Directors, Impresarios, Librettists & Editors ($50 - $100)

French musicologist (1834-1903) and Writer; he also wrote under the pseudonyms Paul Lavigne, Louis Sévin et Ubalde. Set of two autograph letters in French signed by him, as follows: A. Bordeaux, May 8, 1862, to a gentleman: "... I have the honor to pay you homage with a copy of an elementary treatise on modern harmony, which I have just published (...) the reading of your treatise on harmony is a real epoch in my life. This reading completely changed my ideas about what might be called the metaphysics of music, by showing me very clearly something that I was only glimpsed...". Size is 5.2 x 8.3 inches, 4 written pages in two sheets (front and back), in excellent condition. B. Bordeaux, May 29, 1863, to a gentleman: "... Your long-awaited opinion on the value of my notions of harmony has at last been formulated. It only took three words for you: I disapprove of everything. It's brief and encouraging..." Size is 5.2 x 8.3 inches, 3 written pages in two sheets (front and back), in excellent condition. SOLD TOGETHER, NOT SOLD SEPARATELY.

Lot of mostly Typed Letters Signed from prominent senior managers and executive staff of the Metropolitan Opera in New York including legendary General Manager Sir Rudolf Bing, Tour Director (and former Assistant Manager) Francis Robinson, Mrs. August Belmont, founder of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Opera News Editor Mrs. John De Witt Peltz, and Head of Production David Pardoll (both 1 hand-written letter and a telegram). Dates range from 1956 to 1980. All in excellent condition, sold only as lot.

Italian librettist (1888-1977) and creator of the libretto of Cecilia (opera by Licinio Refice). Signed photo, inscribed, dated in 1934, blind stamp on front by photographer Ettore Reale, Roma. Size is 5.9 x 9.5 inches, minor silvering around borders, otherwise in excellent condition.

French theatre director and impresario (1814-1885). Set of two autograph letters signed, both signed in Paris, one in 1868, the other undated. Each has one written page on a document of four folded pages, written in French, sold untranslated. Each letter is 5.25 x 8 inches, both are in excellent condition. 

German stage manager at the Munich Opera and actor (1841-1921). Signed album page with a 3.5 x 5.5 inch photograph mounted on soft cardboard, inscribed and dated in 1913. Signature is on the right side of the album page. Total item size is 8 x 10.25 inches, in excellent condition.

German stage manager at the Munich Opera and actor (1841-1921). Signed half-tone postcard photograph, dated in Munich in 1897. Photo by Max Marcus, Berlin. Size is 3.75 x 5.5 inches, slight wear and mounting traces on verso, otherwise in good condition.  

German stage manager at the Munich Opera and actor (1841-1921). Signed half-tone photo attached to a cardboard, inscribed and dated in 1902. Signature is on the card. Size is 6.5 x 6.1 inches, in excellent condition.

American impresario, a member of the Board of Directors of the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Typed letter signed by him, dated April 15, 1935, to Arturo Toscanini, concerning the journalist Adolph Ochs, owner of the New York Times: “…Here is an excerpt from the obituary notice of Adolph Ochs, printed in the New York Times of April 9th. I regard it as the expression of an impression which most men have, but which most men have been unable to express as Mr. Ochs has done…”. Size is 5.8 x 7.9 inches, 2 typed pages in one sheet (front and back), central fold, with letterhead, in excellent condition.

American impresario, a member of the Board of Directors of the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Typed letter in English signed by him, dated February 14, 1935, to Arturo Toscanini, congratulating him the day after a concert at the Carnegie Hall on February 13th, 1935. Size is 5.8 x 8 inches, 2 typed pages in one sheet (front and back), central fold, overall rust tone, in excellent condition.

American playwright (1892-1967), and winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1929.  Signed note written on a postcard back, dated in 1951.  Size is 5.5 x 3.6 inches, in excellent condition.

French General Administrator of the Theatre National, Opera Comique in Paris, 2 autograph notes signed on the company's official letterhead (one on both the front side and verso, the other only on the front), both written in French and sold untranslated. Bold handwriting and signature. Size of each is 3.5 x 4.5 inches, both in excellent condition. Not sold separately.

French writer (1805-1870), journalist, and director of the Paris Opera between 1847 and 1854. Set of 2 autograph letters signed by him. One of them, dated 1837, was written by a third hand but signed by him. Size is 5.25 x 8.2 inches, 1 page in French, in very good condition. The second one is an autograph note written and signed by the writer, with letterhead, 1 page in French, size is 5.25 x 8.2 inches, in very good condition. SOLD TOGETHER, NOT SOLD SEPARATED.

German impresario (1842-1889), best remembered for founding an English Opera Company "The Carl Rosa Opera Company" in 1869. Autograph letter signed with the letterhead of this company, 2 pages. Each page is 5 x 8 inches, minor rust tone over upper and low borders, otherwise in very good condition.

German-born violinist and opera impresario (1842-1889), famous for his English opera company. 2-bar autograph music quote from an Elegy signed by him on a card. Size is 3 x 1.8 inches, mounting traces on verso, in overall very good condition.

German-born impresario (1842-1889), famous for his English opera company. Autograph note signed, undated in New York. Size is 5 x 8 inches, in excellent condition.

German theatre director (1905-1982), artistic director, and manager. Black-and-white photograph signed and inscribed by him; ink-stamped on verso by photographer Atelier Dietrich. Size is 3.5 x 5.5 inches, in excellent condition. ALSO INCLUDED is a 1-page program, size is 5.75 x 8.25 inches, in excellent condition; and a 4-page card brochure.

French art and music patron (1862-1957), and director of the Académie Nationale de Musique et de Danse.  Set of 2 typed letters signed, with his letterhead, dated on 1920 and 1921.  Each one's size is 5.25 x 7.25 inches, in very good condition.

German impresario (1830-1900). Autograph note on a postcard with the image of Pietro Mascagni and his son Mimí (Domenico) signed by the impresario, dated in Berlin, December 15, 1899, who organized the Teatro La Scala Orchestra tournée in 1899.  Size is 5.7 x 3.7 inches, in excellent condition.

German opera stage director (1880-1961) who emigrated to the USA in 1935.  Signed photo, inscribed with a short sentiment in German, dated in New York, 1937.  Size is 7.9 x 9.9 inches, in excellent condition.

American theatre director and librettist (b. 1957) noted for his unique contemporary stagings of classical and contemporary operas and plays.  Signed photograph, shown as himself. Photo by Thomas Ramstorfer. Size is 7 x 9.5 inches, in excellent condition. 

Italian playwright, writer, critic, and librettist (1875-1952), noted for his close collaboration with Giuseppe Adami on Puccini's Turandot.  Signed photograph, shown as himself, inscribed, dated in Milan in 1916. Blind stamped by photographer A. Badioli, Milan. This is a 3.5 x 5.5 inch photo mounted onto soft cardboard, total item size is 5 x 7.5 inches, in excellent condition. 

American publisher (1823-1908) who founded in 1852 the noted newspaper "The Culpeper Observer), and also worked as a news correspondent in Washington, D.C. Fine photo-compose mounted on hard cardboard signed by the famous publisher. Size is 13.75 x 11.1 inches, some cracks, in overall very good condition.

Czech impresario and musician (1825-1887), very successful in the United States later in his life, also coach and manager of star soprano Adelina Patti at the beginning of her career.  Autograph letter signed by him, 4 pages in 2 sheets, in English, about business matters. Each page is 7.25 x 4.25 inches, in very good condition.

Czech-born American impresario (1825-1887) and Moravian-born impresario (1835-1892), these two brothers emigrated  to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. Maurice became particularly known as the coach and manager of star soprano Adelina Patti at the beginning of her career while Max gained recognition as  theatre manager and impresario as well as a presenter of vocal concert performances focusing on Italian opera. Set of 1 2.75 x 9.5 inch autograph musical quote, 5 bars of music, signed by Maurice in Cincinnati in 1849,  and a 1 x 4 inch signature cut of Max Strakosch mounted on a 7.5 x 11 inch album page. Both in excellent condition, not sold separately. 

Moravian-born impresario (1835-1892), who along with his brother Maurice emigrated  to the United States and gained recognition as an theatre manager and impresario as well as a presenter of vocal concert performances focusing on Italian opera. Autograph letter signed by him, 1 page in English, dated in 1886, written at The Orton hotel in Wilmington, North Carolina. Size is 6 x 9.25 inches, with a tear on the bottom left not affecting text and signature. The rest of the document has several creases and folds, but is otherwise in good condition. 

Stage Director of the Paris Opera Comique, autograph letter signed, dated in 1864. Written in French, sold untranslated. Written on first two pages of a 4 page folded document. Size is 5.25 x 8.25 inches, in excellent condition.

French conductor and theater director (1841-1906), who was also a violinist and composer.  Nice autograph letter signed by him with the letterhead of the "Agence Dramatique", written in French (sold untranslated).  Size is 7.9 x 9.9 inches, 1 page, folds, in excellent condition.

Official program for the Mourning Ceremony of Wieland Wagner (who died October 17th , 1966). Bayreuth Festival House 21st october 1966. Also included is a Season’s greetings card inscribed and signed by Winifred Wagner (1897-1980), wife of Siegfried Wagner.

French librettist and lyricist (1887-1964), author of many songs for cinema, including the movie "Tossing Ship" (1932) and "Passionnément" with music by André Messager. Set of three typed letters in French (untranslated) signed by him with autograph additions, both dated 1932, addressed to Alfred Bloch of the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques concerning the Italian distribution and the sale to Paramount of his work for the movie "Passionnément". Size is 8.4 x 10.8 inches each one, different lengths, all with letterhead from "Theatre des Bouffes Parisiens" in each one,  some creases and stains, in overall very good condition. SOLD TOGETHER, NOT SOLD SEPARATELY.

French librettist and lyricist (1887-1964), author of many songs for cinema, including the movie "Tossing Ship" (1932) and "Passionnément" with music by André Messager. Typed letter in French (untranslated) signed by him, dated in Paris, December 6, 1929, addressed to the composer and conductor Gustave Goublier (1856-1926), attaching a typed copy of a letter by the lyricist Charles-Louis Pothier (1881-1962), that caused him some astonishment. Size is 8.4 x 10.7 inches, 1 page, letterhead from Theatre des Bouffles Parisiens, folds, creases, in very good condition. We report a sample of the letter by Pothier: "...J'apprends par Benjamin Rabier que Monsieur Goublier vous aurait demandé à faire la musique de l'opérette "LES FAUCHES DE L'AMOUR". Il est malheureusement un peu trop tard. Voici pourquoi: Monsieur Goublier lut, il y a environ deux ans, le scénario des "FAUCHES DE L'AMOUR" (...) Il cessa de s'intéresser à l'affaire et dit à Rabier que cette pièce ne l'emballait plus (...) Croyant bien que l'affaire n'intéressait plus Monsieur Goublier, je proposai à un musicien qui l'accepta. Il m'est donc impossible de reprendre maintenant ce livret à un musicien envers qui je suis engagé...". 

Star Italian director (1923-2019) and producer of operas, film and television - one of the world's most famous operatic designers.  Original signed photographs of the artist in different sizes and conditions (for more details please check individual descriptions). Scroll down to see all the autographs and click on each to enlarge or see more photos if available. SOLD INDIVIDUALLY.