15586. [Ballets Russes]. Original 1936–37 American Season Program
Original souvenir program from the 4th American season (1936–37) of Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, featuring a striking color cover illustration of a knight by Natalia Gontcharova. The contents include photographs of stars and conductors including Leonine Massine, Lubov Tchernicheva, David Lichine, Antal Dorati, Efrem Kurts, and others; an 8-page color section with costume and set designs by Gontcharova, Cecil Beaton, Picasso, Leon Bakst, Raoul Dufy, and others; and a final 3-page section showing the dancers on tour—building sandcastles and engaging in various other more frivolous forms of entertainment. 64 pp. Wrapper detached from the block; edge wear to the cover; internally fine and overall in very good condition. 9.75 x 12.25 inches (24.5 x 31 cm). Read More...
15588. [Ballets Russes]. Souvenir Serge De Diaghileff's BALLET RUSSE - Original 1916 Tour Program
Original 1916 souvenir program from the first American tour of the Ballet Russe, featuring a cover illustration of Nijinsky in Scheherezade by Robert Montenegro and many full-color costume designs and other illustrations by Leon Bakst and others. The contents also include a photographs of Nijinsky in Spectre de la Rose, Bakst's Nijinsky as Faun, Adolf Bolm, Flore Revalles, and groups of dancers in Scheherezade, Prince Igor, and L'Après-Midi d'un Faune; ballet descriptions, an itinerary, and advertisements. Pages are of thick ivory uncoated paper, cover is thick mottled grey paper, with embossed gold art and letters. This is the more desirable variant of this program in that it features the superb illustration of Nijinsky in Scheherezade by Robert Montenegro on the cover; the tour program is more commonly found with a different cover illustration. Wrappers unfortunately mostly detached, with some losses to the cover; internal block intact with decorative cord binding; overall in good condition. 36 pp. 9.25 x 12.25 inches (23.2 x 31.2 cm).
Three Leon Bakst Satin and Rayon Hooded Capes from "Papillons," ca. 1914. In fine condition, formerly property of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Read More...
Striking original vintage sepia toned gelatin photograph of the important dancer, ca. 1912. Stamped "ADOLPH BOLM / 'THAMAR' / SERGE de DIAGHILEFF'S BALLET RUSSE" on the verso in violet ink. Right edge trimmed irregularly, small loss to upper left corner, light spotting, else in fine condition. 5.2 x 8 inches [13.2 x 20.3 cm] Read More...
Bound collection of 6 concertinos for 4 violins, viola, cello, and basso continuo in score, copied from a manuscript at the Conservatoire de Paris, as prepared for and subsequently inscribed by Sergei Diaghilev. Long attributed to Italian Baroque composer Pergolesi, these pieces are a famous case of reattribution within the canon of classical music, having been identified in recent decades as the work of the Dutch composer and statesman Count Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer. Half a century before this musicological consensus had been established, Diaghilev wrote his opinion in an inscription on the cover of the present manuscript (translated as follows from the French): Read More...
Gouache and watercolor over pencil on paper laid down on board. Inscribed in Russian (upper left and lower left) and with a collector's stamp (lower right). 16.5 x 10.4 inches (41.9 x 26.4 cm). Matted and framed to 37 x 54 cm. Read More...
London: William Heinemann. 1930. 2nd Printing. Signed copy of the autobiography of the great ballerina, Nijinsky's dance partner at the Ballets Russes, inscribed and signed on the front free endpage ("To 'Pearl' and 'Feonna' in one / with love / Tamara Karsavina / 1930"). 341 pp. Plain photographic illustrations, blue cloth rather worn, lacking dust jacket.
Karsavina's account of her early life at the Imperial Ballet School, and her subsequent career at the Marinsky Theatre and the Ballets Russes.
An original 1916 souvenir program from the first American tour of the Ballet Russe, with full-color illustrations of costumes by Leon Bakst, photographs of the dancers, signed by principal dancers Adolph Bolm and Flore Revalles. Bolm has signed below a photograph of himself firing a bow as Prince Igor; Revalles has signed below a photograph of herself in an oriental costume and dated Baltimore, November 14, 1916. The program contains many full-color illustrations and photographs, including a photograph of Nijinsky in Spectre de la Rose and Bakst's Nijinsky as Faun, ballet descriptions, an itinerary, and 2 pages of ads. Pages are of thick ivory uncoated paper, cover is thick mottled grey paper, with embossed gold lettering and an attractive illustration of Nijinksy in Scheherezade. 36 pp. Heavy edge wear to the covers, which are detached from the pages; internally in very good condition overall. 9 x 12 inches (23.5 x 31.5 cm).
Berlin; Moscou; St. Pétersbourg: Édition Russe de Musique (Russischer Musikverlag G.M.B.H.). 1913. First edition. Upright folio. 1f., 89pp [PN] 196. Hardcover. Wrappers mounted over tan buckram boards. Corners of boards nicked, tape affixed to lower spine, two small holes to the half title, else clean and in a good state. DeLerma S3, p. 80. CPM 54 p.444; Kirchmeyer: "Kommentiertes Verzeichnis Der Werke & Werkausgaben Igor Strawinskys bis 1971," pp.115-126. The first edition of the corrected version, published within a year of the first version. The full score was not published until 1921. Read More...
Profusely illustrated 1929 program for the Opera Privé de Paris production of “Prince Igor” by Borodine. 9.5 x 12.5 inches. 28 pp. Nine tipped-in color plates, including a portrait of its star singer, Maria Kousnetzoff; and, by Konstantin Korovine, six character costumes and two stage sets. The color cover is by J. Bilibine. Also included are full-page portraits of Madame Alexandra Balachova and of baritone Michel Benois, as well as many smaller photographs of other participants such as orchestra director Emil Cooper and choreographer-dancer Michel Fokine (who, a few years later, developed the famous Ballet based on Prince Igor). The center pages somewhat loose from the staples, edges slightly chipped, but complete and overall in very good condition. Read More...
Drawing, graphite on cream wove paper mounted on board, monogrammed lower left "Bs," ca. 1968. 11 3/4 x 15 7/8 inches. Monnier, Balthus Catalogue Raisonné of the Complete Works, 1999, p. 343, number D 1173.
From the Estate of actor Tony Curtis, a collector of Balthus' works and a friend of the notoriously reclusive artist.
Exuberant original 1963 candid photograph of the stunning Natalie Wood, the incredible Jerome Robbins and the magnificent Anne Bancroft. This photograph was taken backstage after the opening of "Mother Courage" which starred Miss Bancroft. 7 x 9 inches, clipping on the verso, slight bend along right edge.
19023. [Banjo] Harris, Harry C.. "The Banjo. An Original Imitation of this Inimitable Instrument, for the Piano"
Philadelphia: Lee & Walker. 1857. Upright folio. 4 pp. Engraved throughout, featuring graphically striking illustration of the banjo on the cover. Pages fully separated along spine, upper right corner perished, three short horizontal tears, else fine. 9 x 13.25 inches (22.9 x 33.6 cm.).
Signed promotional photograph of the American actress in the 1953 MGM comedy Main Street to Broadway, a film that featured contemporary Broadway stars such as Bankhead playing exaggerated versions of their public personas. Embossed National Screen Service stamp to lower right corner, stamp reading "4 May 27 53" to verso. Moderate edgewear, else in fine condition. 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm.). Read More...
Boldly penned AMQS from the popular English composer. Four measures from an unidentified work in B minor, marked "Con Anima" and "mf espress[ivo]" and signed "Granville Bantock." On a small paper measuring 11 x 5.5 cm. Scarce.
Amusing concert program for an 1889 concert of sacred music at the Baptist Meeting House in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts, written throughout in a precious "ye olde English" style. The concert took place "on ye evening of Thursday, May 9, 1889 at earlie candle lighte, wh occurs by ye Olde Farmers' Almanack, and not ye new fangled time, at 7.45 of ye clocke... For a true and faithful chronicle of all ye events wh will then come to pass, see ye lyst wh is in ye middle of ye booke [etc., etc.]" 16 pp. Original green wrapper with some edge nicks; overall toning; otherwise in very good condition. 7.5 x 10 inches (19 x 26 cm).
Newark: Rising Tide. [1990]. First. 8vo., 16 pp. black wrappers lettered in pink, orange and blue, stapled, as issued; minor soiling. First edition, first printing (not to be confused with the more commonly seen xeroxed edition with silver wrappers). A remarkable presentation copy, inscribed: "For Marlene / Be Everything We Need / Amiri Baraka, '91," on the front pastedown.
Superb early right-facing bust doubleweight photograph of the dashing young American composer and conductor, signed and inscribed "To my good friend Ralph / Sam / West Chester / March '37." The recipient and dedicatee of the photograph was American composer and pianist Ralph Berkowitz, who with cellist Felix Salmond, performed Barber's Cello Sonata on March 7, 1937 at a surprise party arranged by Mary Curtis Bok for Barber's twenty-seventh birthday (Barbara Heyman, "Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music," p. 115). Signed photographs of Barber are extremely rare and desirable and this is a particularly early and remarkable example with a wonderful association. 8 x 10 inches. Light wear to margins, overall very fine. Read More...
10125. Barber, Samuel. (1910–1981). Collection of privately issued and limited edition recordings of Barber, some inscribed
Nineteen rare gramophone recordings, privately issued, some from broadcasts (some probably unique), several with autograph writing or inscribed, twelve of which are contained in a worn cloth record binder stamped "Samuel Barber Compositions," including of Barber as baritone, accompanying himself performing: Brahms, "Der Gang zum Liebchen", "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht"; Schubert, "Der Jüngling an der Quelle"; Schumann, "In der Fremde"; Mendelssohn, "Ist es wahr?"; C.P.E. Bach "Nonnelied", and Tuscan, English, Kentucky and Tyrolean folk-songs: all at the Curtis Institute, 26 Dec[ember 19]38, 4 records, privately issued, 78 RPM. Read More...
Press Photograph of the former First Lady and the American composer attending a performance at The Metropolitan Opera House. Caption above image reads in part "The two will attend the Met's 125th Anniversary performance." Stamp to verso dated December 8, 1967. Printed in low contrast sepia for publication mockup, overall good. 10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm.). Read More...