soft bumps to corner tips - edge wear near-negligible - clean and presentable
SPINE : Mild abrasion to extremities, else bright and clean
HINGES / BINDING : Solid
TEXT BLOCK EDGES : Toned but clean
END-PAPERS : A small personal catalog label with penciled number is affixed to the front fly-leaf; the previous owner's personal bookplate is affixed to the front paste-down; slight toning - an old, small dealer's code is neatly penciled in the upper fore-edge corner of the front paste-down -- else clean
INTERIOR : Heavily foxed and toned throughout, but the signs of use are minimal; a previous owner's bookplate is affixed to the half-title page - else basically clean and presentable throughout with no detached or loose leaves

A UNIQUE SPECIMEN OF A VOLUME WHICH IS SELDOM SEEN ON THE MARKET