CHAMPEIN (Stanislas) (1753-1830) - Lot 315

CHAMPEIN (Stanislas) (1753-1830) Composer, conductor, music journalist and founder of La Mélomanie, one of the most active specialized periodicals of the first half of the 19th century. L.A.S. "Schmitt", on La Mélomanie letterhead, Paris, February 27, 1842 (5 a.m.), 1 page in-4. Interesting administrative letter written on behalf of the magazine La Mélomanie, addressed to a correspondent to whom tickets for the Opéra were granted. The author writes: "Je vous prie de vouloir bien accorder à MM. Alexis Azevedo et Senevay, attachés d'une manière spéciale à la Mélomanie, les deux entrées à l'Opéra que vous avez bien voulu me promettre." He adds: "M. Badin and I will try to receive the issue of La Mélomanie you have asked for later today." This letter bears witness to the day-to-day operation of the musical and theatrical press networks under the July Monarchy. Requests for tickets, admissions and facilities granted to specialized journalists were common practice at the time, enabling coverage of performances and the dissemination of reviews in artistic journals. The document's particular interest lies in its superb La Mélomanie letterhead, setting out the magazine's subscription conditions and its music distribution activities ("100 francs of music" offered to subscribers from a catalog of over 1,200 pieces). The names mentioned in the letter, notably Alexis Azevedo, a music critic and man of letters well known in the Parisian artistic milieu, further enhance the documentary interest of the piece. Autograph signature of Schmitt, probably a collaborator or administrator of the magazine. A fine testimony to the workings of the Parisian music press in the mid-19th century. Condition: good overall; original folds; some discreet foxing; header perfectly preserved.