[Wagner, Richard. (1813–1883)] Wagner, Siegfried. (1869–1930) & Wagner, Friedelind. (1918–1991) [Toscanini, Arturo. (1867–1957)] Signed Birthday Photograph to Toscanini

[Wagner, Richard. (1813–1883)] Wagner, Siegfried. (1869–1930) & Wagner, Friedelind. (1918–1991) [Toscanini, Arturo. (1867–1957)]

Signed Birthday Photograph to Toscanini

Large photographic portrait of Richard Wagner with his son Siegfried and, added in collage, Siegfried's daughter Friedelind, inscribed to Arturo Toscanini and signed below the image by Friedelind Wagner ("Mausi") and on behalf of her deceased father ("Siegfried") and with a clipped facsimile of Wagner's partial signature laid down to the left of Siegfried's signature, dated 25 March 1944. The mount with two corners cracked and professionally repaired. Still fragile, but well stabilized.

A birthday card from the Wagners to Toscanini (born March 25), in exile in New York during the war, "To our very dear friend, Arturo". It was 13 years since he had appeared at the Bayreuth Festival and they had not forgotten him and the phenomenal impact he made in 1930 and 31. In 1940 he spared no expense or effort in sponsoring Friedelind ("Mausi") to seek refuge in the United States.

For the Italian Maestro, Wagner always held a special status: he inaugurated his first appointment at La Scala in 1898 with Die Meistersinger and made his final public appearance in 1954 with an all-Wagner program. The anti-fascist conductor’s affinity for this music was such that he was even asked by Hitler to the lead the Bayreuth Festival, founded by Wagner himself. Toscanini promptly refused and never returned to the Festival. (8808)

Signed Photograph Opera