OPERATIC

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 9 x 6 cm calling card, with 'Mlle. Emma Albani' printed in copperplate in the centre. Above this, at the head of the card, she has written 'J. Bennett Esq.' And around the printed signature she has written the unsigned inscription: 'With [Mlle. Emma Albani]'s compliments & heartfelt thanks -'. Date by her at bottom left: '1876'. See IMage.

Meyerbeer’s diary records (25 May 1853) a visit ‘from Raoul Allary, who makes wind instruments. He is an opponent of Sax, and came to me because he had heard that I had spoken to the emperor on Sax’s behalf’ (1999 English translation of volume for 1850-1856). A pencil note at the head of the present letter identifies the subject as ‘Louise Gned / 4 Rue [de] Bellefond [Paris]’. Gned (b.1810) was an Austrian soprano from a musical/theatrical family, who faded into obscurity.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. The letter reads (with autograph parts in square brackets): ‘[Dear Mr. Hedley,’] / Thank you. / Mary and I are of course thrilled - first and foremost for Glyndebourne’s sake. / [It was charming of you to write. / Yours sincerely, / George Christie / P.S. I’m afraid I dont ever send autographed photographs. Sorry to disappoint you.] / [P]PS Please forgive typescript.’

2pp, 12mo. Seventeen lines of text, with a few lines and the signature written lengthwise on the second page. On bifolium. Accompanied by the letter’s stamped and postmarked envelope, addressed by Power to ‘Mrs Lane / 67 Addison Road / W14’. (Note that she lives in the same street.) Both letter and envelope in good condition, lightly aged. Letter folded once. Signed ‘Geo. Power’. He explains that a friend of his, Rev. Eric O. Norman’, ‘who is a fine musician & pianist is trying to get together a small orchestra for a concert on the 24th. May’ and he wonders whether she would ‘care to join’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Even towards the end of his life Bernard Shaw could remark that ‘he can still leave the next best tenor in England an immeasurable distance behind’. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount to inner margin. Folded once. Very nice embossed letterhead, printed in gold, brown, green and red, with bird perched on top of a treble clef, entwined with foliage and a twisted branch in the shape of the ‘R’ of ‘Reeves’. Reads: ‘Sir / This autograph with pleasure, according to your request / Yours faithfully / June 1872 / J. Sims Reeves’.

For Diaghilev Slobodskaya starred in the 1922 Paris premiere of Stravinsky's opera Mavra, and she toured Europe as principal soprano with Chaliapin’s company. For her serious operatic work she retained her real name, but she used the stage name ‘Odali Careno’ when performing in vaudeville and light entertainment. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Dated in another hand at foot: ‘24-6-30’ (the period of her appearance in a London Palladium production).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Folded once. In a loose, untidy hand. He is ‘much obliged for the note of the 4th.’, and as she wishes has sent instructions to ‘Davy’, to whom he asks her to ‘send all communications’. He is ‘very sorry indeed’ to ‘loose [sic]’ her as a tenant.

2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Folded once. The first page is scored through in ink, with pencil annotations at head. The final page, with Saléza’s signature, is unmarked. He asks him for as many seats as possible for that evening. He would like ‘une bonne loge, deux Stalls et plusieurs petites places’. He will pass by the office to collection, and asks for them to be left in his name.

1p, 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, with two pencil notes at head, one in orange. Folded twice. He hopes he is not abusing the kindness of 'Monsieur Menager' (i.e. the house manager) by asking for two seats, for his wife and her friend, as they would like to go to the opera that night. After terminating the letter in the customary Gallic fashion, he adds a postscript asking for the reply to be left with the porter.

Clearly given in response to an autograph collector, and written for display on front panel of envelope. Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged. Horizontal crease along bottom not affecting signature, which reads ‘Emma Albani Gye | 1883.’ In 1883, after several years of enormous success in Europe, Albani returned to Canada to give a series of recitals. Thousands turned out to greet her arrival in Montreal.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with the top part of the blank reverse pasted onto a slip of paper cut from an album. Adressed to 'Miss Constance M. Evans, | Raventhorpe, | Carmel Road N., | Darlington.' She begins by stating that Evans's letter has been forwarded to her by Julian Herbage.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, folded twice. An elegantly-expressed sentiment: 'Mademoiselle, | Les malheureux sont mes Amis, et l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez à [sic] toutes mes sympathies; malheureusement je suis si peu de choses que je ne puis vous témoigner que mon bon vouloir a l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez [sic]si vivement.'

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with lightly-rusted indentation from a paperclip. She thanks him for the 'lovely form of intrusion your letter proved to be - as though you could ever intrude!' She wonders whether, if she had been 'a more patient patient' the 'second attack' might not have happened' (a heart attack had forced her to retire from the stage), 'but I was never one for sitting and doing nothing'. She is 'trying very hard now as I have learnt my lesson'. She has 'so many interests that retirement is beginning to become a pleasure, thank heavens'.

10 x 11.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged. Christmas card with original engraving, signed in pencil, on cover. Addressed to the recipient 'and Colin', the message reads: 'Viele liee Grüsse von Deine Aulikki'.

14 x 11.5 cm Christmas card, with illustration of cherubs singing and message in German on cover. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The message, written in red ink, reads: 'Love and all best wishes for Christmas and New Year, your| Ljuba and Karl' Eleven-word postscript in German, signed 'Ljuba'. Regarding 'Karl', see Welitsch's obituary in the New York Times (6 September 1996): 'In 1956, when she was 43, Miss Welitsch caused a stir in Vienna when she married Karl Schmalvogel, a 29-year-old traffic policeman who had assisted her after an accident a year earlier.

On 13.5 x 18 cm leaf of cream paper, torn from an autograph album. Good firm signature, rising upwards, and reding 'Toti Dal Monte | 1956'. Nothing else written on either side of the leaf.

The only writing on an 8vo leaf, clearly sent in response to a request for an autograph. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight evidence of mount on reverse. In a large firm hand, reading: 'Yours faithfully | Carrie Tubb Oliveira'. Tubb was principally known for work in oratorio, but sang in opera (Elektra, Hänsel und Gretel etc.) under Sir Thomas Beecham at Covent Garden from 1910. She taught at the Guildhall for more than thirty years from 1930.

Written one above the other on one side of a pink 12mo leaf of paper removed from an album. In fair condition, aged and worn, with small square of tape staining at head, and some light offsetting of ink over Nicholls' signature. Reads: 'Yours sincerely | Ben Davies.' and 'In remembrance of | Agnes Nicholls'.

Both letters 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with tape from previous mounting adhering along one edge (and in one case overlapping a few words, including the signature). The two letters concern a concert 'at the Grand Theatre on 7 January', 'entirely of Manx music', in which the recipient has agreed to sing. Having put her down for two songs, he sends her 'our Book, out of which all the items of the concert will be taken', with suggestions of two songs and three encores. The second letter gives details of the rehearsal in Fort Street.

Six of the letters are in autograph, the rest are typewritten, as are the carbons of the five letters from Tauber. Letters and copies total 49pp. All substantial letters, with content. The following description is divided into four parts. ONE: Thirteen letters, and a copy of one by Tauber, dating from between 1932 and 1934, all relating to the film industry. Correspondents are: Crescendo Theaterverlag, Berlin (regarding 'Die Dubarry'); Sonor-Film-Verwertungs, Berlin; Bosna-Film, Zagreb; Slaviafilm, Prague; and five letters, all from 1934, concerning the film 'Blossom Time', from the firm B.

On 6 x 14 cm piece of paper torn from letter. In good condition, lightly-aged. Cut from the valediction to a letter and reads: 'from Yrs most sincerely | Nellie Melba'.

1p., 12mo. In very good condition, lightly-aged, with parts of red wax wafer at each corner. Reads 'En route | Royal Hotel Cardiff | Sir | Here is my autograph according to your wish. | Yours faithfully | J. Sims Reeves | April 21st. 1876.' Good, strong signature, with a final flourish continuing in a circle, and enclosign the whole of it.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, creased and lightly-aged, and laid down on a leaf removed from an album. In a close tiny hand, the note reads: 'Dear Mr. Mellon | can you oblige me with a private box for Monday evening next? The largest you can afford. | You are a naughty man. | Your's most truly | Erminia Rudersdorff'.

2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. He writes that he is sorry that he could not sing the song 'Nancy's Hair' at Preston. He had not brought it: '(I only got your letter on arrival at the concert hall.) Funnily enough I picked it up before leaving home to put in my case as a possible encore & then put it back.' He is 'delighted to know that your mother liked my singing of it, I most certainly enjoy singing it & I hope to be able to help it along'.

1p., 16mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, and laid down on a leaf removed from an album. The note reads: 'Sir | can you offer me an engagement on either the 16th., 18th., 20th. or 24th. December, as I am engaged in your neighbourhood about those dates. | Requesting your immediate reply, | I remain, Sir, | yours truly | [signed] Erminia Rudersdorff | J. M. Wiske, Esq.'

The bookplate is 3.5 x 2.5 cm, and shows a troubadour with a lute, with the initials 'M S' at the foot. It is affixed to a piece of 14 x 9 cm card. Bookplate in good condition, on aged card with one creased corner. The card carries the message in pencil by Shaw: 'Mrs. & Mr. Dryhurst.

Totalling 5 pp, 4to. All texts clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. He begins the first letter 'I am venturing to address you on the assumption that you are the son of the revered singer DAME EMMA ALBANI, and most sincerely trust that my letter may not come amiss.' Harvey is writing an article for Albani's centenary the following year 'for Sir Compton Mackenzie's magazine The Gramophone - for November, 1952' and is 'very anxious to obtain definite details of the two UNPUBLISHED Records which Madame ALBANI made for The Gramophone Company in 1904', of which he gives the details.

1 p, 4to. 20 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. In response to a letter from Gye states that he did not hear Albani sing 'until her last two Canadian tours when she was approaching 50', when he 'thought her best in her singing of Mozart, which revealed her rare vocal finesse'. Charlesworth was told by the 'late Edwin R. Parkhurst, a Toronto music critic, 30 years my senior who had heard her frequently in his younger days in London', that 'these appearances gave no adequate idea of how glorious her voice had been in the seventies'.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Punch-hole in top left-hand corner. Replying to an autograph hunter, she states that she has 'signed the programme' and has 'much pleasure in returning it with every good wish'. Good, firm signature.

The collection as a whole is in good condition on aged paper. ITEM ONE: 90-page typescript headed 'II | ANTECEDENT', beginnning 'It has become a commonplace of musicology, at least in this country, that the first two decades of the Twentieth Century show an immense increase of creative activity in the composition of works of music by an astonishingly rich group of their [sic] young composers.