Bidspirit auction | [MUSIC AUTOGRAPHS] - GIOVANNI PACINI

[MUSIC AUTOGRAPHS] - GIOVANNI PACINI (1796–1867) - Autograph musical manuscript, signed and dated 1859 - GIOVANNI PACINI (1796–1867) “Ave Maria – Largo religiosamente” Autograph musical manuscript, signed and dated 1859, for soprano and organ in C major. Oblong 8vo, one manuscript page, finely decorated in the margins, containing the opening of Pacini’s sacred setting of the Ave Maria, beginning with the words: “Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum…” The manuscript preserves the incipit of the composition, comprising the instrumental introduction for organ followed by the first bars of the soprano’s entrance. The organ accompaniment opens with a sustained, flowing texture of tied notes, establishing the devotional character indicated by Pacini’s expressive marking, “Largo religiosamente.” Signed by the composer and dated 1859. An attractive and particularly desirable example of Pacini’s musical autograph, combining a complete and immediately identifiable opening passage with an unusually decorative presentation. Autograph musical manuscripts by Pacini are considerably less frequently encountered on the market than his letters and other documentary material, and the present leaf is especially appealing for its combination of musical content, signature, date and ornamental execution. Pacini, one of the most prolific Italian opera composers of the nineteenth century and a prominent contemporary of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, composed more than seventy operas during a career extending over half a century. Alongside his extensive theatrical output, he cultivated sacred music throughout his career. This intimate Ave Maria, written in 1859, belongs to this less commonly represented aspect of his oeuvre and offers an evocative example of his autograph musical hand.