Identity area
Reference code
Title
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.
Repository
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).
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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