BENNETT, Sir William Sterndale (1816-1875). Composer.
Good Autograph Letter Signed to Walter Joy, 4 pages 8vo on black-edged paper (traces of former mounting in the left hand margin), Terminus Hotel, Eastbourne, 22 July 1858. Discussing a draft programme [probably for the Leeds Festival], the players he wishes to engage for it, and suggesting that Beethoven's fifth symphony would be a better choice than the Eroica.

'... I think you had better have the C Minor Symphony. The Eroica takes 3/4 of an hour and has a long funeral march, quite out of keeping with an opening Festival whereas the C. Minor has a triumphal March quite in keeping and moreover using our extra instruments. For this reason I put down "Preciosa", if Hatton's overture turns out to be quite new and therefore inadmissable, we can have it instead ... '

Bennett is probably referring to John Liptrot Hatton (1856-1904, conductor and composer), whose songs were immensely popular at the time.
[No: 22659]