GB 1249 MS 6957 - GROVE, Sir George: Mendelssohn, Spontini, Grove letters

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1249 MS 6957

Title

GROVE, Sir George: Mendelssohn, Spontini, Grove letters

Date(s)

  • 1826-1882 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 file (14 items)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

It is thought that some of this material may have been acquired by Sir George Grove on one of his research trips to Austria and Germany, particularly for material relating to his 'favourite trio', Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schubert. He wrote significant monographs on the three composers for the first edition of the Dictionary of Music and Musicians, first published in 1879. Two occasions are particulary likely to have provided him some of these letters. In 1867 he made a memorable journey to Vienna with the composer Arthur Sullivan to search for material on Schubert's life and works, and visited Berlin and Leipzig in the autumn of 1879 for research on Mendelssohn.

Archival history

GB 1249 MS 6957 1826-1882 Collection (fonds) 1 file (14 items) Grove , Sir , George , 1820-1900 , Knight , civil engineer writer on music
It is thought that some of this material may have been acquired by Sir George Grove on one of his research trips to Austria and Germany, particularly for material relating to his 'favourite trio', Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schubert. He wrote significant monographs on the three composers for the first edition of the Dictionary of Music and Musicians, first published in 1879. Two occasions are particulary likely to have provided him some of these letters. In 1867 he made a memorable journey to Vienna with the composer Arthur Sullivan to search for material on Schubert's life and works, and visited Berlin and Leipzig in the autumn of 1879 for research on Mendelssohn.

Discovered in a safe in the RCM with some Beethoven letters (Ref: MS 4249) in Nov 1956, and believed to have been placed there by Sir George Grove.

Collection of letters of Sir George Grove, comprising two letters from Gaspare Spontini, relating to his possible coming to London to produce Alcidor and Nurmahal, 1826; five letters from Felix Mendelssohn, 1834-1847, including a testimonial for Edmund Chipp, organist, and a letter to John Hullah in regard to an English text of Mendelssohn's Lauda Sion; letter from Gilbert Duprez with thanks for music parts, 1842; two letters to John Hullah from William Ball and Karl Klingemann in regard to works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, 1858-1859; letter to Grove from George Eliot with thanks for his appreciative letter about her book Daniel Deronda, 1876; letter to Grove from William Gladstone in regard to Homeric studies, 1878; letter [to Grove] from William Morris in regard to a tribute [to Dante Gabriel Rossetti], 1882.

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
English

There is a detailed manuscript catalogue of the letters with the collection; an entry is also given in the supplement to volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

The Royal College of Music has significant holdings of Grove material, which may be found throughout many of the manuscript collections. There are particular concentrations of Grove's correspondence in the RCM Director's papers. Other collections of note are his letters to Edith Oldham (Ref: MS 6864); his farewell address to the RCM, 12 Jul 1895 (Ref: MS 7296); letters from Grove to Alexander and Mrs Macmillan (MS 7326) and programmes for the Saturday orchestral concerts at Crystal Palace from the collections of Grove (many with extensive annotations) and F G Edwards (MS 7328).

Other collections of Grove correspondence are held by the British Library Manuscript Collections (Refs: Add MSS 35222-27, 38991-39119, 39679, 42233, 46251, 50852, 54793, Eg MSS 3091, 3097B); Bodleian Library Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, Oxford University (Ref: MS Eng lett e 118); Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University; King's College Archives, Cambridge University (Ref: OB); Palestine Exploration Fund; University of British Columbia Library (see National Register of Archives for further details).

Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Source: Dictionary of National Biography; article on Grove by C L Graves and Percy M Young, Grove Dictionary of Music. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Apr 2002 Artists Bartholdy , Jacob Ludwig Felix , Mendelssohn- , 1809-1847 , composer x Mendelssohn , Felix Chipp , Edmund , fl mid 19th century , organist Classical music Composers Cross , Mary Anne , 1819-1880 , nee Evans , novelist x Eliot , George x Evans , Mary Ann x Evans , Marian x Lewes , Marian Evans Gladstone , William Ewart , 1809-1898 , statesman Grove , Sir , George , 1820-1900 , Knight , civil engineer writer on music Hullah , John Pyke , 1812-1884 , composer and organist Morris , William , 1834-1896 , poet artist and socialist Music Musical styles Musicians Performers Spontini , Gasparo Luigi Pacifico , 1774-1851 , Italian Composer Performing arts

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Discovered in a safe in the RCM with some Beethoven letters (Ref: MS 4249) in Nov 1956, and believed to have been placed there by Sir George Grove.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Collection of letters of Sir George Grove, comprising two letters from Gaspare Spontini, relating to his possible coming to London to produce Alcidor and Nurmahal, 1826; five letters from Felix Mendelssohn, 1834-1847, including a testimonial for Edmund Chipp, organist, and a letter to John Hullah in regard to an English text of Mendelssohn's Lauda Sion; letter from Gilbert Duprez with thanks for music parts, 1842; two letters to John Hullah from William Ball and Karl Klingemann in regard to works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, 1858-1859; letter to Grove from George Eliot with thanks for his appreciative letter about her book Daniel Deronda, 1876; letter to Grove from William Gladstone in regard to Homeric studies, 1878; letter [to Grove] from William Morris in regard to a tribute [to Dante Gabriel Rossetti], 1882.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Royal College of Music has significant holdings of Grove material, which may be found throughout many of the manuscript collections. There are particular concentrations of Grove's correspondence in the RCM Director's papers. Other collections of note are his letters to Edith Oldham (Ref: MS 6864); his farewell address to the RCM, 12 Jul 1895 (Ref: MS 7296); letters from Grove to Alexander and Mrs Macmillan (MS 7326) and programmes for the Saturday orchestral concerts at Crystal Palace from the collections of Grove (many with extensive annotations) and F G Edwards (MS 7328).

Finding aids

There is a detailed manuscript catalogue of the letters with the collection; an entry is also given in the supplement to volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Other collections of Grove correspondence are held by the British Library Manuscript Collections (Refs: Add MSS 35222-27, 38991-39119, 39679, 42233, 46251, 50852, 54793, Eg MSS 3091, 3097B); Bodleian Library Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, Oxford University (Ref: MS Eng lett e 118); Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University; King's College Archives, Cambridge University (Ref: OB); Palestine Exploration Fund; University of British Columbia Library (see National Register of Archives for further details).

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal College of Music

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area