A fellow WordPress blogger just posted an image of the autograph manuscript of a Chopin Polonaise from New York’s Morgan Library. I was reminded of the jaw-dropping collection of autograph music manuscripts contained within the walls of that most incredible institution and thought that some of you might not be aware of their existence. The Morgan Library & Museum houses one of the finest collections of music manuscripts in the country. In addition to a large collection of musicians’ letters and first editions of scores and librettos, it has the world’s largest collection of Mahler manuscripts and substantial holdings of Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart, Schubert, and Richard Strauss. The collection spans six centuries and many countries. The Morgan’s holdings of material relating to the lives and works of the dramatist William S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur S. Sullivan form the most extensive archive of its kind in the world. Here are just a few of the remarkable autograph manuscripts contained in the collection:

Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750

Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112



Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827

Sonata no. 10 in G major, op. 96, for violin and piano

Brahms, Johannes, 1833-1897

Symphony no. 1 in C minor, op. 68

Frédéric Chopin,1810-1849

Polonaise for piano, op. 53, in A♭ major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791

Piano concerto no. 21 in C major, K. 467

Schubert, Franz, 1797-1828

String quartet no. 14 in D minor, D. 810