[Music, Dance & Theatre] Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix. (1809–1847), et al. Autograph Signatures on Leaf - Over 20 Composers & Performers

An extraordinary assemblage of autograph signatures on leaf removed from an album including that of Felix Mendelssohn at the center, but also those of 27 other composers, instrumentalists, dancers, singers and actresses, among which are Ignaz Moscheles ("I. Moscheles"), Sigismond Thalberg ("S. Thalberg"), Giorgio Ronconi ("GoRonconi"), Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani ("Fanny Persiani"), Michael Costa ("MCosta"), Giovanni Battista Rubini ("Gio. Batt'a Rubini"), Jules Benedict ("Jules Benedict"), Nicolas-Charles Bochsa ("Cha Bochsa"), John Liptrot Hatton ("J.L. Hatton"), Luigi Lablache ("L. Lablache"), Élisabeth Félix ("Rachel"), Émilio Pacini ("Emilie Pacini"), Josef Staudigl, Anna Bishop, Rosalbina Caradori-Allan, some unidentified. 1 page, 8 x 11 inches; mounted to sheet trimmed to size, verso of mount inscribed "ALMERINDA," faint offsetting affecting a few signatures, overall fine. One the the most astounding groupings of musical and performance autographs on a single page we've ever encountered. It is hard to fathom a single occasion on which these figures may have gathered. It is more likely that the signatures were collected over some time at a particular theatre or festival other artistic gathering place. One unidentified signature is inscribed in French "J'attends toujours," which may or may not be a clue to the location, but otherwise there are no other inscriptions. A bit of a mystery, if a most wonderful one indeed!