The Autographs and Collectible Memorabilia Blog

Benjamin Britten’s Red House in Aldeburgh, UK - A Visit

Are you a music lover? Then, you’ll enjoy Benjamin Britten’s House in Aldeburgh. Nicknamed The Red House, it provides visitors with a window in the life of the prodigious composer.

Michael Rabin – America’s First Teen Violin Sensation

Michael Rabin was known as one of the preeminent violin virtuosos of the 20th century. After a debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of 13, Michael went on to travel over 700,000 miles during his career. Sadly, Michael’s career was cut extremely short. He died at the age of...

Photo Top Loaders - Safely Store your Collectible Autographs

Top Loaders are a very convenient storage solution: sleeve-like items that usually have only one open side. They are usually made of Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC, which is chemically non-reactive/inert. Here you can learn more about them, manufacturers, prices and sizes.

Giacomo Puccini and the World Premiere of La Bohème

INTRODUCTION According to Operabase, Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème is not only the composer’s most performed opera but it is also amongst the most often produced works of the entire repertoire only slightly behind such giants as Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s La Traviata and Bizet’s Carmen. However, La bohème’s grand scale...

Maria Callas Debut at The Metropolitan Opera

Maria Callas during the curtain call after her debut as Norma at the Met, 1956 October 29, 1956. It remains as vivid to me now as it was then, when I was there, sixty-five years ago. Maria Callas was at last making her eagerly awaited debut on the stage...

Hugo Wolf – A Biography

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) was born in Slovenjgrade, Slovenia. His family was of predominantly German origin. Philipp Wolf, Hugo’s father, forcibly succeeded his father, Franz Wolf in the leather trade. Star conductor Herbert von Karajan was related to him via Hugo's mother. However, he found consolation in music and taught himself...

Ultimate Autographs: 10 Things that Make a Signed Photo Perfect

Are You Interested in Purchasing and/or Collecting Original Autograph Photos? Here is a guide to help you know what is best or most desirable for collectors and fans. Based on our experience of well over a decade helping autograph collectors find their desired item, we compiled a shortlist...

Grace Moore: The Tennessee Nightingale

It is wonderful to live and sing. It is a great thing to feel that one is able to help other people with one's voice. I want to play in a new opera where the heroine does not die in the last scene or go mad. That is why I...

Edita Gruberova – Famed Coloratura Soprano Passes at 74

Celebrated Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova captivated fans around the globe during a career that spanned over five decades. She died at the age of 74 on October 18, 2021, leaving behind a legacy that included over 700 performances. Take a moment to explore the life and times of this renowned...

Vaslav Nijinsky and Diaghilev: The Famous Paris Debut 1909

Since the time of the gods and pharaohs, dance has had a crucial role in history, where rhythmic movements gave free rein to the exhibition of feelings and thoughts through the use of the body as an instrument of expression, accompanied by iconic costumes as a way of showing respect...

Strange Things that Celebrities Sign - With Photos

Part of being a celebrity is having to interact with your fans. With the exception of few stars that are known to be notorious grumps, most celebrities graciously accept this kind of attention and will take a few minutes to chat with their fans and sign things. In fact, signatures play a...

Marie Antoinette Autograph Letters: X-Rays Analysis Reveal Content of Her Censored Writings

Using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, researches uncovered previously unknown text from Marie Antoinette´s letters sent to her lover, the Swedish count Axel von Fersen.

Best Modern Opera Houses of the World

TOP 22 AMAZING MODERN OPERA THEATERS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Our selection of some of the best modern opera houses from around the world. BEIJING OPERA HOUSE (CHINA) Beijing Opera House - External View Beijing Opera House - Internal View BIALYSTOK OPERA HOUSE (POLAND) Bialystok Opera House (Poland) - External View...

Alberto Ginastera: A Life In Music

EARLY LIFE Alberto Evaristo Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1916. Ginastera is called the greatest Argentinian composer of classical music. He is universally hailed as one of the leading figures of Argentinian twentieth century art-music. Furthermore, alongside his Brazilian colleague, Heitor Villa-Lobos, he achieved a level of...

The Birth of the Metropolitan Opera of New York: Opening Night

THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC In 1883, the year the Met opened, New Yorkers were used to attending opera in another capacious lyric theater and enjoying performances given by a starry opera company. The Academy of Music on 14th Street boasted a flamboyant impresario, Colonel James H. Mapleson, and a roster...

Giuseppe Verdi: A Life...in Color!

When it comes to Italian opera, few names have had such an impact as Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). Considered one of the greatest composers of his generation, and probably of all times, Verdi is the author of opera classics like La Traviata, Aida, and Rigoletto, just to name a few. ...

William Kapell: Honest American Pianist of All Time

There are hundreds of great pianists from all parts of the world. But depending on their performance and composition, some are at the top of the game. Among the renowned American pianists, William Kapell tops the list. In his professional career, Kapell seemed to have the combined qualities of greatest...

Henryk Wieniawski: Violin Prodigy and Gifted Composer

The name of Henryk Wieniawski has been synonymous with perfection in violin performance, along with the virtuosic fireworks and sublime melodies his music offers. Wieniawski deservedly occupies a unique position in the history of violin playing. He was a brilliant virtuoso whom contemporary critics and music lovers regarded as the re-incarnation of...

Alessandro Moreschi: The Last Castrato

On the 21st April 1922, the very last singer of a Western musical tradition going back at least 500 years died. Young Alessandro Moreschi (shown here singing at a young age) was a castrato, and from him we have the only recordings of a voice type obtained through castration before...

Gustav Mahler vs Arturo Toscanini at the Metropolitan Opera

In 1907, Gustav Mahler was reigning supreme as conductor of the New York Met Opera. Then, in 1908, the Italian Arturo Toscanini arrived. The clash between these two enigmatic giants of the music world was inevitable and their polar opposite styles have become the stuff of legends. The Russian-American pianist...

Star Trek Memorabilia: Many Treasures From a Vast Universe

When it comes to memorabilia collectors, you're not likely to find many groups more passionate about their subject matter than those that collect Star Trek items. And considering the original show's multiple spin-offs, movies, books, graphic novels, an animated series, and its many other iterations, the abundance of potential collectibles...

Maria Malibran - Fame and Tragedy

Daughter of the celebrated singer and voice teacher Manuel García, Maria Malibran was to become one of the most revered and influential singers of the first half of the 19th century. Born in Paris in 1808, Maria Malibran started her journey from Paris. She was taken to Italy at the...

Anton Rubinstein – Talented Pianist and Educator

Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a widely respected Russian pianist, composer, and conductor during the second half of the 19th century. He is most famous for founding the Saint Petersburg Conservatory and a series of concerts that covered the history of the piano music. However, there is much more to the...

Manuel Garcia Senior (1775-1832), Patriarch of a Singing Dynasty

Although 18th century Spain produced many distinguished artists, only a handful of them reached long-standing stardom and exerted significant influence over bel canto. In the 17th century - and contrarily to Italy, France, or Germany - Spain was primarily the cradle of zarzuelas. These include the baroque zarzuelas, which arguably...