Novello, Joseph Alfred (1810-1896). Composer, organist, music publisher and friend of MendelssohnBiblio.com
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by JOSEPH ALFRED NOVELLO Composer organist music publisher and friend of Mendelssohn.
184227882Soho London: Oct 22 1842. 1842. Good. - sc Small quarto approximately 10 inches high by 8 inches wide. 57 words penned in black ink on a sheet of cream stock. signed "Yours faithfully / J Alfred Novello". With the recipient's name and address penned on the verso. The letter is lightly creased & soiled with a light stain in the blank space to the left of the signature; There is a tiny chip to the top edge. Remnants of gray paper adhere to a strip of mounting tape on the verso where the letter has been removed from an album. Folded 4 times for mailing. Good. <p>Novello writes to "French Esq. / Her Majesty's Chapel Royal / Windsor": "A friend of mine offered me the accompanying 2 vols for 16/- they are not in my way but I thought they might suit you for your autographs - If you like them send me a post office order as the money wd. be acceptable to the party who wants to sell them if not return them to me".<p>Joseph Alfred Novello was the son of well-known organist and composer Vincent Novello and like his father devoted himself to the propagation of good music in England. As a friend and admirer of Felix Mendelssohn he was particularly eager to introduce that composer's work to English audiences. Some years after establishing himself at the age of nineteen as a music publisher in London he invented a system for printing cheap music and succeeded in introducing it in spite of the opposition of his fellow music-sellers. He was active and effective in promoting the progess of the arts science and social betterment. Soho [London]: Oct 22, 1842. unknown
