Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | First edition of the full score of “Così fan tutte”, and one other

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(1) Cosi fan tutte Dramma giocoso in due Atti… Weibertreue oder die Mädchen sind von Flandern komische Oper in Zwey Aufzügen [score], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel, [1810]

FIRST EDITION OF THE SCORE, 2 volumes in one, [1], [viii,] 3–153, [154], 155–269 pages, folio (348 x 262 mm), engraved music, plate number 1363, printed German libretto, WITH EXTENSIVE CONTEMPORARY ANNOTATIONS IN RED CRAYON TO ACT 1, chiefly, but not only, relating to the figuring of the bass part, manuscript number to title (“34575.”), nineteenth-century mottled half calf, spine gilt in compartments, red morocco label with gilt lettering to spine (“Cosi fan tutte”), engraved surface cropped in a few places, slight loss of paper to lower outer corner of pp.27–38 and 45–50, title on guard, light staining to title

(2) Così fan tutte. Weibertreue oder die Mädchen sind von Flandern, komische Oper in Zwey Aufzügen… Klavierauszug Pr. 5 Rthlr. [vocal score], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1819]

1 leaf, 192 pages, oblong 4to (253 x 340 mm), lithographed music, plate number 2906, cast-list and index, nineteenth-century green half calf, gilt lettering to upper cover (“Johanna Zimmermann”), without original wrapper, title and first leaf becoming detached, light browning, a few corners creased

The first edition of the full score of Mozart’s Così fan tutte appeared some sixteen years after the vocal score (1794). Of particular interest in the present full score are the numerous contemporary additions and annotations. In one place (on p.84), the (evidently English) writer takes issue with Mozart’s part-writing: “The effect of this termination [i.e. cadence] with 2 naked fourths is intolerable. I can scarcely believe Mozart wrote this passage [!]”

LITERATURE:

(1) RISM M 4693; Haberkamp, p.334; (2) Hoboken, xii 420