Original 1960 publicity photograph of the young Glenn Gould standing in concert attire flanked by Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky. Stamps on verso and clipping affixed to verso, in fine condition. 7 x 9 in; 18.5 x. 23.5 cm. Read More...
TLS of the American composer to Manuel Rosenthal, one of the most influential and respected French conductors of the 20th century. New York, December 24, 1975. 1 p. On Thomson letterhead paper. In full: "Cher Manuel, Le Temple de Mémoire is of the utmost beauty and I long to hear it in sound. / A thousand thanks for sending it to me and a thousand wishes for happy and prosperous times and more of them for all or you. Affection ever, Virgil." 8.5 x 5.5 inches (21.5 x 14 cm). In fine condition. Read More...
Mounted ensemble of photograph of the French-American avant-garde composer and inscription with quotation the beginning of his composition Intégrales. "To Dr. Max Broesiko-Schoen [?] in cordial remembrance of the Summer 1950 in Darmstadt Edg. Varèse. VIII 24th/50" [=August 24, 1950]. Photograph 5.75 x 4 inches (14.7 x 10.4 cm); paper slip with inscription and quotation 3.75 x 3.5 inches (9.3 x 9 cm). Mounted together to a larger rigid backing, both in fine condition. Read More...
New York : Ricordi. 1961 (date of "New Copyright"). Offrandes for soprano and chamber orchestra. Piano-vocal score ("must not be used for performance") by the composer. Quarto. 9 x 12 inches (30.5 x 22.9 cm). 12 pp. [PN] NY 2075-9. Inscribed by the composer to the title: "à Madame Jayne Somogi [sic, recte Somogyi] avec mes meilleurs souhaits Edgard Varèse." In original gray wrappers, slightly worn and with small stains. Else in fine condition. Read More...
Autograph signed letter on a single leaf of sheet music, ordering more music paper from a Parisian dealer. Translated from the Italian in full: "Please send me from Paris twelve cahiers of music paper with 24 lines like this: ...of the same quality and lining. The seller / as per the stamp / is Rue Faydeau near the Borga. N.B. The cahier consists of six sheets of four pages each. G. Verdi." ("Prego farmi venire da Parigi dodici cahier di carta musica da 24 righe come questa: della stessa ....qualità e rigatura. Il venditore / come dal timbro / stà Rue Faydeau vicino all Borga. N.B. Il cahier è formato di sei fogli a quattro pagine l'uno. G. Verdi"). Approx." 35 x 26 cm. folded. under ppt in an elaborate presentation frame with reproduction portrait photograph, and 3 identifying placards including a short biography of the composer and a translation of the letter. Slightly creased, unexamined out of framed but evidently well preserved. Read More...
Small oblong leaf with musical quotation on one hand-draw staff, three measures with heading, "Falstaff Atto 1mo" (it is the beginning of Verdi's opera); below: "Arturo Toscanini / Wien 19-5-[1]929." 4.5 x 7 inches (11.5 x 17.5 cm). In fine condition. Read More...
NAPOLI: Clausetti e C°. [1854]. Melodramma tragico di F.M. PIAVE posto in musica dal Cavaliere G. VERDI. L'Opera intera per Pianoforte solo. Oblong 4to. 122 pp. Engraved throughout. [PN] 1631/1651 - 1666. In original publisher's yellow wrappers, an exceptional and crisp copy. Very slight soiling to cover, else fine throughout. Provenance: Sotheby's 2011, L11402 - 204. Read More...
Important autograph letter signed ('Richard Wagner') to [the composer and conductor] Wilhelm Taubert (1811-1891), musical director of the Berlin Royal Opera, Dresden, December 11, 1847, 3 pages, 4to. With the attached integral address leaf and the remnant of the original red wax seal. Minor paper restoration to the seal tear, overall very fine. With a transcription and translation. A richly detailed letter by the 34-year old Wagner about early productions of Rienzi in Berlin and Tannhäuser in Dresden. Translated in full: Read More...
Striking CDV portrait photograph of the great composer in his velvet finery, by Jules Bonnet of Luzern. 2.5 x 4.2 inches [6.5 x 10 cm]. A few stray marks and surface abrasions, else in very good condition.
ALS of the eminent French composer, organist and teacher to the musicologist and journalist Adolphe Jullien (1845–1932). In French. No place, no date [ca.1880]. 2 pp. (card). In full: "Thank you, Sir, for sending me 'Goethe et la Musique' – Your study unites interesting documents, and as to a critique of your judgments, I take license to indicated the only error that I discovered there – it concerns Brahms, whom you link to Schumann, even though he comes after Schubert regarding his phrases and after Bach in his symphonic fabric. I believe that it would be good to modify this slight inaccuracy in a second edition. Schumann and Brahms have ideals of form that are completely dissimilar. There is nothing that brings them together but that they inhabit the same time – from a philosophical standpoint, of course. Thank you once more and congratulations. Charles Widor." Handstamp, "CH. M. W.," to head of first page. Oblong format, 3.5 x 4.5 inches (11.4 x 9 cm). In fine condition. Jullien's book Goethe et la Musique was published by Fischbacher in Paris in 1880, which allows to establish the recipient and to date the letter approximately.
Collection of 4 Yiddish sheet music and song books dating from 1910-1917, all issued by The Hebrew Publishing Co., New York City, mostly for operettas of the Yiddish Theatre in New York's Lower East Side. Each with lyrics written by Ukrainian-born lyricist and impresario Boris Thomashefsky, a founder and pioneer of the American Yiddish Theater. As a singer and performer, Thomashefsky emerged as one of the biggest stars of Yiddish theater, while Joseph Rumshinsky was one of its great composers. Herman Wohl and Arnold Perlmutter were a successful team of composers, the latter being in charge of orchestration in their collaborations. Read More...
Original early portrait photograph of the lyrical Swiss pianist of Hungarian birth. Furtwangler called him "a troubador of the keyboard." 7 x 9.5 in (18 x 24 cm) and in very fine condition.
ALS of the French violinist and composer. In French. [Paris,] Tuesday, September 23, 1817. 1 p. Bifolium; address to final page. "Do me a friendly favor, my dear Girard, to join me for dinner next Thursday, September 25, at 5 PM, at Belleville, rue Haller, no. 405 bis. That is, as I believe, your day at the opera, but but you will be able to take off right after. - We have received one of the most beautiful hares, one of the best killed ones ever seen, but we will not eat it without you. If your answer is Yes, we will be very satisfied with you. Enough for now. Your friend Baillot." 7.5 x 4.5 inches (18 x 11.5 cm). Read More...
Original set of negatives of the of the masterful American jazz musician and clarinetist, the "King of Swing" together with the great Budapest String Quartet violinist. Three 1939 Vintage negatives, together with the original envelope identifying the contents. 4 x 5 inches (10 x 12.7 cm).
Paper handbill advertising one of the very young virtuoso’s first performances in the United States: MASTER SHURA CHERKASSKY PIANIST HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, MONDAY JANUARY 28TH, 8:30. The earliest Cherkassky program we've seen! 5.25 x 7.75 inches; 13.5 x 20 cm. A few creases, overall fine. Read More...
Unusual sepia matte printed photograph of the two musicians performing together. The integral paper frame mount is inscribed "Aix le Bains / Aout 1934," presumably the location and date of the photograph. Fine. 7.5 x 8 in; 19 x 20.5 cm.
Original photograph postcard showing the military band of Elgin, IL, sponsored by the Elgin watchmaking company, taking a break in their seats under a large tent. Addressed and postmarked 1908 on the verso, with the note: "Elgin Military Band at Wheaton Country Fair. Aug. 25-29 - 1908." A crisp image in fine condition. 5.5 x 3.5 inches (13.7 x 8.9 cm).
Vintage Ellinger of Vienna postcard photograph of the great Swiss pianist, the first to record Bach's Well-Tempered Klavier. 4 x 5.75 in (10.5 x 14.5 cm). In very fine condition.
Two autograph letters signed and one typed letter signed by the great Swiss pianist, then living in Germany, to Maria Flörsheim, née Koch (1895-1955). Maria Flörsheim was a daughter of the wealthy Frankfurt jeweler Louis Koch (1860-1930), who owned a large collection of art, jewelry, autographs, etc. She and her husband Rudolf Flörsheim (1893-1962) emigrated to Switzerland in 1934. In German. In fine condition overall. Uncommon. Read More...