**Originally Listed At $400**

Europe, France, ca. 1890 CE. Penned and autographed by Charles Gounod (French, 1818-1893). An intriguing letter from the famous French composer Charles Gounod, who wrote 12 operas, including "Faust" (1859) and "Romeo et Juliette" (1867), and composed a large amount of church music, many songs, and popular short pieces including his Ave Maria (an elaboration of a Bach piece) and "Funeral March of a Marionette." Written to his publisher Heugel, Gounod assures him that he has, as requested, inscribed his album with a quotation of the "Chanson de Magali" from his opera Mireille [1864], and remarking on how large and heavy the volume is ("....Il faudrait plus d'un enfant de choeur pour le porter!...C'est, comme vous me l'avez demande, la chanson de Magali dans Mireille..."). Matted with a portrait of Gounod. Size of letter: 4.75" W x 6.25" H (12.1 cm x 15.9 cm); of matte: 14.75" W x 11" H (37.5 cm x 27.9 cm)

Provenance: private Redwood City, California, USA collection; ex-Sotheby's, London, United Kingdom, "Music, Continental and Russian Books and Manuscripts," May 28th, 2015, lot 243

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#183466

Light creasing and minor stains. Mounted with a portrait of Gounod. Nice preservation of ink.