Autograph letter signed from the French violinist and Romantic-era composer. May 17, 1888. 3 pp. Translated from the French: "Dear maître, permit me to remind you that you are to look into Ruy Blas with the directors of the Opera. It would be good, it seems to me, to reach a decision as soon as possible on this matter, because of the agreement that is in M. Paraney's hands. Please accept all my thanks for the very cordial manner in which you received me recently [...] Benjamin Godard." Folding crease with partial split; Godard's name written in blue pencil at the head; overall fine. 9 x 7 inches (22.5 x 17.7 cm) unfolded. Read More...
Carte de visite photograph of the important American composer and virtuoso pianist. He is shown standing next to a small table in a portrait by Silsbee, Case & Co. of Boston. His name and the number 22 are penned at the foot of the image in an unknown hand. Fine. 2.5 x 4 inches (6.1 x 10.1 cm). Read More...
Carte de visite photograph of the important French composer, who is shown with his arms folded in a portrait by Bayard & Bertall. Several flecks to the image; otherwise fine. 2.5 x 4 inches (6 x 10.3 cm).
Autograph letter from the founding editor of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the first director of the Royal College of Music, to the lecturer and theatrical producer Luther Munday. November 28, 1890. 2 pp. Grove writes: "Dear Mr Munday, I am very sorry to disappoint you but I never wrote any thing 'lyric' in my life or anything in any other form worthy of being preserved. Would do anything possible for you, but this I really cannot do..." In fine condition; edges neatly reinforced with paper. 4.5 x 7.5 inches (11.8 x 18.6 cm).
Signed program from an October 24, 1960 concert honoring the 60th birthday of the Austrian-born composer. The concert, at the Mozart-Saal of the Wiener Konzerthaus, included Krenek's String Quartet no. 7 and premieres of his 6 Vermessene and 6 Motetten nach Worten von Franz Kafka. Krenek has signed on the first page of the program listing. Together with two ticket stubs. In very fine condition, 3 pp. 5.75 x 8.25 inches (15 x 21 cm).
Autograph letter signed from the French violinist and composer to his friend, cellist Léon Jacquard, asking him to be present at his wedding. Lundi, [n.d.], 1 p. Translated from the French: "My dear Léon, I am getting married on July 6 in the morning; I hope that you will be free and that you will give me part of your day; I will not have any friends, you will be alone with my witnesses, and I would like you not to talk about it, so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. I will come and see you one of these mornings. Yours, E. Lalo." Folding creases; some slight smudges; overall fine. 4.5 x 7 inches (11.3 x 17.8 cm). Together with a reproduction photograph of Lalo and Jacquard with their quartet colleagues, and a typed extract about Lalo's marriage. Read More...
New York: Simon and Schuster. 1962. First Edition. Signed and Inscribed to Agnes [De Mille] on a front blank: "To Agnes with great admiration / and my eternal gratitude for / her priceless contributions to / my work. / Fritz Loewe / Oct. 29th 1962." 255 pp. Includes songs from My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Gigi, The Day Before Spring, and Camelot, with photographs from the original productions throughout. Publisher's cloth, chipping to spine ends; small price label on rear free endpaper; dust jacket separated into parts at folds with scattered cello tape repairs and moderate loss at spine panel and lower edge. Overall fine in good dj. 9 x 12 inches. Read More...
Original late-17th-century copyist manuscript of arias from Lully's operas Persée, Phaëton, Amadis and Armide. 183 pp. Folio. Selections from the four operas are penned in a bold, clear hand throughout, with a smaller hand noting the first performance of each opera. Persée was first performed at the Palais-Royal in 1682; Phaëton in 1683; Amadis in 1684 and Armide in 1686. Ownership ticket and signature and paraph to somewhat later inner front pastedown and title page for the complete volume, "A. Dethou." Leather boards with gold decoration and lettering to the spine. Antique restorations to pp. 164 - 169, else fine. Boards and spine heavily rubbed and chipping, but binding intact. 10 x 15.5 inches (26 x 39.5 cm). Read More...
Rare program from a December 16, 1900 concert with members of the Vienna Hof-Opernorchester under Gustav Mahler, performing Beethoven's Symphony no. 1, Overture to Coriolanus, and Symphony no. 4. 6 pp., including a list of the orchestra members and advertising. Small stamps and notes to the front wrapper. Toning and wear, with staple binding detached; overall very good. 5.5 x 8 inches (14 x 20.3 cm). Read More...
Autograph letter from the important composer to his friend Nina Spiegler ("Nanna"), complaining of the cold and his difficulties composing, and mentioning Hans Richter, Robert Fuchs, and writer Siegfried Lipiner. [July 14, 1899.] 2 pp. Fold crease, minor spotting. Framed in a double-sided frame. Sight size 5.5 x 6 inches (13.5 x 15.8 cm), framed to 7 x 8 inches. Read More...
Signed program from a February 1960 concert of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, with soprano Phyllis Curtin and mezzo-soprano Regina Resnik in Mahler's Symphony no. 2. Bernstein, Curtin and Resnik have all signed over the third page of the program listing; conductor Seymour Lipkin has signed over the previous page, below the listing of David Diamond's The World of Paul Klee, which he conducted. In very fine condition, together with a separate booklet of program notes, a ticket stub and a newspaper clipping about the concert. 23 pp. 7.25 x 9.75 inches (18.6 x 24.8 cm).
Paris: Durand. 1944 / 1971. Double-signed score from the important French composer and his wife, the pianist Yvonne Loriod, who premiered the work in 1944. Both Messiaen and Loriod have signed, inscribed, and dated 1983 on the first page below the dedication to Loriod. Messiaen writes (translated from the French): "For John Reiland, with the hope that my colors of rhythms and chords will bring him joy... Olivier Messiaen." Loriod writes: "En souvenir de Mills College! Amicalement...Yvonne Loriod, 4 Mai 1983." 177 pp. Softcover in orange paper wrappers. Toning, some light edge wear to the wrappers, but overall fine. 10.5 x 13.25 inches (27 x 34 cm). Read More...
Group of five autograph letters from the German composer who was one of the most successful writers for the nineteenth-century opera stage. The group includes one letter in French to operatic composer Luigi Cherubini and four letters in German to poet Heinrich Heine. The letter to Cherubini (August 8, 1840; 3 pp.) introduces and recommends the Russian Colonel Levoff, "one of the most brilliant and expressive violinists of our time, and also a melodious and sound composer." Praising Cherubini as "the King of living composers," Meyerbeer writes that Levoff would like to meet Cherubini and "become acquainted with the inner workings of the celebrated institution of which you are the Director" (i.e. the Paris Conservatoire), since he has been charged by the Emperor with creating a conservatory in St. Petersburg. The group of letters to Heinrich Heine (each 1 p., n.d., one with Berlin postmarks) concern a meeting in Paris, where Meyerbeer writes he has just found a residence at the Hôtel de Paris; an offer of four tickets to a Wednesday evening concert, arranged via Meyerbeer's agent Gouin; and Meyerbeer's assurance that he will fulfill an unspecified request from Heine, and will write to another person "to arrange the most necessary things" (possibly also a reference to obtaining tickets, as mentioned in the other letters.) Translations below. The letters to Heine each bear the note "M. Beer" at the head, with a later note in pencil stating that this is in Heine's hand. Read More...
Signed program from a January 31/February 1, 1957 performance of the German-American composer's Symphony 'Midrash Esther' with the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York at Carnegie Hall. Meyerowitz has signed over the second page of the program listing. The concert also featured Nathan Milstein playing Goldmark's Violin Concerto, conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos. In very fine condition, 23 pp. 7.5 x 10.25 inches (19.5 x 26 cm). Together with a booklet of program notes and a newspaper clipping about the concert.
35. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. (1756–1791). Così fan tutte: o sia la scuola degli amanti...Weibertreue oder Die Maedchen sing von Flandern...Im Klavierauszuge von Siegfried Schmiedt. [KV 588]
Leipzig: in der Breitkopfischen Musikhandlung. [1794]. First edition. Erstes [Zweites...Drittes] Heft. [Vocal Score] Three volumes in one: 78, 80 and 82 pages, oblong 4to (c.27 x 31.7cm), type-set music, bookseller's label to titles, without engraved memorial frontispiece, 2 leaves from first volume (pp 41-44) supplied in early (perhaps contemporary)manuscript copy in an unidentified hand. Nineteenth-century brown marbled boards, quarter brown leather with title plate at spine. Scattered foxing, some browning, upper margins trimmed, occasionally affecting paginations, overall a fine copy of this rare score. Haberkamp, pp.333-334; Hirsch, iv 166. Read More...
Autograph musical manuscript of the American-born composer's Piano Trio in D minor, op. 22, inscribed on the title page to his friend, historian John Fiske, and signed and dated 1874 on the first page of music. Small pencil corrections and annotations in pp. 1–7, including accidentals, added notes in the violin and cello parts, change of note lengths, erased chords; notes erased and changed on p. 49; one full measure struck through in pen on p. 45. 53 pp. Hardcover, 10.5 x 13.5 inches. Half bound in red and brown pebbled leather with gold lettering. Spine and corners rubbed with some scratches; toning; structurally sound and overall very good. Read More...
Rare signed LP, released by Partch himself on his own private Gate 5 label, this copy signed and inscribed on the back of the sleeve: "For Pat Ford – Harry Partch. June 1970." Some edge wear and partial splits to the sleeve, overall very good. Record present but untested. Read More...
Rare signed LP, released by Partch himself on his own private Gate 5 label, this copy signed and inscribed on the back of the sleeve: "For Pat Ford – Harry Partch. June 1970." Some edge wear and partial splits to the sleeve, overall very good. Record present but untested. Read More...
Bold signature across an Italian stamp from the important Italian composer, teacher of Puccini and Mascagni at the Milano Conservatory, whose "La Gioconda" remains a favorite. Sold together with a vintage postcard portrait photograph. Rare.