Unsigned Opera Programs & Posters

Full program-libretto for the opera "La Notte di Moraima" by Italo Montemezzi, published by Ricordi, Milan, 1931. On page 4, it lists all the cast for the world premiere at La Scala in 1931. Conducted by the composer himself. A total of 40 pages plus covers, 5.25 x 7.75 inches, but in overall very good condition.

Great playbill announcing in german an early performance of Bellini's "La Sonnambula", year 1837. Size is 8.75 x 15 inches, some folds and markings in pencil, great condition!

Large poster announcement for the world premiere of this opera by Italian composer, musicologist and teacher Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973), who created 19 operas, 11 symphonies, and many vocal, chamber and symphonic works. World premiere performance on Sept 4th, 1966 in La Biennale di Venezia, Venice. Poster is 39.25 x 13.75 inches, has folds, otherwise in very good condition. ALSO INCLUDED is a full program for La Biennale (an international festival for contemporary music).

Legendary German soprano and later voice teacher (1888-1976), who had an important international career mostly associated with the German repertoire. Unsigned program for master class given with piano accompanist Paul Ulanowsky at New York's Town Hall in April 1964. Lists the participating students and the works performed. Size is 6.75 x 9.75 inches, in excellent condition. 

Lot of playbills/programs during WWII - Opera in Leipzig, 1940-45, many different interpreters, 8 smaller size (6 x 8 inches), 5 large size (8 x 11 in), all in good condition.

Original vintage poster from 1885, designed by Paul Maurou (1848-1931), size is 22 x 30 inches (56 x 76.2 cm), imp. Lemercier & Cie., Paris. Sepia-tones image advertising one of the many performances of this comic opera based on Alexandre Dumas´ classic The Three Musketeers. This was a particularly successful version of this opera. In very good condition, minor tears and stains, primarily at edges.

Program of Zopott Festival, July and August 1932. Performance of Lohengrin. With Karl Elmendorff conducting. With Ludwig Hofmann, Fritz Wolff, Gotthelf Pistor, Lotte Lehmann, Herbert Janssen. Rare. Zopott Festival was next to Bayreuth the most important Wagner Festival in the first half of the 20th century, attracting the most important Wagner singers of that era.   Size is 5.5 x 8.75 inches, 32 pages with covers, in excellent condition

Full 4-page program for a performance of La Gioconda at Teatro Politeama, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1895, with famous tenor Fernando de Lucia as Enzo, soprano Elisa Petri performs in the title role. Size is 7 x 11.75 inches, in excellent condition.

Playbill for an early performance of Verdi's MacBeth at Gran Teatro La Fenice on February 12th, 1848. Opera was premiered eleven months earlier in Florence, cast includes Felice Varesi (1813-1889), the creator of the title role. Size is 16.75 x 11.6 inches, folds, minor rust stains, otherwise in very good condition.

Program for a performance of this opera at Teatro Colon, Argentina, with star soprano Victoria de los Angeles in the title role, full program, Ettore Panizza conducts

Famous French-born mezzo-soprano (1808-1836), one of the greatest singers in her time who died at age 28. Playbill for a performance at the Theatre Royale, Covent Garden, London, 1833 for the 26th performance at the English stage with the celebrated soprano in the title role. Size is 8.25 x 13.25 inches, in very good condition.

Famous French-born mezzo-soprano (1808-1836), one of the greatest singers in her time who died at age 28. Playbill announcement for a performance of Bellini's Romeo e Giulietta by Malibran as Romeo and Lucia Vestris as Giulietta at Theatre Royale Drury Lane. Size is 8.5 x 13.25 inches, in very good condition.

Program from Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a performance in 1915 of Manon and Pagliacci (first act), with Enrico Caruso as Des Grieux and Genevieve Vix in the title role!. Also in the cast is Mario Sammarco. 5.25 x 9.75 inches, complete with all pages and covers, covers are loose, minor binding damage, otherwise excellent.

Program from Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a performance in 1915 of Manon Lescaut, with Enrico Caruso as Des Grieux and Gilda dalla Rizza in the title role!. Also in the cast is Mario Sammarco. 5.25 x 9.75 inches, complete with all pages and covers, covers are loose, minor binding damage, otherwise excellent.

Full program with all pages and covers, performance of his own opera at Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1933 - Cast includes Carlo Galeffi, Gilda dalla Rizza and others. Size is 7.1 x 10.5 inches, in excellent condition - see scan of central page (program page).

Set of 2 full programs with composer/conductor Pietro Mascagni conducting opera at Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1922. Mascagni conducts La Favorita (Donizetti) and Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) during his South American tour, each program is complete with all pages and covers, 7.4 x 7.4 inches in size. Lose covers, otherwise in very good condition. See scans of central (program) pages.

Program for a performance on May 25th, 1922 (Argentina´s holiday celebrating the 112th anniversary of the May Revolution to gain independence from Spain). Pietro Mascagni conducts the orchestra at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first part of this gala concert, with very famous soloists, including Gabriela Besanzoni, Miguel Fleta, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Elvira de Hidalgo.  Full program with all pages and covers, 7.4 x 7.4 inches, in very good condition. 

Group of 7 programs for recitals at Carnegie Hall by famous Austro-Hungarian (now Romanian) mezzo-soprano Margarete Matzenauer (1881-1963). Each one is complete, sized 6 x 9 inches, in excellent condition.

Small set of 7 original, vintage programs for performances at the famous McVicker´s Theatre in Chicago. Opened in 1857, the theater was a leading stage in the city in the early years, until its closing in 1984.  Lot includes 1 program from December 1885, and 6 from May-June 1886. Each program is 4-6 pages, shown are scans of pages 1, 2 and 3 with all the cast and some upcoming performances. Size is 9 x 11.8 inches, on brittle paper with some cracks and loss on borders, but in overall very good condition.

Gorgeous, original program from the Met Opera, New York, season 1889-1890 (the 7th season ever), mounted on a double mat, ready to frame. On display is a very nicely decorated page showing ticket prices for seats, very cute. The rest of the program is there folded although it is not complete, covers are missing. Cast page is there, corresponds to a performance of Das Rheingold in March 1890 (not shown). Carefully mounted in quality acid-free double mat, showing page with ticket prices. In very good condition, will look terrific if framed, a great and original gift for the music room for any opera fan. Window opening is 9 x 11.5 inches, total size is 13.5 x 15.75 inches.

Unsigned first page of a program for a performance of Ambroise Thomas' Mignon by the Metropolitan Opera (Grand Italian Opera Company) on tour in Boston, starred by Capoul, Del Puente, and Scalchi. on December 29th, 1883, which was the first season of the Metropolitan ever, and the only season under manager Henry Abbey. ALSO INCLUDED is a complete libretto of Mignon issued by the Company.  Size is 6.75 x 10 inches, full libretto with all pages and covers, minor damage on the front cover, otherwise in excellent condition.

Full program for the famous gala farewell of the old Met Opera House, April 16th, 1966. This was the last performance at the old Met in the building where the company started, back in 1883, and before moving to the new opera house at the Lincoln Center (inaugurated in September 1966). Full program with all pages and covers, with some interesting articles, 8.1 x11 inches, in very good condition. See scans of central pages and cover.

Full program for the last night at the old Metropolitan Opera house in New York, the building was used from 1883 through 1966 and for this farewell performance on April 16th, 1966, there was a special gala show with many famous singers. Program with many articles about the Metropolitan Opera history and the old building, 8 x 11 inches, with all 96 pages and covers.

Nice collection of 17 full, original programs for performances at the old Metropolitan Opera, New York, between 1889-1900!. Shown are the cast (program) pages for each, but all programs are complete with all pages and covers. Performances include some very famous singers and conductors, including Melba, De Reszke, Reichmann, Materna, and many others. Three programs are from the Metropolitan English Opera company, the rest are from the Met Opera Company, all these programs are for performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Sizes range from 9.2 x 11.75 to 10.75 to 13.5 inches, some have cracks, but all in very good condition.  Full programs from the first years of the Metropolitan Opera are a rather rare find, and this collection has 17 of them!. Sold as a lot only - not sold separately.

Inaugural program for the new opera house for the Met Opera in New York, Sept 16th, 1966, and world premiere of "Antony and Cleopatra", opera by American composer Samuel Barber (1910-1981). This was a big setback in Barber´s career, as the opera was widely criticized. Full program, with all 144 pages and covers, many interesting articles about the new opera house, and also photos. Size is 8 x 11 inches, in excellent condition. See also the SILK program.

Full program with all pages and covers, tour of the Metropolitan Opera company, New York, with director/impresario J.S. Duss in 1903, with some of the star singers from the company and the orchestra.  Program includes many full page illustrations of singers, and short biographical notes on Duss, Nordica, and Jean De Reszke.  16 pages plus covers, 9.75 x 12.25 inches, some dust stains and minor cracks on covers, in overall very good condition.

Program for the tragic performance of Verdi's La Forza del Destino on March 4th, 1960, at the Metropolitan Opera House, in which the star American baritone died while on stage during Act II, as described in an ink quote written on the program.  Size is 8.1 x 10.9 inches, full program with all pages and covers, crack on cast page, in very good condition. ALSO INCLUDED are some newspaper clips related to this tragic event.

Group of original playbills (announcements of upcoming performances, playbills are distributed for free and they are a piece of advertisement) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, period 1961-63. All playbills are in the "snake" style, printed in a very long but narrow piece of paper.  A total of 9 playbills with many famous singers, various lengths but approx. 24 inches long by 5 inches wide, some have storage holes, all in very good condition.

Group of original playbills (announcements of upcoming performances, playbills are distributed for free and they are a piece of advertisement) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, period 1971-74. All playbills are in the "snake" style, printed in a very long but narrow piece of paper.  A total of 16 playbills with many famous singers, various lengths but approx. 24 inches long by 5 inches wide, some have storage holes, all in very good condition.

Group of 17 full programs, with all pages and covers, for performances at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, between 1901 and 1910.  Many famous singers including Enrico Caruso, Louise Homer, Emma Eames, Antonio Scotti, Marcella Sembrich, Geraldine Farrar, and more. Each one is 9.25 x 11.75 inches, some have stains and minor cracks, all in overall very good condition. Shown here are scans of one cover, and all the central (cast) pages with the programs. SOLD AS A LOT - not sold separately.

Lot of 17 full programs, with all pages and covers, for opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, from between 1910 and 1918. One is actually a season program for Met Opera company performances in Philadelphia, while the other 16 are for performances at the Met Opera House in New York, where the company is resident. See scans of the central (cast) pages, and covers plus first pages of the Met Opera in Philadelphia program. Each one is 6.8 x 9.9 inches, mostly in very good condition, some have some water stains and lose covers, but all are complete and in overall very good condition.  

Luxury program/book with many photographs detailing the Met history, star singers and their 17-day tour in Japan, 1975. Mostly in Japanese language, front cover with part of the famous "Triumph of Music" mural by Marc Chagall, 132 pages plus a number of advertisement pages at the end. Size is 8.25 x 10.5 inches, in very good condition.

Set of 2 "snake-style" playbills announcing upcoming opera performances during the season 1925-1926, starring many important singers of that time such as Lauri-Volpi, Chaliapin, Bori, Tibbet, De Luca, Easton among others.  Size is 5.1 x 29.25 inches, minor cracks, otherwise in very good condition. SOLD ONLY AS A SET, NOT SOLD SEPARATELY.

Set of 4 clips from original programs for opera performances during the 2nd season ever of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, which run from fall 1884 through spring 1885. Performances of Lohengrin with Schott, Staudigl, Kraus, under the baton of Leopold Damrosh, Dec 27th, 1884, La Juive with Materna, and also Damrosch as conductor, Jan 26th, 1885, Der Freischutz with Kraus, Schott and Damrosch, Nov 24th, 1884, and Tannhauser with Kraus, Schott, no conductor listed, Nov 26th, 1884. Various sizes, from 4 x 6 to 4.1 to 10.9 inches, all in very good condition. Sold as a set of 4 only, not sold separately.

Lot of 17 full programs, with all pages and covers, for Metropolitan Opera Sunday Concerts, from between 1910 and 1915. Many important artists! Each one is complete, 6.75 x 9.25 inches. In various conditions, most in very good condition, some have minor cracks and water stains. See scans. Sold as a lot - not sold individually

A luxurious booklet with 104 pages, full of photographs and articles about famous past productions of Wagner's Ring, a real treat for Wagner opera fans and Metropolitan Opera regulars!. Book is unsigned - Size is 8.1 x 10.75 inches, soft covers, in excellent condition.

Full program with all pages and covers for the gala performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, on October 22nd, 1983, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the company. Some interesting articles and photos, a nice piece of memorabilia from this historical event, 9 x 11.2 inches, in very good condition.

Silk Program for a Gala performance in honor of HRH Prince Henry of Prussia on February 25th, 1902 at the Metropolitan Opera House.  Program features performances of complete acts of five different operas plus arias with many famous artists on stage including Calvé, Gadsky, Schumann-Heink, Homer, Eames, Scotti, Sembrich, Dippel, Breval and others.  Size is 11 x 14.5 inches mounted on a cardboard that can be removed, in very good condition.

Exceedingly rare clip from an original program for the 1st, inaugural night of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the famous October 22nd, 1883 performance of Faust with Christine Nilsson as Marguerite and Italo Campanini in the title role. These are all originals, not copies. Also included is a clip from the same program, announcing the performance on the 2nd night ever, with Lucia di Lammermoor starring Marcella Sembrich in the title role, 2 days later, on October 24th, 1883, plus an original clip from that program. A total of 3 original clips, 2 from the first night ever, and 1 from the 2nd night. Inaugural clip is 4.2 x 9.2 inches, 2nd night announcement clip is 4.1 x 7.5 inches, and 2nd night program clip is 4.1 x 8.2 inches, all in excellent condition. Also included are: - An extremely rare prospectus, 14 pages plus soft covers, explaining about the 1st Met season and the opening night with Faust followed by the second with Lucia. This prospectus was probably given to attendees on the first night. Each page is 6 x 9.25 inches, repaired binding and some cracks, but complete and in overall very good condition. This is a booklet we have never seen before, see scan of the front cover. - A 4-page program for a performance at the end of season one (April 21st, 1884), the farewell of the Met Manager Henry E. Abbey. The Met Opera company had a financially disastrous first season, and Abbey was asked to resign. Each page is 6 x 7.9 inches, in very good condition. See scans of cover and inside (pages 2 and 3). - An article from Harper´s Monthly Magazine, 1883, about the newly founded Metropolitan Opera company and the new building, 13 pages, 6.6 x 9.6 inches, in excellent condition. This is the first time we see clips from the inaugural night at the Met Opera in the market, outside the archives at the Lincoln Center.

Set of 6 programs, for performances in Chicago by the Metropolitan Opera Company on tour, from between 1894 and 1905. Each program is complete, has only 4 pages, and is 5.1 x 7.4 inches. All in excellent condition, see scans of 1 front page and all 4 inside pages with cast. Sold together only - not sold separately.  

Mignon by Ambroise Thomas at the Royal Court Opera of Stuttgart, 3 February 1901. Conductor: Hugo Reichenberger. 8.75 x 13 inches, 1 page, fair condition 

Program for a concert of the American soprano with the pianist Isaac van Grove at Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1941.  Size is 6.25 x 9.1 inches, full program with all pages and covers, in excellent condition.

Libretto-program for the world premiere of this opera by Mascagni, La Scala, 1935, with the cast on page 5, including Aureliano Pertile in the title role, Luisa Bruna Rasa, Margherita Carosio, Apollo Granforte and others, with the composer Pietro Mascagni conducting the orchestra. Full program with all 76 pages and covers, some damage on binding and rust on covers, otherwise in very good condition. 

Album full of program clips for performances of opera and theater plays, collected in New York between 1891 and 1894. Artists on the opera clips include conductor Anton Seidl and Walter Damrosch, singers Lilian Nordica, Adelina Patti, Italo Campanini, Sofia Scalchi, Amalie Materna in both Die Walkure and Gotterdammerung, Emma Eames, Nellie Melba, and many others.  A total of 23 pages full of clips, each page is 10.75 x 13.3 inches. Loose pages, not bound, some rust in some clips, in overall very good condition. See scans.  

Large 1-page program from the Hofburgtheater, Vienna, 1878, performance of Otello, opera by Rossini, with the star soprano Christine Nilsson as Desdemona. Program also includes the first performance of Andreas Paumkircher, a tragedy in five acts by Wilhelm von Wartenegg (1839-1914). Size is 14.5 x 9.25 inches, in excellent condition

Large size (10 x 29 inches!) double playbill for theater and opera performances. Playbill announces Norma performance with famous british soprano Adelaide Kemble (1815-1879) and others. This item has 2 playbill joined together into one. Excellent condition!

Beautiful original playbill from Theatre Royal, London, year 1834. Announces a performance of Shakespeare's "Henry IV", with a Scene II being a musical festival that includes star singers of the time: superstars soprano Giulia Grisi and tenor Giovanni Rubini, baritone Antonio Tamburini!. Large size: 9 x 16.5 inches, excellent condition. A beautiful piece of memorabilia from the 1800s, nice to collect or frame and give as a gift for any opera lover.

Lot of 37 playbills announcing concerts by famous opera singers including Pavarotti, Verrett, Valletti, Tagliavini, Peerce, Caballé, Siepi, Tebaldi, Corelli, Vickers, Milnes, Di Stefano, Gedda, Sutherland, De los Angeles, Leontyne Price, Scotto, Sills, Schwarzkopf, Nilsson, London, Talvela and others  All playbills are one sheet printed on both sides, various sizes ranging from 5.5 x 8.25 to 7 x 10.5 inches, all in excellent condition.