Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 40

Manuscript and Collectibles Auction

Musicians

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 43		Beiderbecke, Leon Bismark "Bix" (1903-31) Musician and composer; self-taught jazz legend. Signature in black ink on a 1" x 5¼" strip from an envelope postmarked Chicago, Ill, 18 Sept. 1923. Beiderbecke's signature is rare because he died at the age of 28. Beiderbecke first recorded with his band the Wolverine Orchestra, then became a sought-after musician in Chicago, Illinois and New York City. He made recordings with Frankie Trumbauer and the Jean Goldkette Orchestra., then joined Adrian Rollini's band at the Club New Yorker before moving on to the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, the most popular and highest paid band of the day. Estimated Value $900 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,955
Lot 44		Leonard Bernstein ALS With Musical Content. 1918-90) American composer, conductor, and pianist. Autograph Letter Signed "Lenny", one page, 10¾" x 7¼", New York City, 11 May (19)49. Boldly written in black ink on lightly-toned "Air Mail" paper; edge chips do not affect text or signature. To "Dear P" with excellent musical content. In part: "Just time for a few notes: (1) A great joy to receive our book, & many thanks for the sweet dedication. (2) The Age of Anxiety was a walloping success, & I thought of you often in preparing it….(3) Doesn't look so good for you at Tanglewood this summer. I have very little to do with it this year--just a token appearance….(4) I'd love to see the 'Bernstein article.' The Variations you saw remain about the same. My love to you & Rosi & the kids….I'm rushed with plans for a new show…." Estimated Value $500 - 750. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $920
Lot 45		Bernstein, Leonard. Program from the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" Signed on the cover in blue ink by Leonard Bernstein, who composed the music for the musical, 4 pp., n.p., n.d. Fine; light toning. The show debuted at the Winter Garden in New York on September 26, 1957 and played 732 performances before going on tour. The musical was produced, choreographed, and directed by Jerome Robbins; the book was by Arthur Laurents and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. "West Side Story" starred Carol Lawrence, Larry Kert, and Chita Rivera, among others, and was nominated for Best Musical in 1957, but lost out to Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." Many of the songs from Bernstein's score, such as "Maria", "America," "Somewhere," "Tonight", and "I Feel Pretty," remain popular. Estimated Value $300 - 500. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $690
Lot 46		Dukas, Paul (1865-1935) French composer and teacher of composition. Autograph Musical Quotation Signed and Inscribed in French "to Monsieur Ralph B. Allen for his collection," at the top of the page,and "Thème de "l'Apprenti Sorcier," with Dukas' name and the date, below the musical quotation, one page, on ruled music paper, 9½" x 6¼", n.p., 20 Sept 1925. Fine. The music for The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which was based on Goethe's poem "Der Zauberlehrling," was used in Walt Disney's film Fantasia. Disney cast Mickey Mouse in the role of the apprentice. The film was originally meant to be released as a short cartoon, but it became so elaborate and expensive to make that it was combined with other segments into a feature film. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,105
Lot 47		Foster, Stephen Collins (1826-64) America�s first professional songwriter. Many of his songs remain popular today, over 150 years later. They include ."Oh! Susnna," "Camptown Races,", "My Old Kentucky Home," "Old Black Joe," "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Old Folks at Home." Autograph Manuscript Signed "S.C. Foster," being a presentation copy of a musical composition titled "Autumn Waltz," with a decorative cartouche and banner drawn by Foster, and the inscription "Composed for the Piano Forte by S.C. Foster & dedicated to Miss Thalia Bentel," one page, 11 5/8" x 9 5/8", in ink on heavy wove paper, n.p., n.d. (c. 1846-50). The sheet is lightly toned and is stitched along the left-hand edge into a volume of contemporary sheet music bound for Miss Thalia Bentel, who lived at Freedom (Beaver County) near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the 1840s. "Autumn Waltz" is a 56-bar composition for piano in the key of E-flat Major, notated in Foster's hand on five two-stave systems. Foster manuscripts are extremely rare, most of them being held by the Stephen Foster Memorial at the University of Pittsburgh. This is the only extant source of this unpublished, early instrumental work by Foster. It was probably written when Foster was between 20 and 24 years of age. The covers of the volume are in rough shape; the front cover, which is separated, has a name plate, "Thalia Bentel"; there is another separation two pages before "Autumn Walz," not affecting Foster's manuscript. The remainder of the contents is sheet music published between 1846 and 1850; it includes music by Foster and Henry Kleber (Foster's mentor), as well as by Beethovern and other composers. In 1846, Foster moved from Pittsburgh, where he was born, to Cincinnati, Ohio and became a bookkeeper with his brother's steamship company, While there, he wrote his first hit songs, among them "Oh! Susanna," which would become the anthem of the California Gold Rush. In 1848, he returned to Pittsburgh, when he began to make an income from sales of his music. He married in 1850. Since songwriting was a new profession, adequate provisions for music copyright and composer royalties were not available and Foster had no recourse when music publishers printed their own editions of his work and paid him nothing. He died in a poverty ward in New York City. In 1970 Stephen Foster was inducted into the Songwriters� Hall of Fame. Estimated Value $25,000 - 35,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $28,750
Lot 48		Gilbert, William S. & Arthur S. Sullivan. Autograph Letter Signed "Arthur S. Sullivan", 2pp (recto/verso), 7" x 4½", 47 Lupus St., n.d. Very fine. To Mrs. Kecke, in part: "…you know how difficult it is for a professional man to find time to write letters and I have no wife….I suppose the performance of my Oratorio is on Saturday afternoon, and…I should like to return home that night…." With an Autograph Letter Signed "W S Gilbert," one page, 7" x 4½", South Kensington, 9 Mar. 1877. Very good; a few contemporary ink smears. To Douglas Murray: "…I am engaged to dine at home on Wednesday, or I should have been very pleased indeed to have joined your party." Accompanied by a postcard image of a painting of Gilbert. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,380
Lot 49		Gretchaninoff, Alexander (1864-1956) Russian composer. Four Autograph Letters Signed "A. Gretchaninoff" in Cyrillic script, 7 pages total, in Russian, various sizes, one from Paris, two from New York City, two dated 1936 and two 1941. Very fine. Untranslated. With one transmittal envelope signed "Gretchaninoff" in the return address. Gretchaninoff wrote for the theater, the opera, and the Russian Orthodox Church, and, in 1910, was awarded an annual pension by the Tsar. In 1925, he emigrated to France, then moved to the U.S. in 1939. Among his works are five symphonies, two piano trios, sonatas for violin, cello, clarinet, piano and balalaika, and several operas. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $345
Lot 50		Mahler, Gustav (1860-1911) Austrian composer and conductor.He was conductor of the Imperial Opera in Vienna (1897-1907), the New York Metropolitan Opera (1907-11) and New York Philharmonic Society (1909-11). His compostitions, consisting entirely of symphonies and songs, fall into three periods. His 5th Symphony, referenced in this letter, was written during his second, more abstract phase. Autograph Letter Signed "Mahler," one page, in German, 7" x 4½" (Maiernigg, Austria near Vienna), n.d. (stamped "Arrived 8 JUL 1907"). Fine. Accompanied by a translation. To "Lieber Gutman," [Emil Gutmann, German concert promoter]: "Of course I am available as I am leaving for America only around the 10th of January. I'd be happiest if the stint, as previously discussed, were to take place at the end of October or beginning of November. The program is all right with me also. However I must insist that the Kaim Orchestra [in Munich] must rehearse the 5th Symphony thoroughly ahead of time because it is very difficult especially for strings (much more difficult than the 6th.) I must now ask you to give me a definite date as soon as possible so I can arrange the rest of my schedule accordingly…." On 5 July 1907, Mahler's oldest daughter, Maria Anna, died from scarlet fever and diphtheria, and Mahler collapsed from a heart attack a few days later. This letter was probably written a few days before the death of his daughter. Mahler left for America on 9 Dec. 1907. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,910
Lot 51		Melchior, Lauritz (1890-1973) Danish tenor; became the world's leading Wagnerian. Orchestral Score for Gounod's "Ave Maria," including eleven arrangements: for piano, organ, bass, flute, clarinets (I, II, and II), trumpet (I and II), trombone, and percussion. Of the 12 parts listed by Melchior on the "Piano" cover, only the violin is missing. Each arrangement has "Smal [sic] Orchestra" in red pencil on the cover and each is signed in red pencil on the score sheet by Melchior; some handwritten notations. Each cover has his stamped name, followed by "The Viking" and his address in Beverly Hills. Accompanied by two pieces of Danish sheet music, each signed on the cover by Melchior, one by Edvard Grieg ("Ved Moders Grav") and one by P. Heise ("Skoveensomhed"). Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 52		(Mendelssohn, Felix) (1809-47) Child prodigy; German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. Two Mendelssohn family letters in German with information on the young Felix. One by Mendelssohn's mother Lea, is 3 pp, 8½" x 5", Berlin, 31 Oct 1821. She writes to her cousin that Felix is traveling to Wittenberg with Zelter (with whom he studied composition from 1817), who was going to introduce Felix to Goethe. "If Goethe does not supply him with some youthful companions, it will not help him in Felix's eyes notwithstanding his glory as a poet; as he is in spite of his well developed genius an unquestionably jolly child…." A second letter, written in 1822 by Felix's aunt Henriette, describes Felix and his siblings: "…Felix is a clever, magnificent, talent boy…he excels in music, only think the lad is only 14 years old and has composed nearly 4 operas, and in addition numerous pieces of music…." Both letters fine, with translations. Excellent Mendelssohn association pieces. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,208
Lot 53		(Musicians) Husa, Friml, and Cadman. Karel Husa Autograph Musical Quotation Signed and Inscribed "To Pearl Moody June 17, 1978," one page, 6" x 8½". Very fine. Rudolf Friml Autograph Musical Quotation Signed and dated, "New York, June 27 1931," 3" x 4¼". Fine; a couple of creases. Charles Wakefield Cadman Photograph Signed and Inscribed "To my friend George / Best wishes from Chales Wakefield Cadman," in purple ink, 9½" x 6¼". Fine. (3 pcs). Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $311
Lot 54		Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay Andreyevich (1844-1908) Russian composer; his works include the operas "Sadko" (1898) and "Tale of Tsar Saltan" (1900--this includes "Flight of the Bumble Bee"); "Capriccio espagnol" (1887); and the symphonic suite "Sheherazade" (1888). Autograph Letter Signed "N.R. Korsakov," 3 pp., 8½" x 5¼", St. Petersburg, 3/16 April 1906 (reflecting dates of the new and old calender). Excellent condition; with English and French translations. To Russian-French journalist and translator Michail Osipovitc Askinazi, who used the pseudonym of Michel Delines, referring to various operas and discussing their translation, including "Boris Godonov," an opera by Mussorgsky. Delines would subsequently tranlate Tschaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko." In part: "The 3, 4, and 7 settings were received by me and…submitted…to Mr. Stassow for examination….you are already in possession of his remarks relative to the Book of the Dove….The translation will be printed in "Klavjierauszug" orchestra partition and parts of choir. To the concert bureaux that may want to have performed something of "Sadko," we shall forward the complete material of the opera in location, which would not be costly….To send you the sum of 500 Francs - I shall speak to the Committee….You have probably already received "Kaschtzei." Gusslar…I find more accurate than Guzlar…As for me I find Gouslar still preferable…We both are Russians, let us teach Frenchmen what is Russian…They will be grateful to us one day. I shall await the translation of the 5th and 6th settings….I am very much interested in the fate of "Boris Godounow." I know you had made a translation of it. I also heard that translation was lost somewhere….To whom does the translation rightfully belong?….I shall forward to you the 3, 4, and 7 as soon as Mr. Stassow has finished. Why does Mr. Marti keep with him settings 5 and 6 now that he no longer needs them?…." Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,220
Lot 55		(Six Musicians - Gershwin, Bernstein, Previn & Others). Six First Day Covers Signed individually by Leonard Bernstein, Ira Gershwin, Andre Previn, Jan Peerce, Rudolph Bing, and Perry Como. All very fine. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $216
Lot 56		Strindberg Refers to Till Damascus and Answers 29 Personal Questions (1849-1912) Swedish writer, playwright, and painter; one of the founders of modern theatre, especially important in the movement of expressionism. Autograph Letter Signed to Danish art critic and author Georg Brochner, in Swedish, one page, 5" x 4½", Lund, 27 May 1899. With an Autograph Document 14½" x 8¾", in Swedish, no date (1899). Both very fine; both with English translations. The letter refers to Part I of the dramatic trilogy Till Damascus, written in the years 1898-1904. In part: "Hereby the requested improvements. Alas, I have also made a few additions. The piece I expecially wanted to have played was Damascus, since it is new…." The letter is affixed at the top edge to a folded 14¾" x 9" page which contains 29 questions put to Strindberg by Brochner, in Brochner's hand. The answers Strindberg gives, on a separate page, reveal important insights into Strindberg, the man and the writer. The first question is, "What is the main trait in your character?" and Strindberg answers, "This strange blending of the deepest melancholy and the most astonishing light-heartedness." Other questions ask about Strindberg's favorite musical compositions (Beethoven's Sonatas), paintings (Théodore Rousseau's "Paysages Intimes" and several by Bõcklin), books (he names several authors, including Chateaubriand, Swedenborg, Victor Hugo, Dickens, Kipling, etc.), as well as the characteristics Strindberg most values in a man (absence of narrow-mindedness) and in a woman (motherliness), his favorite occupation (writing dramas), his favorite English writer (Dickens) and painter (Turner), the social reform he would most like to see accomplished (disarmament), the greatest happiness he could imagine (to be nobody's enemy and to have no enemies), and his motto (Speravit infestis--"He was hopeful in adversity," from Horace). Strindberg's responses to Brochner's questions were not published until the day of Strindberg's funeral, appearing in the Svenska Dagbladet on 28 February 1912 (a clipping of this article is present). Michael Myer's authoritative biography of Strindberg gives an account of this document. The Royal Library in Stockholm has a manuscript of the English translation of Strindberg's answers in an unidentified hand, which Strindberg altered and copied; however, the document presented here is Strindberg's original manuscript with his response to Brochner's questions. Estimated Value $3,000 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,910
Lot 57		Toscanini, Arturo (1867-1957) Italian musician and conductor. Photograph Inscribed and Signed, "Al mio caro Filippo con grande simpatia ed affetto. A Toscanini / 20-2-912," on the 12½" x 8½" mount; the silver print is 8¼" x 5½". Light oxidation to script; faint imperfections in background. Double matted and ready for framing. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $264