Auer, Leopold. (1845-1930)
Signed Photograph to Percy Kahn
Remarkable signed large cabinet photograph from the important violinist and influential pedagogue, teacher of Elman, Heifetz, Milstein, Zimbalist, Parlow, Schumsky and many others!Vintage signed and inscribed 6.5 x 11 inch cabinet photograph of Auer in a half length pose. Signed ('L Auer') in bold, dark fountain pen ink to a clear area of the image and inscribed to the decorative embossed photographer's mount, 'To Percy Kahn, in friendly remembrance….' and dated St. Petersburg, 27th February 1912 in his hand. A good association photograph. Also signed in fountain pen ink to the verso by Miron Polyakin (1895-1941, Russian Violinist), Mischa Miron, Mischa Piastro and one other to the verso, additionally annotated in Kahn's hand 'Pupils of Prof. Auer, played Feb. 24th 1912.…' Together with a vintage 8 x 11 unsigned photograph, the oval image depicting Percy Kahn, Wilhelm Backhaus, Mischa Elman and Ernest Gerard seating and standing together in a full length outdoor pose, annotated to the verso by Kahn, identifying the subjects and commenting 'Photo taken at Blackpool by Miss Phyllis Smith of Manchester…..Spring of 1912'. Signed photographs of Auer are very rare. This one is an exceptional example with a number of rich connections, including to the dedicatee, Percy B. Kahn (1880 - 1966), English Composer and Pianist.
Leopold Auer spent nearly fifty years in St. Petersburg and exerted a decisive influence on the Russian violin school, following Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski as solo violin at the Imperial Ballet. Arensky, Glazunov, Taneyev and Tchaikovsky wrote their most important violin compositions for him. As for Tschaikovsky’s violin concerto, Auer refused the dedication, declaring it technically awkward and too long! After a few revisions to the violin part, he eventually played this monumental violin work in 1893, shortly before the composer’s death. (7407)
Signed Photograph Classical Music