G.F. Handel. Seventeen editions from the collected edition by Samuel Arnold, 1788-1797

Handel, George Frideric

Seventeen editions from the collected edition by Samuel Arnold, 1788-1797

comprising: The Celebrated Water Musick (Arnold plate nos.23-24), The Musick for the Royal Fireworks (no.24), Acis and Galatea (nos.28-30), Six sonatas for two violins [Op.2] (nos.47-48), Seven sonatas or trios [Op.5] (nos.48-49), The Music in the Alchymist (no.64), Alexander's Feast (nos.65-67), Concertante in nine parts for two violins and a violoncello (nos.98-99; 2 copies), Six concertos...for the organ or harpsichord [Op.4] (nos.121-124), A second set of six concertos (nos.124-128), Lessons for the harpsichord (nos.128-129), A second set of lessons (nos.129-130). A third set of lessons (nos.130-131), Six fugues or voluntarys for the organ or harpsichord (no.131), Two trios and four cantatas (nos.174-176), Thirteen chamber duetto's (nos.176-179; in two parts) 

17 editions in 8 volumes, large folio, some modern pencil annotations including some added music ("...Singer Cécile Rec. Lili...Violons Carl Robert"), Dolmetsch Library stamps and pencil shelfmarks ("II D 16-17, 20-22, 24a-25"), various bindings, some late C18th or early C19th, one modern half morocco, bindings worn, some defective, one volume with textblock split  

Between July 1787 and 6 October 1797, 182 complete works by Handel (and one excerpt) were published by Samuel Arnold in what was the first Gesamtausgabe of any composer's works. That these volumes were actively used by Dolmetsch in performance, (including with members of his family), can be vividly seen in the marked-up volume of cantatas in this lot, which also includes some added music. 

LITERATURE:

J.M. Coopersmith, 'The first Gesamtausgabe: Dr. Arnold's Edition of Handel's works', Notes, second series, vol.4 no.4 (September 1947), pp.438-449