Louis VARNEY (1844-1908). Autograph musical manuscript, La Reine des Halles, [1881] ; 280 pages in-fol. Orchestral score for this opéra-bouffe in 3 acts, based on a libretto by Alfred Delacour, Victor Bernard and Paul Burani, premiered at the Comédie Parisienne on April 4, 1881, with the great Theresa (1837-1913) in the title role. La Reine des Halles is the fishmonger Madame Rose; she has arranged a rich marriage for her son Pierre; but Pierre runs away from home with an operetta singer; after a chase through Les Halles, Pierre reconciles with his wife during a ball at Les Halles. On this fashionable subject [...] the authors wrote a play that Varney, according to Noël and Stoullig, flooded with new music. For Thérésa, who has admittedly lost some of her vocal power but none of her slaughter, he has multiplied rondeaux and couplets, some of which are excellent and earned the artist a legitimate triumph (Bernard Crétel). The manuscript is written in brown ink on 18-line paper. The lyrics are not written under the sung parts; from the covers, this appears to be a new orchestration; some passages are crossed out or sewn in, corresponding to cuts made during the performances. The manuscript comprises the Overture, Act I (5 numbers), Act II (intermission and 5 numbers, including the Rondeau des Halles , plus one deleted number), and Act III (intermission and 10 numbers). Enclosed is the autograph manuscript of 6 numbers from the operetta Le Rosier by Henri Casadesus (106 p.); and the autograph manuscript of the orchestral score of the ballet Madame la Présidente by Edmond Diet (21 p.); plus the orchestral ms of a Bataille (9 p.).