First printing of two Schubert songs, signed by the composer

Schubert, Franz, composer (1797-1828). Memnon, Antigone und Oedip, v. J. Mayrhofer, und Am Grabe Anselmo's von Claudius. Für eine Singstimme mit Piano-Forte in Musik gesetzt [...] 6tes Werk.

First edition with Schubert's autograph checkmark ("Sch[ubert] m[anu] p[ropria] 220") on last page and printed dedication to the Austrian theater director Michael Vogl. Much rarer than Schubert's first publication ("Erlkönig"), published the same year: no copy in international auction records. Usually, Schubert's autograph checkmarks on his early works are strongly trimmed in the descenders; in the present copy, however, the ckeckmark is entirely untouched by the binder's knife. In the last copy of Schubert's Opus 6 to appear in the trade (Schneider 282 [1985], 128), the checkmark was almost entirely trimmed away.

The fact that the checkmarks are in Schubert's own hand has been disputed (cf. E. Hilmar, “Anmerkungen zu Schuberts Erstdrucken”, in: Florilegium Musicologicum 1988, 145-154); however, Drüner has made a strong case for their authenticity: ”The problem is indeed more complicated for opuses 1-7 and 96, and in these cases Hilmar’s refusal is too categorical. His main arguments are not correct [...] It is almost certain that on the occasion of the publication of his opus 1-7, Schubert proudly followed the examples given to him by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, who signed his opuses [...] Hummel and Schubert were pupils of Salieri who taught both of them the highest editorial precision. Therefore, the idea of signing definitely came from Schubert [...]” (Otto Haas, cat. 40 [2003], p. 16). For a comparison of handwriting cf. the paraphs pictured by Drüner on p. 16 (Schubert's hand, identical with ours) and 17 (by another hand). Also cf. the included illustration of Schubert's identical paraph on his Opus 4 ("Brahms himself identifies Schubert's hand on his copy of 'Der Wanderer' [...]", Sotheby's, 17 May 2002, lot 169].

Clean, entirely untrimmed copy. Extremely rare thus.