An impressive detailed AMQS from the great Italian baritone Antonio Tamburini, creator of numerous Bellini and Donizetti roles. Five measures penned on hand-ruled paper, identified at the beginning as a "Largo" passage from Lucia di Lammermoor ("Nella Lucia, Donizetti"), Enrico's climactic words from Act II "Ah e' mio sangue l'ho tradita / ella sta fra morte e vita" ["Ah! She is my own blood! I have betrayed her! She is poised between life and death!"], signed at the conclusion "Alla Contessa Anna Malvezzi / Antonio Tamburini / Lucca 14 Settembre 1842." With a printed illustratration of a lidded antique vase affixed lower left, inscribed (presumably by Malvezzi) "Vase offert a Tamburini." The verso with an eight-measure AMQS in the hand of the important Italian composer Giovanni Pacini, inscribed with a long inscription referencing "the celebrated artist singer Signor Antonio Tamburini" and gifting the page to the "Noblewoman" "Signora Contessa Malvezzi / Lucca 155 Sett. 1842." 27 x 18 cm. Very fine. From the album of Anna Maria Malvezzi. Read More...
Edinburgh: Printed for Bell and Bradfute; and C. Elliot and T. Kay...London. 1789. First Edition. Small octavo in fours (6.25 x 3.875 inches; 158 x 98 mm.). [2, title (verso blank)], [2, errata (verso blank)], [iii]-xx, 141, [1, blank] pages. Diagram on page 127. Contemporary tree calf. Smooth spine, divided into compartments by decorative gilt bands, with a burgundy leather label decoratively ruled and lettered in gilt; board edges decoratively tooled in blind; edges stained yellow. Green silk ribbon bookmark (causing browning to pages 18 and 19, as well as to pages 36 and 37, where it once rested). The binding is a little rubbed, with a few small areas of surface loss at head of spine and top edge of front board, and a small piece chipped away from foot of spine; corners lightly bumped; boards exposed on upper corner of rear cover; joints cracked, but strengthened and holding firm. Endpapers and first and last leaves (including title-page) browned at the edges from turn-in glue; small faint stain to fore-edge. Top edge of title very slightly frayed; tiny tear to upper edge of c1 (pages xix/xx). Leaf S3 (pages 141/[142]) with a diagonal crease from the top edge to the gutter, just affecting the page number, and small portion of lower corner torn away (paper flaw). Despite these flaws, this is a very good copy, clean and well cared-for. Early ink signature at head of title: "S. Murray / Meigla 1818 [underlined]." Booklabel on front pastedown. ESTC T144076. Gregory & Bartlett, Catalogue of Early Books on Music, page 44. Read More...
211. Verdi, Giuseppe. (1813-1901). Autograph Letter to Reyer thanking him for his review of the Paris premiere of Otello
Autograph Letter Signed ("G. Verdi") in Italian, 2 pp, 8vo, Paris, October 20, 1894, to the important French composer and critic, Ernest Reyer, regarding the Paris premiere of Otello on October 12, 1894, creasing fold, some spots, light discoloration on edges of first page. Read More...
Autograph quotation "L'amore, come il soffio di Dio divora e crea" ["Love, like the breath of God consumes and creates"], signed "Adelaide Ristori del Grillo" and dated "Filadelfia 20 Aprile 1875." Mounted together with an original albumen photograph to 20 x 25 cm.
One of the great tragediennes of her time, the Italian actress Ristori was Rachel's chief rival in Paris.
Moscow: S. I. Yambor . Ca. 1910. "Жизнь за Царя" Романс Антониды из оперы. Музыка М. Глинки. №237. Издатель С. Я. Ямборъ, Москва. Печатня В. Гроссе в Москве. 4 pp. Music Sheet №237. 135 x 195 mm. In fine condition.
The cover features an inset portrait of the great Russian lyric coloratura soprano Antonina Nezhdanova, star of the Bolshio and Mariinsky, dedicatee of Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, and wife of conductor Nikolai Golovanov.
Paris: sur l'imprime?.. 1688. 12 mo. [15 cm]. 59, [1] p. Three quarter blue morocco over blue marbled boards, gilt title to spine. Two bookplates to inner front board. In fine condition. Rare. Worldcat locates one copy of this edition, published a decade after the premiere and still in advance of the first Parisian revival. 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...
Printed visiting card of the important French bass whose repertoire included nearly 240 roles and who was widely regarded as one of the great singing-actors of the 20th century. Printed "Vanni-Marcoux," with his Paris address, inscribed "Hommages" in black ink. Fine.