New York: Horace Waters. 1860. Sheet music for the Oliver Gallop composed by Tom and bearing a full-length lithographed portrait of the musician at the age of ten on the front cover. 6 pp (3 leaves); small folio. Considerably tattered and torn, the image mostly unaffected. Published simultaneously with "Virginia Polka" which had the same lithographed cover. Complete copies of this sheet music are rare, with WorldCat locating fewer than ten copies. Read More...
Cleveland: S. Brainard’s Sons. 1866. Sheet music for the most famous composition by Blind Tom, the musical prodigy. Small folio. With text regarding the music and Tom on the verso of the front wrapper; 3 - 11 pp. Engraved throughout. [PN] 4907. Covers detached, ownership signature to upper right front cover, minor browning and marginal wear. As the explanatory text states, this piece was Blind Tom’s best-known composition and, “…his own conception of a battle.” Rare. Read More...
Signed original doublweight Jane Bown portrait photograph of the important English composer, a schoolmate of Ralph Vaughan-Williams who was prolific in all styles and wrote the music for the great H.G. Wells inspired film "Things to Come." While in the US for a holiday, the Second World War broke out. and Bliss initially stayed in America, teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. He made the hazardous Atlantic crossing to England in 1941 and became director of music at the BBC from 1942 - 1944. 15.5 x 20 cm. Light silvering around the edges, and a light vertical crease, else fine.
Scarce signed Friedman-Abeles photograph of the American composer, lyricist and librettist, who has inscribed "For Walter, / from Marc" in blue ballpoint. Photographer's stamp to verso. In very fine condition. 8 x 10 inches (20.4 x 25.4 cm). Read More...
New York: Chappell & Co.. c. 1959. Group of art songs on Shakespearean texts, composed for the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre and dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. 20 pp. From the collection of bass-baritone Edward Zambara, with his ownership signature to the title. Shelf wear and a spine split to the wrappers; overall very good. 9 x 12 inches.
Handsome early doubleweight portrait photograph of the American composer, lyricist and librettist. In very fine condition. 8 x 10 inches (20.4 x 25.4 cm). Read More...
1958 issue of Playbill magazine, signed by three important American opera composers: Douglas Moore above his image on the cover, Marc Blitzstein over the listing about his opera Regina, and Vittorio Giannini over the listing about his opera The Taming of the Shrew. Rare. Somewhat poor contrast to the internal signatures (Giannini's in pencil), but otherwise in fine condition overall. 32 pp. 6.5 x 9 inches (16.5 x 23 cm).
An interested typed letter signed from the Swiss-born American composer, known for his compositions inspired by Jewish music and for his tenure as director of the Cleveland Institute of Music. October 4, 1924. On letterhead of the Cleveland Institute, Bloch writes to the editors of the Austrian magazine for conductors "Pult und Taktstock" ("Music stand and Baton"), declining to write an article because he is busy, but hoping that "in the future sometime I shall be able to send you something. In the meantime I want to tell you that I agree fully with your splendid ideas. It is very important that all striving musicians of the world should come in contact with one another." Hole-punched, with some notes in colored pencil at the foot; overall in fine condition. 6 x 9.5 inches (15.2 x 24 cm).
21205. Bobesco, Lola. (1921–2003). Autograph Letter Signed to Colonel George Magherescu written on the occasion of her father's death.
Rare ALS from the Belgian violinist, a child prodigy who became internationally known as a teenager and whose virtuosity and pure lyrical expression earned her a place among the top international female performers, to Romanian Colonel George Magherescu. September 25, 1982; 2 pp. Seiguelay, August 27, 1933. The letter, written in Romanian, is mostly untranslated but begins rather strikingly: "I received everything you could tell me about my father's death. / Thank you so much for taking such an objective attitude. / I have nothing to do with Sna. Cic Bobescu anymore." Tape remnants along left edge, else in fine condition. 7 x 10 inches (18x 25 cm). Read More...
Striking and unusual original Harcourt of Paris photograph of Belgian violinist, a child prodigy who became internationally known as a teenager and whose virtuosity and pure lyrical expression earned her a place among the top international violinists. Small crease to right edge, else fine condition. 7 x 9.4 inches (18 x 24 cm.). Read More...
3 integral pages. 4 stanzas, signed "Arrigo Boito" at the conclusion and identified "Ero e Leandro / Atto I. scena 4a. " On the facing page, Boito has dedicated the aria to "la gentile Signorina Elena Barbaroux," and has initialled and dated "Milano 31. Marzo. 87." Usual folds, mounting traces to verso, else fine. Read More...
Handsome original portrait photograph of the great Cuban pianist, with "Oct. 1940" stamped to the verso. Small tear in lower portion, otherwise in fine condition. 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm.). Read More...
Original brochure advertising the Adolph Bolm School of the Dance's summer sessions in 1928. Printed on yellow paper, unfolds to show several half-tone photographs of Bolm, Ruth Page, and Anna Ludmilla in various roles. Small note in pencil to the cover. Overall fine. Unfolds to 9.75 x 11 inches (24.8 x 28 cm). Read More...
Large group of signed promotional photographs from the principal ballerinas of the Bolshoi Ballet on their second tour of the United States in 1962. Included are signed photographs of: Nicolai Fadeyechev and Maya Plisetskaya in Swan Lake; Ekaterina Maximova in Giselle; Ekaterina Maximova and Stainslov Vlasov in the pas de deux "Spring Waters" (signed by Maximova only); Natalia Ryzhenko; Maya Samokhvalova in Gayane; Nina Timofeyeva in Swan Lake; Nina Sorokina in Chopiniana; Natalia Bessmertnova in Giselle; Nina Sorokina in the pas de deux "Flames of Paris"; and Natalia Bessmertnova in an unidentified role. Each photograph stamped on the verso by Sol Hurok and with a typewritten caption identifying the dancer and role. Some light edge wear; overall fine. Each ca. 9.5 x 11.5 inches. Read More...
Typed letter signed from the Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies, concerning the possibility of reviving his 1917 musical Leave it to Jane in England. April 20, [1965]. 1 p. To David Paramor of Aldus Books Ltd. in London, Bolton writes that there is no reason why the "Princess shows"—musicals written with P. G. Wodehouse and Jerome Kern and originally produced during World War I at the Princess Theatre in New York—should not be revived, and goes on to recommend Leave it to Jane and Oh, Lady as two options. Full text below. In fine condition. 7.25 x 10.5 inches (18.5 x 26.3 cm). Original transmissal envelope postmarked April 20, 1965. Together with a newspaper clipping about Bolton's death in 1979. Read More...
An elaborate musical portfolio, red leather with fine silvered decorations. In fine condition. 8.75 x 12.25 inches (22.2 x 31.1 cm.). Together with two autograph letters of provenance, one signed "J. Lagarde," the other on his printed visiting card, relating that the portfolio was obtained by descent from a family member who obtained it from an aide de camp of Napoléon III, apparently formerly the musical portolio of Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte, Queen consort of Holland, stepdaughter of Emperor Napoléon I as the daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. The heavy folder is richly decorated with metal border fillets to both front and rear panels, the front surrounding an elaborate lyre with tree branch motif, the rear surrounding a laurel wreath and sceptre motif. The folder opens to two halves, each with it's own locking panel (open, no key present): the left is a fully enclosed folder lined in green silk; the right with further document panels, likewise in red leather and green silk, layering to permit enclosures of varying sizes and formats. Read More...
Firenze: Pietro Cecconcelli. 1620. First edition. Small 4to. (160 x 215 mm). 1f. (pictorial title including the arms of the Medici), 1f. (dedication to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II), 2ff. ("Lettera del Sor. Giovambatista Strozzi all'Autore"), [v] (letters to Ottavio Rinuccini, Andrea Salvadori, Niccolo Strozzi, and Gabriello Chiabrera), [i] (cast list), [ii] (set design), pp. 3-31, [ii] (set design), 41-63, [ii] (set design), 65 - 94, [ii] (set design), 95 - 138, [ii] (set design), 139 - 162, 1f. (recto errata, verso colophon). With occasional decorative initials and woodcut head- and tailpieces and including 6 etchings by Jacques Callot (cf. Meaume) comprising the illustrated title-page, and 5 double-page plates representing the stage settings by Jacques Callot after the designs of Giulio Parigi. With the usual pp. 33-40 misnumberedd 41-48 and p. 89 misnumbered 98. Trimmed margins, but overall a very bright and fresh copy of this early 17th Century "Turkish" opera. Berlin Katalog 4112; Brunet I, 1089;Cicognara 1086 ('bellissime figure, prove freschissime); Gamba 1810 ('Tra le molte edizioni di questa tragedia e' la presente molto ricercata per la vaghezza delle figure'); Lieure 363-368; Sartori 22249. Allacci 729-730. Schaal 861. Wotquenne p. 132. Read More...
Uncommon and boldly signed postcard photograph of the Italian dancer, a great star at the Brussels Monnaie, the Opera in Paris, Covent Garden and La Scala. Light edgewear, else fine, approx. 5.5 x 3.5 inches (14 x 8.9 cm.).
1893. Lithograph, 212 x 278 mm. Framed. This moving image of a child and mother examining a music book appeared as the back cover to Bonnard's Petit Solfège Illustré (Little Illustrated Solfeggio), one of Bonnard’s earliest and most charming publications, a primer in musical notation for children, by his brother-in-law Claude Terrasse. Read More...
Color offset lithograph, circa 1940. A working trial proof impression, with additions in watercolor and gouache, aside from the edition of 250. Printed by Jacques Villon. A very good impression. 429 x 467 mm; 16 7/8x18 3/8 inches, wide margins. Signed in pencil, lower right margin. Small stains and toning to margins, mounted, overall a very good impression with fresh colors. Archivally mattted and framed. Read More...