At the library of the Superior Conservatory of Music “Manuel Castillo” in Seville (Spain), there are two volumes with duets of chamber guitar music, published in the first years of the nineteenth century. It is a 19 piece collection by authors such as Carulli, Gragnani, Luigi Moretti, Molino, Meissonnier, etc., in which the guitar appears in combination with the violin, the flute, the cello or even the horn. As customary at the time, one of the volumes contains all the guitar parts and the other the rest of the instruments. All the parts are given separately, i.e., there are no scores. At different places of both volumes, a stamp appears in which you can read “BIBLIOTECA / Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Sevilla”, that indicates the volumes should arrived to the conservatory prior to the 70’s of this century. It was in that decade when the conservatory obtained the category of superior centre. This article seeks to show the existence of those scores and to serve as a first contact with them,⁽²⁾ providing some data and sketching some directions for further research and a more exhaustive and study.

The 19 pieces were written by 11, maybe 10, authors: 1 by Leonhard von Call (Sérénade for cello or flute and guitar), 1 by Filippo Gragnani (Trois duos for violin and guitar), 1 by Luigi Moretti (Grand duo for violin and guitar), 1 by Charles Doisy (Musique de punto for horn and guitar), 7 by Ferdinando Carulli (opp. 19, 17[b], 102, 66, 59, Air de La Molinara and Duo, this one handwritten and without opus number) all for violin and guitar (although op.66 specifies guitar or lyre, and op.59 is for solo guitar with violin ad libitum), 1 by Wenceslas Cerruti (Duo for violin or flute and guitarra), 2 by P. J. Plouvier (Sérénade nº3 y Sérénade nº1, both for flute or violin and guitar), 1 by an unmentioned author (Trois nocturnes for flute or violin and guitar), 1 by Alexandre Rolla (Trois duos for violin and guitar), 1 by Francesco Molino (Trois duos, op.3, for violin and guitar) and 2 by Antoine Meissonnier (Troisième Divertissement, for flute or violin and guitar, and Ouverture du Barbier de Séville de Rossini, for violin and guitar).

CATALOGUE⁽³⁾

1. Sérénade, op.84,⁽⁴⁾ by Leonhard von Call

SÉRÉNADE / Pour Guitare et Violoncelle / ou Flûte / COMPOSÉE PAR / Léonard de Call / Oeuv. 84. Prix 4.f 50.c / N.ta La Partie de Violoncelle et Celle de Flûte, sont gravées séparement / A PARIS / Chez RICHAULT (Simon) Editeur de Musique, Rue Grange Batelière, Nº 7 / Mr. J. J. DE MOMIGNY Boulevard Poissonniere Nº 20 / 50

Guitar part: title-page and 5 pages numbered from 2-6. Plate number is 50 on title-page but 50.R. in all the other pages. Signed, at the right bottom of the title-page, by Simon Richault. Separate parts for cello (4 pages, numbered from 2-5) and flute (4 pages, numbered from 2-5), both without a separate title-page.

2. Trois duos de Filippo Gragnani

Trois / DUOS / pour Violon et Guitarre / Composés et Dédiés / À SON ÉLÉVE / MR. J. FILIPPI / PAR / F. Gragnani / Prix 7 ff. 10 s. / A PARIS / Chez CARLI et Cie. Mds. de Musiques, Livres Italiens et Cordes de Naples, Péristyle du / Théâtre Favart, à la Typographie de la Sirène, côté de la rue de Mariveaux. / 473

Guitar part: Signed, at the right bottom of the title-page, by Carli. Title-page and 18 pages numbered from 2-19. Violin part: title-page and 17 pages numbered from 1-17.

The second movement of the Duo II, is a theme with variations. The theme used is the same as the second movement of Carulli’s flute and guitar concert.

3. Grand duo concertant by Luigi Moretti

GRAND DUO Concertant / Pour Guitare et Violon / Composé et dédié / à Son ami Meissonnier / Par / LUIGI MORETTI / Prix 3f. 75c. / à Paris au Bureau du Journal de Guitare / Chez MEISSONNIER, rue Montmartre Nº 182 au coin du Boulevard / et à Toulouse / Chez Meissonnier Ainè et Compagnie, Md. de Musique, rue St. Rome Nº 49
 

4. Musique de punto by Charles Doisy

DUO, / Musique de Punto, Arrangé / pour Guitare et Cor, / Par / DOISY, / Professeur / Na. Ce Duo est arrangé en Ut et en Ré pour la / comodité des Exécutants; et peut, comme toute la / musique de Doisy, s’exécuter sur la Guitare à 6 / comme à 5 Cordes. / Prix 3 fs. 50 cs. / A PARIS, / Chez DOISY, Md. de Musique et d’Instrumens, / Rue Feydeau, Nº 244. / Gravé par Doisy. 31.

Guitar part: Signed, at the right bottom of the title-page, by Doisy. Title-page, 2 catalogue pages and 8 music pages (4 C version, 4 D version) numbered from 2-9. Horn part: title-page and 4 pages numbered from 2-5.

As it is indicated at the title, the guitar part is given in two different tonalities—C and D. The last more elaborated. Although the piece appear written for a five string guitar, the pieces can also be played on an instrument of six strings. Some bass notes have the numeral 8 attached, indicating that those notes could be played at a lower octave on a six string guitar.

5. Duo, op.19, by Ferdinando Carulli

DUO / Pour / Violon & Guitare / COMPOSÉ PAR / Ferdinando Carulli / Nº. [blank] Prix 3f. / OP. 19 / A Paris / A LA TYPOGRAPHIE DE LA SYRENE, Chez CARLI et C.IE. M.ds de Musique, Livres Italiens / et Cordes de Naples, Péristyle du Théâtre Favart, côté de la Rue Mariveaux / Propriété de l’Auteur Déposée à la Bibliothèque Imp.le / Choizeau Scrip. / 145

The description of this copy is the same than the one given by Mario Torta in his Carulli’s catalogue,⁽⁵⁾ but with some little differences “Prix 3f.”, plate number 145, violin part signed by Carli. Also Torta offers us the possible publication date of the work [1810?].

6. Duo, op.17 [b], by Ferdinando Carulli

DUO / Pour / Violon et Guitare / COMPOSÉ PAR / Ferdinando Carulli / Op.17. Prix: 3.f / N.B. Cet Ouvrage devrait porter le N.º 80. par ce qu’il à / été Composé après l’Opera 79. mais l’Editeur pour remplir / la Lacune de la Collection il y à mis l’Op.17. / A PARIS / Chez CARLI, Éditeur et Marchand de Musique, Place et Péristyle des Italiens / côté de la Rue Mariveaux. / (378.)

The description of this copy is the same than the one given by Mario Torta in his Carulli’s catalogue,⁽⁶⁾ violin part signed by Carli. Also Torta offers us the possible publication date of the work [1815?].

7. Fantaisie, op.102, by Ferdinando Carulli

FANTAISIE / Pour Violon et Guitare / sur un Air National Anglais / Composée / PAR / FERDINANDO CARULLI / Op.102. Prix: 3f. 50c. / Propriété de l’Auteur / à Paris / Chez CARLI, Editeur et Marchand de Musique, Place et Péristyle des Italiens / 529.
 

8. Airs du Mariage de Figaro, op.66, by Ferdinando Carulli

AIRS / du Mariage de Figaro / Musique de Mozart / Arrangés en Duo / Pour Violon et Guitare ou Lyre / PAR / FERDINANDO CARULLI. / OPERA 66. Prix 6f. LIVRE / A PARIS / Chez CARLI, Md. de Musique, Cordes de Naples et Livres Italiens, Péristyle du / Théâtre Favart, côté de la Rue de Mariveaux, à la Typographie de la Syrène. / Déposé à la Direction G.le de l’Imprimerie et de la Librarie. / 147
 

9. Duo, handwritten, by Ferdinando Carulli

DUO / Pour Guitarre & Violon / par Carulli / Guitarre
 

10. Trois Sonatines, op.59, by Ferdinando Carulli

Trois / SONATINES / Pour Guitare Seule / Avec Accompagnement d’un Violon Ad Libitum / Composées par / FERDINAND CARULLI / Op. 59. Prix 5.fcs / Propriété de l’Editeur Enregistré á la Bib.e Imp.le / à Paris / Chez CARLI, Md. de Musique, Livres Italiens, Cordes de Naples / Péristyle du Théâtre Favart, côté de la Rue de Mariveaux, à la Typographie de la Cyréne [sic] / 384

The description of this copy is the same than the one given by Mario Torta in his Carulli’s catalogue,⁽⁹⁾ guitar part signed by Carli. Also Torta offers us the possible publication date of the work [1813?].

11. Air de La Molinara de Paisiello, by Ferdinando Carulli

Without separate title-page. At the first page, guitar part, there is a heading that says:

AIR DE LA MOLINARA / de PAISIELLO / Varié pour Violon et Guitare / Par F. CARULLI.

The plate number, at the bottom page, is: (536). There is, also, a stamp that says: "DEPT DE LA SEINE / 3C.” Guitar part: 4 pages numbered from 2-5. At the bottom page you can read: “F.IV La suite au Nº. prochain.” At the bottom page, 4 and 5: “F.V”. Violin part: 4 pages numbered from 2-5.

12. Duo, by Wenceslas Cerruti

Without separate title-page. At first page, guitar part, a heading says:

DUO / de Violon ou Flûte et Guitare / Par W. CERRUTI

Violin and guitar parts: 2 pages, each without numbering. At the bottom of all the pages it says “E.XII”.

13. Sérénade nº3, by P. J. Plouvier

Nº [handwritten] “3” / TROIS / Sérénades / Composées / de Thêmes, Rondeaux, Siciliennes, / Polonaises, Valses et Variations, &a. / A.es Pour / Guitare et Flûte / OU VIOLON / Par / P. J. PLOUVIER / [blank] Livraison. Prix 4 fr. 10s. / A PÁRIS. Chez l’Auteur, Rue Mandar, Nº5. / BRUXELLES. Chez D. Plouvier, au Magasin de Musique / et d’Instrumens, Rue de l’Impératrice, Nº 1258. / NOTA Les mêmes Sérénades, se vendent aussi pour deux flûtes / Propriété de P. J. Plouvier. Deposé á la Direction / (39, 41, 42, 43, [blank] )

Guitar and flute parts: title-page and 6 pages numbered from 2-7. At parts, plate number is (42). At the beginning of the first music pages it says “TROISIÉMÉ LIVRAISON”.

14. Sérénade nº1, by P. J. Plouvier

Nº [handwritten] “1” / TROIS / Sérénades / Composées / de Thêmes, Rondeaux, Siciliennes, / Polonaises, Valses et Variations, &a. / A.es Pour / Guitare et Flûte / OU VIOLON / Par / P. J. PLOUVIER / [blank] Livraison. Prix 4 fr. 10s. / A PÁRIS. Chez l’Auteur, Rue Mandar, Nº5. / BRUXELLES. Chez D. Plouvier, au Magasin de Musique / et d’Instrumens, Rue de l’Impératrice, Nº 1258. / NOTA Les mêmes Sérénades, se vendent aussi pour deux flûtes / Propriété de P. J. Plouvier. Deposé á la Direction / (39, 41, 42, 43, [blank] )
 

15. Trois nocturnes, the author is not mentioned.

Without separate title-page. At the first page, guitar part, there is a heading that says:

JOURNAL de LYRE ou GUITARE / Redigé par MEISSONNIER / TROIS NOCTURNES pour GUITARE et FLUTE ou VIOLON / A PARIS, AU BUREAU DU JOURNAL DE GUITARE / Chez MEISSONNIER, rue Montmartre Nº 182 au coin du Boulevard / ET A TOULOUSE / Chez Meissonnier Ainé et Compagnie, Md. de Musique, rue St. Rome Nº. 49

At bottom page it says: “7e. Année 10e. L.on (170) 15 fr. par Année”. At “2e. Nocturne”, first page, it says: “8e. Année 1.re L.on (173) 15 fr. par Année”. At “3e. Nocturne”, first page, it says: “8e. Année 2e. L.on (174) 15 fr. par Année”.

Guitar and flute parts: 6 pages numbered 2, 3, 2, 3, 1 and 2. At different places a stamp appears where it says: “TIMBRE ROYAL 5 c. SEINE”.

16. Trois Duos, by Alexandre Rolla

Trois / DUO [sic] / Pour Guitare et Violon / Composés / par Alexandre Rolla / Premier Violon du grand Théâtre de la Scala à Milan. / Prix : 4f. 50. cent. / á Paris / Chez MEISSONNIER, Rue Bergére, Nº.5. / La musique gravé par Joannès
 

17. Trois Duos Faciles, op.3, by Francesco Molino

Trois / DUOS / faciles / Pour Violon et Guitare / DÉDIÉS / à M.lle Caroline Heath / PAR / FRANÇOIS MOLINO. / Op.3. Prix : 4f. 50c. / Propriété de l’Editeur. Dépose a la B.que Royale. / à Paris / Chez GAMBARO, Au Magasin de Musique et d’Instrumens, Rue Croix des Petits Champs, Nº42. / 101

Guitar and violin parts: title-page and 6 pages numbered from 2-7.

18. Troisième Divertissement, by Jean-Antoine Meissonnier

Troisième / Divertissement / ou Choix de différents Morceaux / Faciles / Pour Guitare et Flûte (ou Violon) / Dédié à Son Ami / Farrenc / Artiste de l’Opera Buffa, / PAR MEISSONNIER. / Prix 6f. / A PARIS / Au Bureau de l’Abt. du Journal de Guitare, chez MEISSONNIER, Rue Montmartre, Nº. 182. / Et A TOULOUSE, Chez MEISSONNIER Ainé et Comp.ie Mds. de Musique, Rue St. Rome, Nº49. / (98.)

Parts have a heading, at the first music page, that says:

NOUVELLE COLLECTION. / 8e. 9e. et 10e. Livraison. / A PARIS, AU BUREAU DU JOURNAL DE GUITARE / Chez MEISSONNIER, Rue Montmartre, Nº. 182 au coin du Boulevard / ET A TOULOUSE / Chez Meissonnier ainè et C.ie Md. de Musique, rue St. Rome, Nº. 49.

Guitar part: title-page and 9 pages numbered from 1-9. Flute part: title-page and 11 pages numbered from 1-11.

19. Ouverture du Barbier de Séville de Rossini, by Jean-Antoine Meissonnier

OUVERTURE / du Barbier de Séville / Musique de Rossini / ARRANGÉE / Pour Guitare et Violon / Par / MEISSONNIER. / Prix 3f. / A PARIS / Au Bureau du Journal de Guitare, Chez Meissonnier, Rue Montmartre, Nº. 182. / et à Toulouse, chez Meissonnier Ainé et Comp.ie, Mds. de Musique, Rue St. Rome, Nº. 49. (145.)
 

NOUVELLE COLLECTION / 9.me et 10.me Livraisons.
 

DATING INFORMATION

The works’ date is based mainly in the publisher’s address and the plate number. I have used the Dictionnaire des éditeurs de musique français, de Anik Devriès y François Lesure, 2 vols., Minkoff (Ginebra, 1979 y 1988), for it.

According to its plate number (50 R.) we could date the Sérénade, op.84 by Leonhard von Call in 1817. Massimo Agostinelli mentions a Simrock edition (Bonn) of this piece, which he dates at c.1810. Also Alois Mauerhofer mentions the Simrock edition, but Mauerhofer dates it in 1811.⁽¹⁰⁾

The Gragnani’s work must be dated in 1811-14. J. Filippi mentioned at the title-page, must be Giuseppe de Filippi (1781-1856), an italian doctor born in Varallo-Pombia and an amateur violinist according to Fétis.⁽¹¹⁾

Luigi Moretti’s work has not got a plate number. In his catalogue about Carulli, Mario Torta tell us some editor practices, that consists in printing out a first edition without a plate number. This number appeared in the next issues.⁽¹²⁾ Probably it is the same case. In another Seville collection’s piece, the Meissonnier’s arrangement of the Rossini’s Ouverture du Barbier de Seville, a catalogue is included (see figure 4) in which a Moretti’s “Duo, pour Guitare et Violon” appears with a price of 3f. 75c. The same amount that the Luigi Moretti’s duo in the conservatory’s collection. If both works were the same ones, the plate number would be 49, like it is indicated in the Meissonnier’s catalogue. Unfortunately, this cannot help us enough to date this piece, because Meissonnier used irregularly plate numbers. The publisher’s address indicates his publication date between ca.1816 and September 1820.

Charles Doisy lived at 244, rue de Feydeau, from the 12th of November 1803 to March, 1805. As we said before, in the guitar part there is a 2 page catalogue with “la musique de Guitare par Doisy”. It is dated, according Devriès and Lesure, in the first moths of 1805.⁽¹³⁾

For Carulli’s works opp. 19, 17(b), 102, 66 y 59, we used the dating done by Mario Torta.⁽¹⁴⁾

I couldn’t find any information about 9, 11 and 12 catalogue entries.

According to Plouvier’s address, the works of this editor and composer had been published between 15th March, 1816 and 1818.

The 15^th catalogue’s entry belongs to a work of which the author is not mentioned. The piece was published at Meissonier’s Journal de Lyre ou Guitare, a periodic magazine that began its publication in 1809 or 1810.⁽¹⁵⁾ Therefore, the “7e Année” and the “8e Année”, mentioned at the score, establish a temporary interval from 1816 to 1818.

Rolla’s work was issued by Meissonnier too. At the Rue Bergére, Nº.5, this publisher remained between November the 15th 1812 and the year 1815. Nevertheless, also according to Devriés and Lesure, the Joannes engraver, cited at the title-page, carried out his activity between 1817 and 1822.⁽¹⁶⁾

Molino work’s dating presents some problems. If we keep in mind the address of the editor, Vincent Gambaro, the piece had to be published between March 1814 and November 1816.⁽¹⁷⁾ However, the plate number (101) would indicate that the piece appeared in 1818 (see previous note). Mario Dell’Ara⁽¹⁸⁾ mentions another copy of Gambaro’s edition guarded in the Ancona’s Biblioteca Civica, with the plate number 100. There is a facsimile (Tecla, 1986) which it is probably the first edition of this work, published in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel towards 1812-13.

The 18th catalogue’s entry belongs to a Meissonnier’s work, its plate number is 98. Meissonnier’s address in this title-page is “Rue de Montmartre, Nº182”, there he lived from ca.1816 to September 1820. As we already said, there are some incongruities in the order of Meissonnier’s plate numbers as what it becomes venturous to offer a work publication’s date according to this numbers. Probably the Troisième Divertissement was one among the first works published by Meissonnier at address that appeared in this title-page.

The score was dedicated to Jacques Hippolyte Aristide Farrenc, who was born in Marsella, like A. Meissonnier, the 9th of April 1794.⁽¹⁹⁾ Farrenc arrived to Paris in 1815 remaining there for two years working as a second flute for the "Théatre-Italien” orchestra. According Fétis, the theatre were then directed by Mme. Catalani. Angélique Catalani was one of the most famous singers at that time (and best paid). She directed the “Théatre-Italien” in two occasions. The first time Catalani was appointed by King, Luis XVIII, therefore she had to leave this job in 1815 at Napoleon’s return, “Hundred Days”. The second time, always according to Fétis, was in 1816. Catalani definitively left the theatre’s direction in April 1818, nevertheless between May 1816 and August 1817 (in a Catalani’s visit to Munich) she left the theatre under the supervision of the “régisseurs”. According this facts, and taken noticed that Farrenc appears at the Meissonier’s title page like “Artiste de l’Opera Buffa"⁽²⁰⁾ it seems that the publication’s year must be 1816 or maybe 1815.

The last piece is also Meissonnier’s. Its plate number is 145, and the publisher’s address in the title-page is the same than the one given in the 18th catalogue’s entry, therefore it must be issued before September 1820, date in which A. Meissonnier left this address to move to 4, Boulevard Montmartre. Devriès/Lesure dating the Meissonnier’s edition of Sor’s op. 12, with plate number 144, in ca.1820.

2. At the year 1995 was published, in the magazine Diferencias (spring, 1995), my article “Jean-Antoine Meissonnier. Obras de música de cámara con guitarra en la biblioteca del conservatorio `Manuel Castillo’ de Sevilla”, where I examined fundamentally the pieces by Meissonnier in the Seville’s collection.

3. The title of the works is taken from the guitar parts

4. There is also another work by Call with an identical opus number, see Massimo Agostinelli, Catalogo analitico delle musiche per chitarra, 1800-1860. CD-ROM, Ottocento Edizioni Musicali (Ancona, 1996).

5. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico delle opere di Ferdinando Carulli, vol.1, pp.73-74. Ed. LIM (Lucca, 1993).

6. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico..., op. cit., pp.68-69.

7. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico..., op. cit., pp.267-268.

8. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico..., op. cit., pp.183-185.

9. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico.., op. cit., pp.170-171.

10. Massimo Agostinelli, Catalogo analitico..., op. cit. Also see: Alois Mauerhofer, Musik des Mittelstandes zur Zeit der Wiener Klassik, Thematischer Katalog. (Ph.D. diss. about Leonhard von Call--Graz University, 1974). I am grateful to Mr. Matanya Ophee for this information.

11. F. J. Fétis y A. Pougin, Biographie universelle des musiciens. Supplément et complément, vol.1, p.332 (Paris, 1878).

12. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico...., vol.1, op. cit. p.xxx.

13. Anik Devriès and François Lesure, Dictionnaire des éditeurs de musique français, vol.I, Catalogues, p.11. Ed. Minkoff (Geneve, 1979).

14. Mario Torta: Catalogo tematico...., op. cit.

15. See Anik Devriès and François Lesure, Dictionnaire des éditeurs ..., vol.II, op. cit., p.313.

16. Anik Devriès and François Lesure, Dictionnaire des éditeurs.., vol.I, op. cit., p.170.

17. Anik Devriès and François Lesure, Dictionnaire des éditeurs, vol.II, op. cit., p.179.

18. Mario Dell’Ara, “Luigi, Valentino e Francesco Molino”, Il Fronimo, n.50, p.41 (Milán, 1985).

19. Details about Farrenc have been taken out from F. J. Fetis’ Biographie Universelle des Musiciens, 2nd edition, 3^rd volume, pp.185-186 (Paris, 1878), as Supplément et Complément, of that work, 1^st volume, p.314 (Paris, 1878). This source must be very reliable about Farrenc, because it seems that he even collaborated in the 2^nd edition of Fétis’ dictionary.

20. The parisian Théâtre Italien was also known as the Opéra-Bouffe, see New Grove, vol.14, p.213 (London, 1980). 

Last Modified: Thursday, October 30, 1997