AMQS from the Italian pianist, composer, and teacher, pupil of Hans von Bülow and Josef Rheinberger. Two measures for piano are penned on the diagonal, dedicated to Signorina Constance Collins Wood, signed and dated March 22, 1885. On a card with slight toning and mounting remnants; otherwise in fine condition. 17.5 x 23.8 cm.
82.
[Instrumentalists]
Busch, Adolf. (1891–1952). Autograph Letter about Concert Representation in Buenos Aires
Autograph letter from the important German-Swiss violinist, composer, and conductor, assigning the rights to his concerts in Argentina to the concert promoter Geraldo Uhlfelder. 1 p., January 28, 1951. Translated from the German: "The undersigned gives the Organización Conciertos Gérard the exclusive rights to his concerts in Argentina for the years 1951 and 1952. Adolf Busch." Hole-punched, with folding creases, toning and tape remnants; overall very good. 8 x 11.5 inches (20.7 x 29.7 cm). Read More...
Rare signed photograph of the important German-Swiss violinist, composer, and conductor, who is shown boarding a plane on a visit to Argentina with his wife Frieda and the German-Argentinian concert promoter Geraldo Uhlfelder, to whom Busch has signed and inscribed at the lower right, dating June 1951. Inscription slightly smudged; some light surface wear; overall fine. 8.5 x 6 inches (21.7 x 15 cm). Signed photographs of Busch are very uncommon. Read More...
Autograph musical quotation from the important composer, who has penned three measures of a three-voice canon on a theme from Bach, and signed and inscribed at the foot to the violinist Florizel von Reuter, dating 1914. The canon uses a fugue subject from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II (Fugue XIV in F-sharp minor), but introduces a second and a third voice at intervals of a ninth and a tenth. Toning and light mounting remnants; overall fine. 4.25 x 5.25 inches (10.7 x 13.3 cm). Together with two postcard photographs of Busoni and of Florizel von Reuter. Read More...
Two original divided-back promotional postcards, advertising a recital by the important pianist and composer at Boston's Jordan Hall on March 16, 1910. Busoni is shown in two different photograph portraits; one seated in his library, and one in a pensive pose leaning on his hand. Ink corrections to the date on the verso. In crisp, very fine, unposted condition. 5.5 x 3.5 inches (8.7 x 14 cm). Read More...
Signed 8 x 10 photograph of the great French pianist, together with two photographs showing him with groups of his students. Cortot is shown seated at a table in a half-length portrait and has inscribed at the foot to one of his students, John Pritchett, dating 1930. The two group photographs are labeled by hand at the foot, noting that they show Cortot's interpretation classes at the Salle Chopin in 1928 and at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in 1930. Photographs by Joaillier of Paris. In very fine condition overall. Signed photograph 7 x 9 inches, fully laid down on heavy backing to 8 x 11 inches; group photographs 9.25 x 7 and 8.25 x 7 inches.
Two autograph letters from the violinist and composer known for his chamber music, the brother of the composer and violinist Charles Dancla. In the first letter (Paris, August 12, n.y.; 2 pp), Dancla thanks his correspondent for a letter and goes on to mention his brother [Charles] (translated from the French): "My brother asks me to send you his best wishes, he has been suffering very much since last year and for reasons of his health has given his resignation from the Société des Concerts. It is a loss for me in particular and for the Société, which is losing one of its most devoted and distinguished members..." The second letter, addressed to a M. Cattenet (n.d., 2 pp.) apologizes for not being able to perform that evening: "I ask you to excuse me if this evening I do not attend the evening in question [...] since this morning I have been suffering horribly with a headache, and I am little disposed to make music. Still, it is only postponed, for I hope that you would like to present me again another time." Light toning, some small losses to the verso, overall fine. 5.25 x 8 inches (13.6 x 30.8 cm) and 5 x 7.5 inches (12.5 x 19.4 cm). Read More...
A rare early signed program from the great cellist, performing her signature work, Elgar's Cello Concerto, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on April 7, 1964. Du Pré (aged only 19) has signed boldly above her photograph on an internal page. 5.5 x 8.5 inches (14 x 21.5 cm). Together with an autograph signature from Du Pre's husband, conductor Daniel Barenboim, signed on a small album leaf, with a later postcard of Barenboim conducting. 4.5 x 2.75 inches (11.4 x 7 cm). Also included is a later unsigned concert program, with Du Pré again performing the Elgar concerto with Zubin Mehta and the New Philharmonic Orchestra on February 8, 1973. Collected inside this program is a particularly well-preserved collection of newspaper clippings following the story of Du Pre's diagnosis with multiple sclerosis in 1973. 7 x 9.5 inches (18.5 x 24 cm). In fine condition overall, this is the earliest signed image of Du Pré we have encountered. Read More...
Evocative original photograph of the great violinist entertaining American troops during World War I. Press caption mounted to the verso reads: "Mischa Elman, the Russian Master Violinist playing the soldiers at Camp Kearney, California." Fine. 8 x 6 inches (20.3 x 15.3 cm).
Autograph musical quotation of eight measures in C minor identified as "Adagio" and evidently from a string quartet, in the hand of the great Moravian violinist and composer, considered the greatest virtuoso of his time after the death of Paganini. Signed at the foot, "Zur freundlichen Erinnerung an H. W. Ernst." Slight wrinkling and glue remnants; chipping and creasing to the mount; otherwise in fine condition. 13.8 x 8.5 cm; mount 24 x 17.5 cm.
An enormous AMQS with signatures from two eminent American pianists, conductors and composers. Fleisher and Foss have signed on a large album page and one of the two has added a short quotation of five notes. The verso of the page is covered in smaller, unidentified signatures. Overall toning, two small edge losses, and some small stains; overall in very good condition. 12 x 9 inches (30.5 x 23 cm). Read More...
Rare signed photograph of the Polish pianist and composer, among the supreme piano virtuosi of his day. He is shown at the keyboard ca. 1936, photographed by Underwood & Underwood, and has signed boldly at the upper right. Fully laid down to rigid backing, some mounting remnants around the edges not affecting the signature and easily matted out of view. 9 x 7 inches (22.5 x 17.8 cm).
Typed letter signed from the Russian-born American pianist, conductor and composer, to Austrian cellist Friedrich Buxbaum. April 16, 1927. 1 p. On letterhead of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, of which Gabrilowitsch served as conductor from 1918 to 1936, he writes that he would be glad to engage Buxbaum in the orchestra, but that U.S. immigration laws make hiring orchestral musicians from Europe practically impossible. Full translation from the German below. Folding creases and toning; overall fine. 8.5 x 11 inches (21.4 x 27.8 cm). Read More...
Autograph signature from the Russian-born pianist and conductor. On a small card, 13 x 8 cm, mounted with decorative mounting corners to a small newspaper photo presentation. Dated on the mount: November 18, 1930. In fine condition. Mount measures 19 x 9 cm. Read More...
Autograph signature from the Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher who was one of the most highly regarded performers of his time. On a small album leaf, he has penned: "Remembrance of a stranger / Leopold Godowsky / Berlin May 1906." Toning and one slight smudge; overall fine. 7.25 x 4.5 inches (18.3 x 11.3 cm). Read More...
Typed letter signed from the important violinist and conductor to the German-Argentinian concert promoter Geraldo Uhlfelder. September 25, 1958. 1 p. Translated from the German, in full: "Dear Mr. Uhlfelder, Thank you very much for your letter of August 4. I am sorry that again I cannot give you a positive response. It is not possible to make plans so far in advance, without knowing whether and when I will be released from my position as conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Be assured that I will come to you as soon as I have the intention of making a longer interruption to my local job. I don't think that I have any obligation to the concert agency that brought me to South America. But I will speak to my manager in New York, F. C. Schang, about it." Hole-punched with light toning; overall fine. 6.75 x 10.25 inches (17 x 26 cm). Read More...
A rare original Fayer photograph of the great Belgian violinist, mounted to board with an autograph inscription from Grumiaux. He has inscribed and signed, dating November 1957, on a sheet of paper glued to the verso and folded around to be displayed below the photograph. Light wrinkling to the photograph, one chip to the board, and toning and light stains to the foot; overall very good. 11.5 x 9.5 inches (29.2 x 24 cm).
An interesting original carte de visite portrait, depicting a caricature portrait of a man holding a guitar and a pipe, with a tiny dog by his side. Trimmed with lower corners rounded off; overall toning; otherwise fine. 2.5 x 4 inches (6.4 x 10.2 cm).
Original ca. 1850 lithograph engraving of a guitarist playing and singing. Engraved by Gusch & Rupp after a drawing by C. Lang. Heavy foxing, left edge slightly irregularly trimmed, but otherwise in very good condition. 5.5 x 9 inches (14.2 x 22.5 cm).