Paper Music Rolls and Folded Cardboard Book-music

Paper music roll No. 797. Camille Saint-Saëns, Samson and Delilah, Act I: Finale (Finale aus dem I. Akt)

    Paper music roll No. 797. Camille Saint-Saëns, Samson and Delilah, Act I: Finale (Finale aus dem I. Akt)

    Germany, Freiburg

    1910s

    Saint-Saëns, Camille, M. Welte & Sohne G.m.b.H.

    Paper, cardboard, metal, wood; perforation, printing, cardboard work

    Roll width: 32.9 cm

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    The roll features program perforation — coded record of control commands sequence transmitted to musical instrument to reproduce melody of Act I Finale from opera on biblical theme Samson and Delilah, written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (09.10.1835–16.12.1921) to libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. Premiere took place in Weimar on December 2, 1877, conducted by Franz Liszt. It was staged with great success in Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden, Prague, but rejected without consideration by management of Grand Opéra. Only in 1890 was opera "noticed" in composer's homeland, in Rouen (premiere — March 3). It was first performed on Parisian stage on November 23, 1892, 15 years after Weimar premiere. Excerpts from opera were performed in concerts. Melody on music roll is coded from performance by composer himself.The roll is housed in cardboard case shaped as rectangular parallelepiped, consisting of base and hinged lid covered with burgundy binding material. Labels similar to one on roll are affixed to ends of lid.
    Musical instruments:

    1. Playing grand piano "Steinway Welte-Mignon", № 305.1-3/ММП
    2. Playing piano "Berdux Welte Piano", № 506/ММП
    3. Playing piano "Steinway Welte-Mignon", № 599/ММП



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    46.1-2/TP