Sibelius, Jean

the Stichvorlage, COMPRISING TEN MOVEMENTS, INCLUDING TWO DISCARDED FROM THE PUBLISHED SUITE, notated for piano in dark brown ink on up to four two-stave systems per page, a working manuscript in places with deletions and alterations, Sibelius's titles in French, marked up by the publisher in pencil, black ink and blue crayon: two movements and all Sibelius's titles deleted ('Au bord de la mer' and 'Prélude'), editorial additions by Paul Juon in black ink, including new titles in German for each number, and some spoken cues and stage directions,

1) Devant la porte du château, 4 pages, signed ("Jean Sibelius"), autograph title deleted by the editor, and replaced ("Am Schlosstor") 
2) Mélisande, 5 pages, title replaced with editorial title and stage direction
3) Au bord de la mer, 4 pages, the movement deleted by the editor ("fort!")
4) Dans le parc, 5 pages, title replaced with editorial title and spoken cue
5) Les trois soeurs aveugles, 3 pages, title replaced with editorial title and stage direction 
6) Pastorale, 4 pages, title replaced with editorial title and spoken cue 
7) Mélisande au rouet, 7 pages, title replaced with editorial title ("Melisande am Rocken") and stage direction 
8) Prélude, 5 pages, the movement deleted by the editor 
9) Intermède, 6 pages, title replaced with editorial title ("Begegnung") and spoken cue 
10) Scène finale, 4 pages, title replaced with editorial title ("Melisandes Tod") and spoken cue 



48 pages, including title (35.2 x 27cm), 12-stave paper (B & H. Nr.1A), unbound, [1904-1905], some browning

Dahlström, pp.215-218

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"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."

THIS IS A SIBELIUS DISCOVERY, INCLUDING TWO UNPUBLISHED PIANO ARRANGEMENTS BY THE COMPOSER. Sibelius composed ten movements for his incidental music to Maurice Maeterlinck’s Pelléas et Mélisande between September 1904 and March 1905, simultaneously arranging it for piano score: "I am also making a piano reduction of the score as I go along" (letter to his wife of 31 January 1905).  Composed for a production of the play at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki (translated by Bertel Gripenberg), it included preludes or entr’actes for each of the five acts and five other movements.  The first performance was on 17 March 1905, with the composer conducting.   The well-known orchestral suite (published in May 1905) included only eight of the movements included here, as did his piano suite, although this manuscript shows that he originally arranged all ten, two of which were discarded by his editor.   The music of the opening 'Prélude' is especially well-known to British audiences as the theme music for the long-running BBC television series, The Sky at Night.