Sale 2461 - Autographs, November 7, 2017

156 c   DELIBES, LÉO. Autograph Musical Manuscript dated and Signed, working draft of a work for bassoon and cello (“Morceau à déchiffrer pour Basson”), 50 bars notated on 11 two-stave systems, with holograph title, instrument labels, and tempo directive. Signed on the title-page. “Basson / Concours de 1876 / Examen au Juin 1890” written in an unknown hand, in blue pencil, on title-page. 2 pages, folio, 20 printed staves on recto and verso, written on the second and third pages of a folded sheet; faint uneven toning to title- page and all edges throughout, remnants of prior mounting at upper corners of title-page and terminal page. Np, 1876 [1,000/1,500] Delibes dated this work “Concours 1876,” suggesting that he had written it to be used for a competition, possibly the flute competition held at the Paris Conservatoire yearly since 1860, or the sight-reading examinations held in the same place (Delibes wrote a similar work for flute for these examinations entitled “Morceau (Concours de flûte 1876)”).