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19th Century Sheet Music Now Digitized

Digitization, Rare Books
The title page of Tre duetti per flauto e violino, composed by Alessandro Rolla

The title page of Tre duetti per flauto e violino, composed by Alessandro Rolla

The newest digital collection of Special Collections materials features a binder’s collection of sheet music dating to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Sheet Music of Flute and Violin Duets, 1790s-1850s features a  binder’s collection containing 27 duets for flute and violin.

Binder’s collections of sheet music were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, providing the means to social entertainment in homes and other informal settings beyond concert venues. While often unorganized, some collections are ordered according to genre, instrumentation, composer or chronology.

The works of a number of composers are included in the collection, including composer and flautist François Devienne. Other composers include Friedrich Ludwig Dulon, Franz Alexander Pössinger, and Eugène Walckiers.

Part 2 Violin, page 1, of Don Juan (de Mozart), composed by Charles de Bériot.

Part 2 Violin, page 1, of Don Juan (de Mozart), composed by Charles de Bériot

The sheet music also includes operatic transcriptions arranged by violinist Charles de Bériot, including a selection from Don Juan by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

While the printed music is bound in two separate volumes, one for each instrument, the pieces have been combined in the digital collection so that both parts can be seen together.

Music lovers and anyone interested in this unique collection should spend some time with the digital collection, or visit Special Collections to see the original volumes.

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