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Collection of Early Music Lithography (1803-1829)

Music Special Collections recently acquired a selection of 29 scores illustrating the history and characteristics of the lithography printing process as applied to music. Lithography was popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries because it provided a greater accuracy in printing musical texts along with larger, quicker print runs. This new acquisition spans the history of the method introduced by Johann Alois Senefelder (1771-1834). The exact date of his invention is still under debate, but there is a recorded Senefelder printing of Lieder by Franz Gleissner in 1796. The collection represents the earliest publishing in which Senefelder was involved, as well as early Paris lithographic imprints and printings by Munich music publisher Falter that date back to the earliest examples from Germany. It also features an unusual example of lithography that was published in 1829 using both black and red ink.

MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
Partitur der W.A. Mozart’schen Ouverture zu seiner Oper Die Zauberflöte, in genauer Übereinstimmung mit dem Manuscript des Komponisten, so wie er solches entworfen instrumentirt und beendet hat, herausgegeben und mit einem Vorbericht begleitet von A. André. Original Ausgabe. [Full score]. Offenbach, J. André, [1829]. 3ff., 28 +2pp., lithographed oblong folio, p.n.5200.
Not listed in Michael Twyman’s Early Lithographed Music (London, 1996).
A significant lithographed publication printed in red and black. André in his preface explains that Mozart’s manuscript shows that he composed it in two stages – first the string parts (here printed in black) – and secondly the complete orchestration (here printed in red). He also indicates and prints in the score Mozart’s crossings out of complete bars and other smaller details.

CALEGARI, Francesco
Six Themes avec Variations Pour la Guitarre… Oeuv.12. Leipsic, Fr. Hofmeister, [ca. 1805]. 11pp., lithographed folio, p.n.425.
Not listed in Michael Twyman’s Early Lithographed Music (London, 1996)

DIABELLI, Anton
Sonate tres facile a quatre Mains pour le Pianoforte… Vienne, Magasin de l’imprimerie chimique I.R. priv., [ca. 1807 or 8]. 15pp., lithographed oblong folio, p.n.679.
Twyman’s p.224 No.9, recording a different issue to the present example. Our copy is without mention of the opus number, and the title page is laid out differently.

ROMBERG, Andreas
Trois Quatuors pour deux Violons, Alto et Violoncelle… Oeuvre 16. [Parts.] Offenbach, Jean André, [1807]. 19, 15, 15, 15pp., lithographed folio, p.n.2327.
Not listed in Michael Twyman’s Early Lithographed Music (London, 1996).

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