Books › A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904 › scan 170
Scan 170
A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904
8 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Playbills, Programmes, Mementos.
3PREFACE.
5RELICS of the past are always interesting. Musical dictionaries and biographies tell us about great musicians and performances of their works, of great virtuosi, using that term in the best sense of the term, also of their belongings; and yet, in reading, one does not seem to get into direct touch with them. In the present Exhibition there are many old play-bills: a scarce play-bill of Comus of 1738; programmes, for instance, of the first performances of Weber's "Oberon" and Mendelssohn's "Elijah"; admission tickets to a Castle Society concert of 1734, to one of Salomon's subscription concerts at the beginning of the 19th century; and a programme of Jenny Lind's farewell concert. Still more attractive, at any rate for the general public, are relics of the great masters. Sir Frederick Bridge sends, for instance, a bookcase made from wood of Purcell's house; Dr. W. H. Cummings, Handel's Will. Then there are well-authenticated locks of hair of Beethoven and Schubert; an inventory of Handel's household goods, and a theatre score of "Muzio Scaevola" used by him. And, to descend to smaller things, there are snuff-boxes which belonged to various celebrated musicians; a manuscript book of songs written out for Jenny Lind by Mendelssohn; bracelets worn by Madame Trebelli; presents to the late Sir Arthur Sullivan from Queen Victoria, etc., etc. There will be found something to suit all tastes. Autograph manuscripts and letters may be more valuable, but mementoes of great men who have departed, however small, of however little value in themselves, are justly prized. The care with which so many have been preserved is the outcome, not of vulgar curiosity, but of love and veneration.
7T. S. S.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.