Two mid-19th-century carte de visite cards featuring a reproduction portrait of the important opera composer and three pages of music to the aria "J'ai perdu mon Euridice" from his most famous opera, Orfeo ed Euridice. The two cards, each with material on recto and verso, together form a miniature book of four "pages." Photographic reproduction by A. Chardon, issued by Tantet & Cie, Editeurs. Pencil notes at the head of the portrait card; initial stamp at the foot. Toning; slightly irregularly trimmed; overall very good. 2.5 x 4 inches (6.2 x 10.5 cm).
Autograph letter from the Venezuelan-French composer, conductor, critic and singer known for his mélodies, agreeing to attend a gathering given in his honor. Translated from the French, in full: "Madame, I am extremely touched and flattered by your kind thought. I will come with great pleasure to the gathering which you wish to dedicate to me. Respectfully, Reynaldo Hahn." Dated in pencil in another hand at the foot: June 9, 1906. On letterhead embossed with the initials B. D. 1 p. of a bifolium. Tape remnant to the left edge and some mounting remnants to the interior fold; otherwise in fine condition 5 x 6.75 inches (12.5 x 17 cm).
Original cabinet photograph of the English cleric and writer known for his widely-read volume Music and Morals and for his accounts of contemporaries such as Mendelssohn and Wagner. Photographed by Elliott and Fry of London. Areas of toning and small cuts from mounting in two places; otherwise in very good condition. 4.25 x 6.5 inches (10.9 x 16.6 cm).
Original photograph of the important German composer in later life, shown leaning on a table with his glasses in his hands. Light edge wear; overall fine. 4.75 x 6.5 inches (12 x 16.5 cm).
Original press photograph of the German composer, violist, and conductor, shown leaning back in his chair while conducting with a stub of pencil. Stamped on the verso: February 12, 1953. Some wrinkling, with irregular margins and cropping marks; otherwise in good condition. 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.7 cm).
Autograph letter from the important composer to Belgian violist Jean Rogister, giving metronome markings for his Quartet op. 22. 1 p., n.d. Translated from the German: "Dear Mr. Rogister, in great haste I send you, with thanks for your kind letter, the metronome markings for my Quartet op. 22 [...] I wish you great success with the piece and I am with best wishes to you and your colleagues, yours, Paul Hindemith." Folding creases; in very fine condition, together with the original envelope, postmarked April 24, 1933. 8.75 x 11 inches (22.2 x 28.5 cm). Read More...
Original outline of the important composer's left hand, traced in pencil and boldly signed on an album leaf titled "Forget-Me-Not." Undated. An extremely rare and unusual item from the prolific German composer, violist, conductor and teacher. Left edge rough and some light toning; overall in fine condition. 7.5 x 10 inches (19 x 25.7 cm).
Signed program from the important composer, from a February 15, 1959 performance of his works at New York's Town Hall. Hindemith has signed over the program listing, which included U.S. premieres of his Octet and Six Madrigals, and Bruckner's Mass in E minor. 3 pp., 7 x 9.75 inches (17.7 x 24.7 cm). Together with a booklet of texts and program notes, a flyer advertising the concert, and a newspaper clipping. In very fine condition overall.
Mainz: B. Schott's Söhne. [1934]. Signed study score for the important twentieth-century composer's symphonic work of 1934. Hindemith has signed boldly on the title. [PN] B.S.S. 34052. 90 pp. Some light external toning, but overall very fine. 5.5 x 7.25 inches (13.7 x 18.5 cm). Read More...
Original cabinet photograph of the German Romantic composer best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel. Photographed by J. C. Schaarwächter of Berlin and stamped 1894. In very fine condition. 4.25 x 6.5 inches (10.9 x 16.8 cm).
Color photograph of the Hungarian composer and pianist at the keyboard, signed at the lower right and dated 2006. In very fine condition. 6 x 4 inches (15 x 11.4 cm). Read More...
Original Ladies' Ticket to the 1857 Grand Ball and Promenade Concert at the opening of the American Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The verso of the ticket features a lithograph by Henry Sartain of the newly-built Academy, designed by N. LeBrun and G. Runge. Slightly irregular toning to a rectangular area; otherwise fine. 5 x 3.5 inches (13 x 8.8 cm). Read More...
Autograph letter from the American musician, elder brother and business partner of the famed entertainer Liberace, dated March 26, 1963. Together with an unused ticket to Liberace's 1986 show at Radio City Music Hall. Letter in very fine condition with the original envelope. 15.3 x 24 cm.
Three autograph notes from the daughter of the important French opera composer, together with an original portrait photograph of Massenet and a page of further pictures of the composer from a 1912 issue of Musica magazine. Two undated autograph notes from Juliette Massenet on black-bordered visiting cards, sending good wishes and thanking her correspondent for sending a program, are mounted on the verso of the original photograph. A further note, dated June 4, 1934, on a black-bordered card, states that she is enclosing a picture of Massenet, "which was one of the ones he preferred. I am including this little 'paper' if you want to affix it behind the photograph." This note has been attached to the edge of the magazine page (presumably the 'little paper' to which she refers), which has a large portrait photograph of Massenet on the recto and several more drawings and photographs of the composer at different ages on the verso. Read More...
Show all available items in this catalogue matching:EphemeraOpera
Paris: Zurfluh. 1930. French coloring book designed to teach children simple solfege and musical notation, with a different illustrated mnemonic for each note of the scale (do is for dominos, etc), in blank and colored versions. The cover features a very sweet illustration of children playing various too-large instruments, and the middle two pages have practice staves for drawing clefs and notes, illustrated with further mnemonic drawings. Softcover, 14 pp. In very fine condition. 11.5 x 7.5 inches (29.4 x 18.6 cm).
A very colorful and charming painting depicting a string quartet made up of a goat, a monkey, a donkey and a bear. A decorative border has been drafted in pencil around the scene, but evidently not completed. Below the image, a note in pencil indicates the names of the animals (Dana, Misha Grisha, Serge, and Nathan!) and a quotation in Russian reads: "...it doesn't matter how you sit / you will never be a musician." On heavy card with overall toning, wear, some splatter marks at the lower left, and tape remnants at the left and right; the painting itself in fine condition. 18 x 12.5 inches (45.5 x 32 cm). Read More...
18th-century engraving depicting Icarus and Daedalus falling from the sky, while soldiers with crossbows lie in wait, and a woman sits in the foreground reading sheet music ("Moderato"). By the Swiss engraver Johann Rudolf Holzhalb and apparently published as plate LXIX in a collection of printed music unknown to us; the verso gives the soprano and bass for a secular song in German. Some overall toning, edge wear and light mounting remnants on the verso, but overall in fine condition. 7.25 x 8 inches (18.7 x 20.2 cm).
Signed lithograph from the noted American caricaturist, showing the complete cast of Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes playing together in a chaotic orchestra (with Bugs Bunny conducting). Hirschfeld has signed in pencil at the lower right; numbered 299/350 at the lower left. 27.5 x 20 inches. In very fine condition.
An amusing engraving depicting a beleaguered-looking parish church singer, or "chantre de paroisse," holding a sheet of music. Lithography by Bernard after a drawing by C. J. Traviès, published 2-7-1833 as "Types et Portraits de Fantaisie, no. 5" in a periodical. 9.25 x 12 inches (24 x 30.3 cm) and mounted within a black border to 11.25 x 15.5 inches (28.6 x 39 cm). A color fashion plate has been reused as the mount (and can be seen by lifting up an edge of the engraving.)
Boldly signed original postcard photograph of the German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana (1937) and his influential method of music education for children. The composer is shown in later life, and the postcard is dated on the verso: January 17, 1979. One slight smudge at the lower right; overall in fine condition. 4 x 5.75 inches (10.5 x 14.6 cm).