with an illuminated calligraphic dedication page by A.G. Taupier: "Album de Musique offert par G. Rossini à Mademoiselle Louise Carlier, Mars 1835", including:

1) ROSSINI, GIOACHINO. The song "Mi lagnerò tacendo", signed and inscribed at the end "Offert à Mad^lle L. Carlier par G. Rossini, Paris a 4 Mars", 4 pages,



2) BELLINI, VINCENZO. The arietta "Dolente immagine di Fille mia", signed and inscribed "offert à Mad^lle L. Carlier, V. Bellini, Paris 30: Mars 1835", 6 pages--3) Auber, an 'All[egr]o agitato' in A minor for piano, 2 pages, Paris: 27 June 1835--4) Paër, 'Vous, Romance, paroles de Mons[ieu]r E. Barateau' a song with the words "Ange à voix tender", 5 pages, Paris, 10 October 1835--5) Edouard Brugière, 'Le printems arrive. Ronde Villageoise', a vocal duet for voice , "2^d dessus" and piano, notated on two four-stave systems, 4 pages, Paris: 12 October 1835--6) Panseron, 'Romance d'Auguste', for voice and piano, 2 pages--7) Tadolini, 'Arietta' ("Com'è soave l'anima mirar la cast Luna"), 4 pages, Paris, 18 December 1835--8) Michele Costa, a song, 3 pages, 1835--9) Marliani, 'La gita in gondola' ("Voli l'argile barchetta"), 6 pages, Paris, 11 January 1836



10) MERCADANTE, SAVERIO. "Aure amiche, ah! non spirate per pietà", signed ("S. Mercadante"), 6 pages, Paris, 20 February 1836--



11) MEYERBEER, GIACOMO, 'Arietta' ("Soave l'istante a un' anima amante"), signed ("Paris 16 fevrier 1837 Giacomo Meyerbeer"), 4 pages, Paris, 16 February 1837--12) G. Berton, 'Air à Trois Notes', signed ("G: Berton, chamber de 'Institut officier de la Légion d'honneur")--13) Louise Berton, "Ah dors en paix mon bel enfant", signed and inscribed ("offert à M^e Benazet par Louise Berton, 1^er octobre 1837"), 11 pages, 1 October 1837--14) Thalberg, 'Canon' in four parts, an album-leaf, 1 page, Paris, April 1838



15) CHERUBINI, LUIGI. 'Arietta mise en musique par L. Cherubini' ("Se cerca, se dice"), [from Metastasio's L'Olimpiade], 3 pages, Paris, 1 January 1839--16) HALÉVY, a vocalise, notated for Chant and Piano, 1 page, 10 December 1842--17) George Onslow, 'Le Dante dans le Paradis', ("De ciel en ciel par l'amour entraîné"), 6 pages, 23 march 1843--18) Camillo Sivori, 'Capricciotto Allegro', for violin, 1 page, Paris, 11 April 1843--19) A. R v. Adelburg, "In Stiller Nacht", Nocturno für Bass", 1 page, Paris, 7 June 1856; together with: ibid, 'Cadenza' for violin, 1 page--20) Clapisson, "Je t'aime O bel ange!", for Le Sylphe ("opéra en deux actes 1^iere representation à Bade le 11 Août"), 3 pages, Baden-Baden, 29 August 1856--21) Servais, 'And^te Cantabile' for cello and piano, 3 pages, Baden-Baden,  11 September 1860--MASSENET, autograph musical quotation from Werther, signed and inscribed ("Massenet Werther (acte 1^er) 1897"), 1 page



22 items, 80 pages in all, including the title, oblong 4to (19.5 x 26cm), 8-stave paper, FINE CONTEMPORARY FRENCH BINDING, straight-grained maroon morocco gilt, blue doublures, geometrical design to covers in blind, gilt-lettered with the owner's initials ("L.B."), Paris 1835-1879, rebacked, later slipcase

The album was unknown until its discovery by Natale Gallini in a Paris bookshop in 1953. A gramophone recording of the contents by Suzanne Danco and F. Molinari-Pradelli was issued in 1957, but the album was never published and its subsequent ownership was unrecorded.   

Vincenzo Bellini, Musica vocale da camera, ed. C. Steffan (2012), no. II.c (p.176)

"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

THE AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPTS OF TWENTY COMPLETE SONGS BY ITALIAN OPERA COMPOSERS, INITIALLY COLLECTED AND PRESENTED BY ROSSINI TO LOUISE CARLIER 

Louise Carlier, herself the daughter of an impresario, became in 1837 the wife of Édouard Bénazet (1801-1867), the manager and impresario of the spa at Baden-Baden and a close friend to both Rossini and Berlioz.  Berlioz's six visits to Baden-Baden, commissioned by Bénazet, culminated in Béatrice et Benedict (1862).  Paris was a Mecca for Italian composers: the alb🌱um is dominated by Italian composers livꦜing in or visiting the city.

The six-page manuscript by Vincenzo Bellini is the most substantial autograph by this composer to appear at auction for many years.  Bellini originally composed 'Dolente immagine' as a scena with orchestral accompaniment (Naples, c.1820-1823), and had it publish൩ed in 1829 for piano and voice.  There are a number of autograph versions that he wrote out in Catania in 1832 and in Paris in 1835, including this one for Louise Carlier, which omits two repeated bars (16 and 17), the title and the tempo marking ("Andante flebile"), all found in the editions.

For a similar binding by Theron, on an 1827 volume by Dufrénoy, see Paul Culot, Relieurs et reliures décorées en France à l'époque romantique, (1995), no.100.

Please see larger illustrations on page 6.