"When Jazz Came to Eden" - Autograph Musical Sketch Signed

An amusing autograph musical sketch of an original song in jazz style, written and signed by the important conductor and dated "At the Mannes's / Xmas 1925." The brief song has the lyrics: "When jazz came to Eden / Charleston steps to Eve came slow / Till Mister Snake came wriggling by / A match of jazz on sax he'd blow / and Eve's feet hit the sky." Damrosch adds below: "A skeleton jazz which won the gold medal because the others were even worse!" Written in pencil on manuscript paper. Some toning and light soiling; attached to a same-size cardboard backing, with rather heavy wear to the mat and edges, but overall very good. Sight size 11.5 x 8 inches, matted to 14 x 11 inches. 

One of the most important figures in the history of American music performance, Walter Damrosch was conductor for many years of the NY Symphony Society and Oratorio Society, and it was apparently he who persuaded Andrew Carnegie to build Carnegie Hall as a home for the two societies. He was also instrumental in the establishment of German opera at the Metropolitan Opera. Damrosch presented the American premieres of many important works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Wagner, Elgar, commissioned Gershwin's piano and conducted the premiere of his "An American in Paris" (in 1928). Of this piece, Damrosch is said to have told Gershwin he had "made a lady out of jazz."

Damrosch's sister, Clara Mannes, founded Mannes College for music together with her husband David Mannes in 1916. (17328)

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Manuscript Music

AMQS

Classical Music

Jazz

$500.00

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