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Folio. Engraved title, 4 ff. list of subscribers, 303 pp. Very clean copy on stronger mould made paper. With addition of some bars of Trombone on page 192ff. in ink of old hand. Very nice half leather binding in the style of the time with contemporary marbled colored paper. A GREAT MILESTONE OF ORATORIO LITERATURE EXCEPTIONAL AND EXTREMELY RARE CIMELIA: WITH AUTOGRAPH AUTHORIZATION OF HAYDN Very rare engraved first edition of the full-score in very good condition of Haydn's most important vocal work, still published by himself: Most copies, but not all are bearing his monogram stamp in the lower right corner of the title page, which was used by his printer to mark editions authorized by Haydn. What makes this copy special, however, there are two monogram stamps, the second at the right probably applied by Haydn himself, and below in addition his autograph authorization "MPria" (Manu Propria) written in ink. It was a habit of Haydn's to add the note "Manu Propria" at the end of his autograph signature. Hoboken does mention that there are copies with Haydn's signature, but not how many and what these signatures look like. As far as we were able to track copies in trade and libraries, there are a very few with the autograph authorization of Haydn, for example the copy in the "Österreichische Nationalbibliothek", but which has no monogram stamps. Therefore, in comparison to other copies, our copy seems to be unique! The list of subscribers, with 409 persons listed who ordered 507 copies, reflects Haydn's fame throughout Europe and reads like a "Who's Who," starting with the Austrian Empress, the Queen of England, and many other royal highnesses from Italy, Hungary, German lands, et al. Duchess Amalia of Saxony-Weimar and Franziska of Württemberg, among others, but also well-known personalities of European musical life, such as Burney, Cannabich, Clementi, who ordered 24 copies at once, Fux, Simrock etc. Haydn published the work himself, among other things because he believed that he could earn more money this way than if he had given it to a publisher. His public statement reveals another motivation: "The acclaim that my oratorio: "Die Schöpfung" had the good fortune to receive and the wish expressed in . the "Musikalische Zeitung" that its publication should not. be left to foreigners, have induced me to organize it myself. The work shall therefore appear, nicely and correctly engraved, printed on good paper, provided with English text in addition to the German, in three or at the most four months.". (J. Hayden on 15.6.1799 in the Intelligenzblatt Nr: XV of the AMZ). Haydn was also motivated to self-publish by the incredible performance success of his oratorio, which was first performed privately at the Schwarzenberg Palace on April 29 and 30, 1798, and in publicity with a larger cast on March 19, 1799, and quickly became incredibly successful with many more performances throughout Europe. "The Creation brought in the biggest box-office returns in the history of Vienna; it conquered, in one fell swoop . a Europe divided by war; it reunited all classes - Catholic Austria, Anglican England, Evangelical Berlin and even laicized Paris - in admiration, and repeatedly moved thousands and thousands of listeners to tears of devotion and emotion." (Landon, Robbins: Haydn: The Years of the Creation, p.344). The publication of the score was delayed until the end of December 1799 and then again until June 1800, since, among other things, four copper plates broke during printing by Artari in Vienna in April 1800. Breitkopf & Härtel had hoped to receive the commission for the first edition, but nevertheless "supported Haydn's self-publishing by taking over the collection of subscribers and soon ordered a larger number of scores." (Hase, H.v.: Joseph Haydn und Breitkopf & Härtel, Lzg. 1909). Haydn returned the favor by giving the plates to Breitkopf & Härtel at the end of December 1801 after the first printing, where a title edition then appear.
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