13 minute read
Music
Berlioz prepares the Viennese premiere of Romeo et Juliette
French, signed “H. Berlioz,” one page, 5.5 x 8.75, December 29, 1845. Handwritten letter to the contralto Betty Burg, referring to a concert in Vienna at which the first complete performance of ‘Romeo et Juliette’ outside France was given. He informs her that the concert is postponed until January 2, 1846; they will rehearse the following Wednesday at 10:00. He then asks her to be so kind as to send him, at [the publisher Heinrich] Müller’s, her part, so they can copy the words for the printer. In fine condition, with a small old mounting remnant to the upper left corner, and some creasing to the bottom edge. Starting Bid $200
610. Johannes Brahms Handwritten Note. Untranslated handwritten note by Brahms on the reverse of one of his personal calling cards, 3.75 x 2.25, imprinted on the front: “Johannes Brahms, IV. Karlsgasse 4.” In very fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Dvorak quotes from “Dimitrij,” his four-act opera
611. Antonin Dvorak Autograph Musical Quotation Signed. AMQS on an off-white 8.5 x 5.75 sheet, boldly signed
in ink, “Antonin Dvorak,” and dated 1883. The great composer pens eight bars of music and lyrics from the second act of his opera Dimitrij, based upon Friedrich Schiller’s incomplete Demetrius. In fine condition. Starting Bid $500
Rare, early autographed portrait of piano prodigy Glenn Gould
612. Glenn Gould Signed Photograph. Canadian pianist,
composer, and commentator (1932-1982) revered as one of the foremost classical pianists of the 20th century, and renowned for his interpretations of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Very desirable vintage glossy 8 x 10 portrait of a young Gould in a decidedly focused pose by Gaby of Montreal, signed and inscribed in ballpoint before opting for fountain pen, “To Marius Risley, Best wishes, Glenn Gould.” In very good to fine condition, with scattered light surface creases. Gould remains quite rare across all signed formats, with this representing the only signed photo we have offered in nearly a decade. Starting Bid $500
613. Maria Malibran Autograph Letter Signed. Leg-
endary mezzo-soprano (1808–1836) who was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century, known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity. She passed away at age 28 from injuries sustained after falling off her horse. ALS in French, signed “M. F. Malibran,” one page, 4.5 x 7, November 1, 1829. Scarce untranslated handwritten letter by Malibran. In fine condition, with diagonal folds. Starting Bid $200 614. Giacomo Puccini Autograph Letter Signed. ALS
in Italian, signed “G. Puccini,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 5.25 x 7.5, Grand Hotel de Londres letterhead, no date. In fine condition, with two small rusty paperclip impressions to the top edge. Starting Bid $200
Exquisite Ravel portrait presented to his editor
615. Maurice Ravel Signed Photograph. Vintage matte-
finish 4 x 5.5 portrait of Ravel in a bust-length pose by J. Hery, affixed to the original 6.75 x 9 studio mount, signed and inscribed on the mount in bold ink to his editor, “A mon cher éditeur et ami, E. Demets, bien cordialement, Maurice Ravel.” In very good to fine condition, with toning and soiling to the mount, and light silvering to the perimeter of the portrait. One of the most prestigious music publishers in early 20th-century Paris, Eugene Demets worked with a number of well known modern composers. Starting Bid $300
616. Giuseppe Verdi Personal Calling Card. Giuseppe
Verdi’s personal calling card bearing his name printed in the center, 3.5 x 2, with words of thanks penned in Italian in black ink by Verdi. In fine condition, with old mounting residue on the back. Starting Bid $200
617. Richard Wagner Letter Signed. TLS in German,
one page, 8.75 x 10.75, April 6, 1876. Printed circular letter concerning the Bayreuth Festival, in part (translated): “As a result of the agreement that exists between us, which assures me of your valued participation in the orchestra of the Bayreuth Bühnenfestspiele during this year’s rehearsals and performances, I hereby allow myself to send you the detailed rehearsal plan…You will see from this plan that I will occupy your presence for the full three months.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
). ALS in German, signed “C. M. Weber,” one page, 7.5 x 8.75, December 19, 1824. Untranslated handwritten letter to Karl von Holtei, who achieved fame for his ‘vaudevilles,’ or ballad operas, and by his recitations. In very good to fine condition, with scattered staining, and a triangular area of paper loss to the top. Starting Bid $200
in German, signed “Dr. Anton von Webern,” one page, 10 x 6.75, April 19, 1911. Handwritten letter of reference for timpanist Max Polster, stating that Polster performed as timpanist and percussionist at the Stadttheater in Danzig, adding that he is “an excellent instrumentalist and an absolutely reliable and zealous member.” In fine condition, with show-through from magnetic photo album residue on the reverse. Starting Bid $200
621. John Coltrane Signature. Vintage ballpoint signature, “John Coltrane,” on an off-white 4.25 x 2.75 sheet. In very fine condition. Starting Bid $200 622. Thelonious Monk Signature. Vintage ballpoint sig-
nature, “Thelonious Monk,” on an off-white 4.75 x 3.25 album page. In very fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Pristine Fab Four autographs from late 1963
623. Beatles Signed Brel Merchandising Photograph. Stunning vintage glossy 7 x 5.5 Brel merchandising photo of the Beatles posing together in late 1963, crisply signed on the reverse in blue ballpoint by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. The signatures date to late 1963/1964. In fine to very fine condition. The photo itself is clean and in fantastic shape, and the cast of signatures are extremely bold and attractively spaced. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks, and by a letter of provenance from the cousin of the original recipient. In 1963, Brel merchandising photographs was launched by Brian Elwood in North London. Elwood (nicknamed Brel) endeavored to offer high-end photographic prints as an alternative to the lower quality fan cards of the day. The image on this card was captured in late 1963 by well-known music photographer, Bill Francis, who photographed the Beatles many times and was credited for the 1965 ‘Beatles VI’ album cover shoot. To date, this is the finest example of a Beatles-signed Brel photo that we have encountered. Starting Bid $1000
Beautiful limited edition McCartney-Martin ‘Yesterday for Montserrat’ lithograph
624. Beatles: Paul McCartney and George Martin Signed Lithograph. Gorgeous limited edition 20 x 14.5 lithograph
entitled ‘Yesterday for Montserrat,’ numbered 16/500, signed in the lower border in pencil, “Paul McCartney” and “George Martin.” The lithograph is double-sided and faithfully reproduces Martin’s original score for the song ‘Yesterday.’ Nicely framed with a caption to an overall size of 29 x 24, featuring a window in the backing for viewing the reverse; these handsome frames were designed and crafted by David Linley, son of Princess Margaret. In fine condition. Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from George Martin, stating that these were originally sold to benefit The Sir George Martin Music Foundation to aid the Caribbean island of Montserrat in constructing a new community center after it was devastated by a volcanic eruption in June 1997. Starting Bid $300
627. Free Signatures. Ballpoint signatures of Free—“Paul Rodgers,” “Simon Kirke,” “Paul Kossoff,” and “Andy Fraser”—on a blue 3 x 2 sheet; the reverse of the page has been signed by Rare Bird members Steve Gould, David Kaffinetti, Graham Field, and Mark Ashton. In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks. Starting Bid $200
626. Eagles Signed
Album. On the Border album by the Eagles, signed nicely on the front cover in blue felt tip by Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Don Felder. In fine condition. The record is included. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from REAL. A beautiful copy of the band’s classic third studio album, made all the more desirable by its lack of inscriptions and its well-spaced autographs. Starting Bid $500
628. Bill Haley and His Comets Original 1957 Poster. Rare original color
14 x 22 poster for Bill Haley and His Comets at the Palace Ballroom, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, on May 28, 1957. Printed in mustard-yellow, red, and black on heavyweight cardstock, the poster advertises the classic rock ‘n’ roll group as “The Shake Rattle and Roll Boys,” listing their hit singles “Rip It Up,” “See You Later Alligater [sic],” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Shake Rattle and Roll,” and others. In fine condition. Accompanied by two original vintage glossy candid photos: one of Bill Haley during his time at the Radio Station WPWA in Chester, Pennsylvania; and one of Albert Clements and Lee Stewart of WHAT. Starting Bid $200
629. Led Zeppelin: Plant and Page Signatures. Ink
signatures and inscriptions, “To Anton, Liveing in the Eighties, Jimmy Page” and “Dear Anton—your sister speaks so well of you—I look forward to meeting you—Be happy! Robert Plant,” on individual off-white sheets measuring 8.25 x 6.5 and 11.75 x 8.25, with the Plant sheet also signed and inscribed by soul and R&B singer Ben E. King, who adds: “Stand by me.” Both sheets bear typed collectors notations indicating that the autographs were obtained at Casa Victoria in Ibiza, Spain, on June 1, 1984. In overall fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Scarce twice-signed 1957 program cover
630. Elvis Presley Signed Program. Exceptional vintage
7.75 x 9.75 double-sided program cover from the 1957 Elvis Presley photo folio, signed on both sides in blue ballpoint. In very good to fine condition, with some light creasing, and scattered adhesive residue on the “Photo Folio” side. A wonderful uninscribed example with a pair of bold signatures. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from REAL. Starting Bid $300
Full Queen autograph set from 1988
631. Queen Signatures. Ink and felt tip signatures of Queen—“Freddie Mercury,” “Roger Taylor, x,” “Best wishes, John Deacon, Queen, –88,” and “Brian May, 88”—on individual off-white and light blue album pages with affixed images of the respective musician. In overall fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks. Starting Bid $300
632. Rolling Stones Signed Photograph. Glossy 8 x 10 Rolling Stones
Records promotional photo of the band dressed in plaid and posing with their instruments, signed in blue felt tip by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, and Bill Wyman. The image was taken by Ken Regan in 1984 during the filming of the Rolling Stones video for the single ‘She Was Hot.’ In very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks. Starting Bid $200
633. T. Rex: Marc Bolan. Lost 10.5˝ Ampex Scotch reelto-reel master tape featuring music by Marc Bolan and his girlfriend Gloria Jones, with both sides of the metal reel stamped “Secret.” The tape contains 16 tracks and over 3-and-a-half hours of music, including various instrument samples and four versions—two demos and two final take versions—of the unreleased T. Rex song ‘Over You Babe.’ The tape’s contents have been transferred to a 16GB USB flash drive, which is included with the lot, as is the original Ampex box marked on the top, “Mark [sic] Bolan, Reel #2,” and the original studio production sheet, which is marked “Marc Bolan, Reel 2,” along the top, and lists tracking steps for “Over You.” In overall fine, working condition; this tape has been professionally restored for decades of safe storage. Accompanied by a bill of payment from Audio Restored, which lists its transfer to the USB memory stick, “2 hours of manual restoration (pitch correction of take 2), production of rough stereo mixes of all four songs,” and a “bake/digitize 2˝ x 16-track studio master.”A video link of the tape running can be found in our online description. Starting Bid $200 634. U2 Signed Album. Stunning example of U2’s 1983 album War, signed nicely on the front cover in felt tip and ballpoint by Bono, Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen, Jr. In very good to fine condition, with slight creasing and soiling to covers. The record is included. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from JSA. Originally obtained by in-person specialist Mike Wehrmann. Starting Bid $200
Winehouse’s first ever promotional record, signed twice by the legendary singer
Incredibly rare Amy Winehouse 2002 “10 AMY 1” promotional 10˝ album, signed twice in black felt tip, “Love, Amy, x,” on the promo cover and then on the record’s front white label. The promo disc contains early unreleased versions of three Winehouse songs: ‘Close to the Front,’ ‘Take the Box,’ and ‘I Heard Love Is Blind’ (acoustic). The promo disc is noted as simply, “10 Amy 1.” The hand etched matrix runout is: Side A: 10 AMY 1 A2 / Side B: 10 AMY 1 B2. Side A also has the word ‘UNITY’ etched in the dead wax. In fine condition. The consignor notes that the autographs were obtained at a London-based charity event in March 2004. Starting Bid $300
The West Coast rapper writes from prison— “They tried 2 kill me but u know I’m hard 2 kill so I’m still here, as a matter of fact I’m better than ever no scars, no damage”
635. Tupac Shakur Autograph Letter Signed. Rare ALS signed “2Pac, Hard 2 Kill,” two pages, 8 x 10.5, postmarked July 5, 1995, addressed to his friend “Ms. Desiree Smith,” written while incarcerated in the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York. The handwritten letter, in part: “I’m having problems with my marriage so I’m kind of depressed but your card & pictures cheered me up a lot...I’m sure by now u know I got set up by Stretch and some Brooklyn niggaz 2 take this rape charge then when I caught on they tried 2 kill me but u know I’m hard 2 kill so I’m still here, as a matter of fact I’m better than ever no scars, no damage...Ain’t nothing wrong with me. I’m just mad cuz I got set up and pissed cuz I’m in jail. I thought Stretch was my man but when the shit got hot he dissed me & let me get shot up! That’s life. Jealousy is a motherfuka.” In very good to fine condition, with creasing and light staining. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed in Shakur’s hand, incorporating his full name, “Tupac Shakur,” in the return address area. Starting Bid $500
