Meyerbeer, Giacomo. (1791-1864). Titlepage Inscribed to Hector Berlioz. An extraordinary item, the title-page of Meyerbeer's 1859 opera "Le pardon de Ploërmel," boldly inscribed "A Monsieur Hector Berlioz, témoignage de sincère affection & de vive admiration. Meyerbeer." 33 x 26 cm. Foxed and with a few minor tears and stains not affecting inscription of signature, otherwise very good.
Berlioz and Meyerbeer maintained a complicated relationship over a period of more than 35 years. "Berlioz took Meyerbeer seriously and regarded him as one of the leading composers of the time whose works deserved close study. Yet from an early date, and increasingly as time went on, he had fundamental reservations not only about Meyerbeer’s music but also about his whole approach to his art, and about the negative effects of his phenomenal success on the taste of the public. On his side Meyerbeer was outwardly respectful of Berlioz and his music, though it is difficult in his case to separate sincerity from calculation...In April 1859 Meyerbeer’s latest opera Le Pardon de Ploërmel was produced at the Opéra, and reviewed by Berlioz (Journal des débats, 10 April 1859). In answer to an enquiry from his friend Humbert Ferrand about operas by Gounod (Faust), David (Herculanum) and Meyerbeer (Ploërmel) recently performed in Paris, Berlioz comments (CG no. 2368; 28 April): 'The music of Le Pardon de Ploërmel, unlike those (of the operas by Gounod and David), is written in a masterly way; it is inventive, refined, witty and often poetic. There is a gulf between Meyerbeer and these young men. You can see that he is not a PARISIAN. You can see the opposite for David and Gounod.' Berlioz went on to include the overture to the new opera at the start of the second half of a concert he gave at Baden-Baden on 29 August of the same year. In so doing he displaced the overture to Spontini’s La Vestale to the end of the concert, to the displeasure of Spontini’s widow (Meyerbeer and Spontini had been rivals, and Meyerbeer had taken Spontini’s place in Berlin in 1842). Berlioz was forced to send a letter of explanation to placate Mme Spontini (CG no. 2393bis)." (Michel Austin, "Berlioz and Meyerbeer")
Berlioz and Meyerbeer maintained a complicated relationship over a period of more than 35 years. "Berlioz took Meyerbeer seriously and regarded him as one of the leading composers of the time whose works deserved close study. Yet from an early date, and increasingly as time went on, he had fundamental reservations not only about Meyerbeer’s music but also about his whole approach to his art, and about the negative effects of his phenomenal success on the taste of the public. On his side Meyerbeer was outwardly respectful of Berlioz and his music, though it is difficult in his case to separate sincerity from calculation...In April 1859 Meyerbeer’s latest opera Le Pardon de Ploërmel was produced at the Opéra, and reviewed by Berlioz (Journal des débats, 10 April 1859). In answer to an enquiry from his friend Humbert Ferrand about operas by Gounod (Faust), David (Herculanum) and Meyerbeer (Ploërmel) recently performed in Paris, Berlioz comments (CG no. 2368; 28 April): 'The music of Le Pardon de Ploërmel, unlike those (of the operas by Gounod and David), is written in a masterly way; it is inventive, refined, witty and often poetic. There is a gulf between Meyerbeer and these young men. You can see that he is not a PARISIAN. You can see the opposite for David and Gounod.' Berlioz went on to include the overture to the new opera at the start of the second half of a concert he gave at Baden-Baden on 29 August of the same year. In so doing he displaced the overture to Spontini’s La Vestale to the end of the concert, to the displeasure of Spontini’s widow (Meyerbeer and Spontini had been rivals, and Meyerbeer had taken Spontini’s place in Berlin in 1842). Berlioz was forced to send a letter of explanation to placate Mme Spontini (CG no. 2393bis)." (Michel Austin, "Berlioz and Meyerbeer")
Meyerbeer, Giacomo. (1791-1864). Titlepage Inscribed to Hector Berlioz. An extraordinary item, the title-page of Meyerbeer's 1859 opera "Le pardon de Ploërmel," boldly inscribed "A Monsieur Hector Berlioz, témoignage de sincère affection & de vive admiration. Meyerbeer." 33 x 26 cm. Foxed and with a few minor tears and stains not affecting inscription of signature, otherwise very good.
Berlioz and Meyerbeer maintained a complicated relationship over a period of more than 35 years. "Berlioz took Meyerbeer seriously and regarded him as one of the leading composers of the time whose works deserved close study. Yet from an early date, and increasingly as time went on, he had fundamental reservations not only about Meyerbeer’s music but also about his whole approach to his art, and about the negative effects of his phenomenal success on the taste of the public. On his side Meyerbeer was outwardly respectful of Berlioz and his music, though it is difficult in his case to separate sincerity from calculation...In April 1859 Meyerbeer’s latest opera Le Pardon de Ploërmel was produced at the Opéra, and reviewed by Berlioz (Journal des débats, 10 April 1859). In answer to an enquiry from his friend Humbert Ferrand about operas by Gounod (Faust), David (Herculanum) and Meyerbeer (Ploërmel) recently performed in Paris, Berlioz comments (CG no. 2368; 28 April): 'The music of Le Pardon de Ploërmel, unlike those (of the operas by Gounod and David), is written in a masterly way; it is inventive, refined, witty and often poetic. There is a gulf between Meyerbeer and these young men. You can see that he is not a PARISIAN. You can see the opposite for David and Gounod.' Berlioz went on to include the overture to the new opera at the start of the second half of a concert he gave at Baden-Baden on 29 August of the same year. In so doing he displaced the overture to Spontini’s La Vestale to the end of the concert, to the displeasure of Spontini’s widow (Meyerbeer and Spontini had been rivals, and Meyerbeer had taken Spontini’s place in Berlin in 1842). Berlioz was forced to send a letter of explanation to placate Mme Spontini (CG no. 2393bis)." (Michel Austin, "Berlioz and Meyerbeer")
Berlioz and Meyerbeer maintained a complicated relationship over a period of more than 35 years. "Berlioz took Meyerbeer seriously and regarded him as one of the leading composers of the time whose works deserved close study. Yet from an early date, and increasingly as time went on, he had fundamental reservations not only about Meyerbeer’s music but also about his whole approach to his art, and about the negative effects of his phenomenal success on the taste of the public. On his side Meyerbeer was outwardly respectful of Berlioz and his music, though it is difficult in his case to separate sincerity from calculation...In April 1859 Meyerbeer’s latest opera Le Pardon de Ploërmel was produced at the Opéra, and reviewed by Berlioz (Journal des débats, 10 April 1859). In answer to an enquiry from his friend Humbert Ferrand about operas by Gounod (Faust), David (Herculanum) and Meyerbeer (Ploërmel) recently performed in Paris, Berlioz comments (CG no. 2368; 28 April): 'The music of Le Pardon de Ploërmel, unlike those (of the operas by Gounod and David), is written in a masterly way; it is inventive, refined, witty and often poetic. There is a gulf between Meyerbeer and these young men. You can see that he is not a PARISIAN. You can see the opposite for David and Gounod.' Berlioz went on to include the overture to the new opera at the start of the second half of a concert he gave at Baden-Baden on 29 August of the same year. In so doing he displaced the overture to Spontini’s La Vestale to the end of the concert, to the displeasure of Spontini’s widow (Meyerbeer and Spontini had been rivals, and Meyerbeer had taken Spontini’s place in Berlin in 1842). Berlioz was forced to send a letter of explanation to placate Mme Spontini (CG no. 2393bis)." (Michel Austin, "Berlioz and Meyerbeer")