Bizet, Georges

inscribed and titled: "No.2, Première danse", notated for piano in black ink on six systems, with deletions and alterations by the composer, the Stichvorlage, marked up by the editor in blue crayon and pencil,

1 page, folio (32.2 x 26.8cm), 26-stave paper by Lard-Esnault of Paris, [c.1871-1872], some staining from the printer and creasing along folds

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."

UNRECORDED. Autograph manuscripts by Bizet are rare at auction. This score was not hitherto listed in Hugh Macdonald's online resource: The Bizet Catalogue. Bizet's manuscript contains his solo piano arrangement of Massenet's piano duets Scènes de bal op. 17 (1869–1870). It probably dates from c.1871-1872, not long before their publication by Georges Hartmann of Paris. Of the six movements in Bizet's transcription of Scènes de bal, only four are known in the composer's autograph.  Numbers 2 and 4 ('Deuxième danse') are unrecorded and either could be the manuscript in the Westley Manning collection (sale in these rooms, 11 October 1954, Lot 42), although the catalogue does not provide sufficient detail to say which.  Bizet's first number, now at the Library of Congress, was in the Robert Ammann collection (sale at J A Stargardt, 16 November 1961, lot 22, illustrated), and the fifth, formerly in the Stefan Zweig collection, is now at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Geneva.  Movements 3 and 6 are now at the Stiftelsen Musikkulturens främjande in Stockholm, among several important autographs (including Djamileh).