Unsigned Opera Programs & Posters

Program for the gala performance for the opening of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House in 1932. The company had been founded in 1922 by Gaetano Merola, and is today one of the most important companies in the west coast of the United States. Full program, with all pages and covers, 9.25 x 12 inches, many illustrations, some wear on covers, inside is in excellent condition.  

Sofia Scalchi concert program, 1883, 4 pages, with details, performed with the Damrosch Orchestra in Cincinnati, in very good condition

Unsigned program for the world premiere of Schattmann's opera "Die Hochzeit des Monchs" at the Dresden Opera House, on May 19th, 1926, starring Friedrich Plaschke, Eva Plaschke-van-der Osten, and Hanns Lange, under the baton of Fritz Busch.  Size is 6.25 x 8.7 inches, full program with all pages and covers, minor rust stains on covers, otherwise in excellent condition. ALSO INCLUDED is a short newspaper clip about the world premiere.

Full program for the world premiere of this opera by Hans Werner Henze, Berlin State Opera, Sep 23rd, 1956. Size is 6 x 9 inches, cast inset has handwritten notes, otherwise in very good condition.

Star German soprano (1804-1860) - creator of several Wagner roles - and Swedish prima ballerina (1804-1884), both central figures in their arts at their times. Large playbill announcement for a concert including both singers, Schroder-Devrient in a very early (June 1837) performance of Norma, and Taglioni in her signature piece La Sylphide, at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Size is 8 x 16.25 inches, minor paper loss on borders, otherwise in fine condition. Rare!!

Performance by an all German cast during German Occupation of Belgium in World War I. Siegfried, May 9th, 1916 with Walther Kirchhof, Julius Lieban, Walter Soomer, Julius Roether, Rudolf Sollfrank, Hertha Dehmlow, Zdenka Mottl-Fassbender, Marta Weber-Neubeck. The orchestra was composed by Belgian and German Army Bands. Conductor : Richard Hagel. A rarity!

This is a 1888 playbill for an early performance of Siegfried in the first production at the Vienna Court Opera. Cast includes Hans Richter, singers Winkelmann, Materna, Reichmann, Horwitz, Papier. Size is 7.5 x 10 inches, 1 page, in excellent condition, 1 mild fold, very rare!

Performance program, with Max Lorenz and Astrid Varnay in the cast, Erich Kleiber conducts. Full program

Group of 10 recital programs, Vienna 1939-1944 for performances by :  Erna Sack (2 programs), Karl Schmitt-Walter, Alfred Poell, Heinrich Schlusnus, Elena Nikoloaidi (with 2 ticket stubs), Pretre Munteanu, Julius Polzer (signed), etc. Note the poor print quality of the Nikolaidi program, at the end of the war (December 1944) when paper and resources to print programs was very scarce. Various sizes, see scans

Group of 10 playbills announcing concerts with singers at Carnegie Hall, artists include Marcella Sembrich, Nina Tarasova, Maria Winetzkaja, Berrick von Norden, Geraldine Farrar, Louise Homer, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Fedor Chaliapin, Frieda Hempel, Ethyl Hayden, Lucrezia Bori, Alberto Salvi. Various sizes, all in good condition. See scans.

Group of 7 full programs for recitals at Carnegie Hall, 1917-1919, with soloists including Margarete Matzenauer, Hulda Lashanska, Louis Graveure, Helen Stanley, Marcia van Dresser, Lucy Gates and Belgian tragedian Carlo Liten, and a performance of Handel`s The Messiah with Ruth Rodgers, Arthur Hackett-Granville and others. Each program is complete with all pages and covers, sized 9.25 x 11.5 inches, in very good condition.

Lot of 9 programs Vienna singing recitals 1895-1917. 1) Recital of opera singer and actor Ludwig Wüllner. Songs and texts of Frederic the Great, Will Vesper, Schiller, Detlev von Liliencron, Homeros. At the piano : Wolfgang Ruoff. Vienna, 30 November 1915. 2) Recital of actor and violinist Ferdinand Bonn. Godard, Bizet, Schumann. Vienna, 25 January 1901. At the piano : Alexander Manhart. 3) Recital of actor and violinist Ferdinand Bonn. Vienna, 6 March 1902. At the piano : Alexander Manhart. 4) Recital of singer Ferdinand Jaeger and the blind pianist Gennaro Fabozzi. Schubert, Hugo Wolf, Bach, Scarlatti, Fabozzi, Chopin, Carl Lowe.   Musikverein Vienna, 25 November 1899. At the piano for the songs : Ferdinand Foll. 5) Oskar Nedbal conducting the Wiener Tonkunstler Orchestra. Pianist : Marianne Munk. Liszt : Totentanz and recital of singer Paul Bender. Schubert, Schumann, Wolf. At the piano : Carl Lafite. Musikverein Vienna, 27 January 1917. 6) Recital of singer Marcella Pregi and pianist Marie Baumayer. Vienna 21 March 1910. Schubert, Schumann, Brahms. Marie Baumayer plays Beethoven and Brahms. At the piano for the songs : Ferdinand Foll. 7) Amalie Materna sings Wagner Tristan und Isolde Liebestod. Vienna, April 11th, 1911. Rare performance of Amalie Materna close to her 67th birthday. She retired in 1894. 8) Recital of Wagner´s favorite singer Theodor Reichmann and violinist Emile Sauret. Hugo Wolf, Richard Heuberger, Richard Strauss, Wilhelm Ernst, Carl Lowe, Saint Saens, Emile Sauret, Massenet. Musikverein Vienna, 10 February 1899. Program from the estate of Melanie Koechert, lover of Hugo Wolf from 1879 until his death in 1903. 9) Hermann Winkelmann, Sophie Chotek, Pianists : Ferdinand Löwe and Ferdinand Foll. Conductor of the choir : Josef Schalk. On the program : Wagner, Liszt, etc. Vienna Musikverein, 28 November 1895. The Wiener Akademischer Wagner Verein was the first official Wagner Association in history and had amongst its members composers like Bruckner, Hugo Wolf and Mahler.

Lot of 6 vintage Vienna recital programs from 1894 through 1914. 1) Recital of singer Paul Schmedes. Vienna, 20 March 1911. Brahms, Wolf, Foerster, Richard Strauss, Grieg. At the piano : Ferdinand Foll, a close friend of Hugo Wolf. 2) Song-recital of pupils of Karl Lafite. Vienna Musikverein, 19 March 1911. At the piano : Karl Lafite. 3) Recital of the pupils of singer Aurelia Jager-Wlczek. Vienna, 31 March 1894.  4) Franz Schalk conducts the Concertvereinsorchester. Soloists :Theodor Bertram, Elsa Connard, Hans Franzos. Vienna Musikverein, 8 February 1902.  5) Concert of the Wiener Akademischer Wagner Verein. Marie Katzmayer, Leopold Demuth, Max Herold von Stoda, Karl Severin. Conductor : Ferdinand Foll. Vienna Musikverein, 28 December 1899. The Wiener Akademischer Wagner Verein was the first official Wagner Association in history and had amongst its members composers like Bruckner, Hugo Wolf and Mahler. 6)  Concert of the Wiener Akademischer Wagner Verein. Hermann Winkelmann, Hermine Fendrich, Adrienne Congedi, Karl Prill, Theodor Gorner, Karl Severin. Conductor : Ferdinand Foll. Vienna Musikverein, 7 March 1899.

Small collection with 28 full programs, with all pages and covers, for vocal recitals at Teatro Español, Madrid, Spain, organized by the Sociedad Filarmonica Madrileña. Some important performers, each program is 5.25 x 8.25 inches, in excellent condition. Sold as a lot only - not sold separately.

Playbill announcing the performance of Halevy's opera "La Tempesta" at Her Majesty's Theater in London, August 3, 1850, starring the famous German soprano Henriette Sontag (1806-1854), and the Italian baritone Luigi Lablache (1794-1858), under the baton of Michael William Balfe. The performance includes a ballet featuring the Italian ballerina Carlotta Grisi (1819-1899), and the couple Marie and Paul Taglioni. Size is 8.4 x 13.3 inches, some stains, folds, minor paper loss, in overall very good condition.

Beautiful playbill announcement for an upcoming performance of La Fille du Regiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), opera by Donizetti, with star soprano Henriette Sontag (1806-1854) as Marie. Niblo`s Garden, Feb 18th, no year mentioned but 1853 is written in pencil on the lower right end and we assume it maybe correct - this would be just months before she passed away at age 48. Also announced below is an upcoming performance of La Sonnambula, on Feb 21st, with Sontag as Amina.  Size is 5.75 x 11.75 inches, a few rust stains, otherwise in excellent condition. Rare!

Specially designed program for Lohengrin at Deutsche Oper Berlin, 17 April 1935, promoting the Nazi regime, 6 x 9.5 inches, excellent condition

4-page program for upcoming performances with this opera company at the Academy of Music theater, March 1874, with  important artists, including Christine Nilsson, Victor Capoul, Victor Maurel, Italo Campanini, Giuseppe del Puente and others. Shown are pages 1 and 2, 9.25 x 11.75 inches, folds, in excellent condition.

Program for the world premiere of the opera "Dagmar" on March 18th, 1932, at Dresden (Germany) conducted by the composer Kurt Striegler himself, with Max Lorenz and Maria Cebotari in the leading roles.  Size is 6.3 x 8.7 inches, rust stains on the cover, in excellent condition.   ALSO INCLUDED is a newspaper clip in German with reviews of the premiere

Program for the debut performance of the Australian star soprano in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at The Metropolitan Opera House, New York, on November 26th, 1961.  Size is 8 x 11 inches, full program with all pages and covers, in very good condition.

Swedish-born ballet dancer (1804-1884). Famous Italian soprano (1797-1865). Playbill for the performances of the ballet "La Sylphide" and the opera "Anna Bolena" featuring each one of the artists in 1834. Size is 7.8 x 9.8 inches, 4 pages, folds, in excellent condition.

Program-libretto from around 1840s, for a performance of Tancredi, opera by Rossini, at Millar´s Theater in London. Cast includes star soprano Giuditta Pasta (1797-1865) among other singers, in excellent condition. No original covers, but all pages are there, all in excellent condition. Size is 4.25 x 7.25 inches.

Karl Elmendorff conducts Tannhauser (Wagner). Opera of Aachen , October 24th 1924.

Program for a performance of Tannhauser at Zopott Festival, August 1st‚¬€œ6th, 1933. With Max von Schilling and Karl von Elmendorff conducting. With Ludwig Hofmann, Herbert Janssen, Karl Hartmann., Göta Ljungberg, Eugenie Burkhardt, Erna Berger. 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 9 inches, with all 40 pages and covers, all in excellent condition

Playbills for opera performances at Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina between 1910 and 1930.  Various sizes and condition (see details for each playbills). SOLD SEPARATELY.  PLEASE CLICK ON THUMBNAILS BELOW TO SELECT.

Playbills for opera performances at Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 1910 and 1930.  Various sizes and conditions (see details for each playbill). SOLD SEPARATELY - Please click on thumbnails below to select.

Program for a performance of Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde" in Italian starring Giuseppe Borgatti as Tristan at Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, on June 13, 1908 -few days after the Inauguration of the Theater. Size is 5.6 x 10.3 inches, full program with all pages and covers, in very good condition.

Each program is complete with all pages and covers, 5.5 x 10.3 inches.  SOLD INDIVIDUALLY, click on each thumbnail to see a scan of the central (cast) page. Description for each is below.

Unsigned playbill announcement for a performance of Verdi's Luis Miller at Teatro Comunale (Florence) starred by the tenor Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Maria Caniglia and Tancredi Pasero in the leading roles with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, under the baton of Vittorio Gui.  Size is 6.2 x 13.2 inches, in excellent condition.

Rare playbill issued in 1826 by the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, announcing a program change (the opera La Sposa Fedele, which will run instead of the "L´Ingano Felice" (Rossini), which had "little success, in part due to the illness of the first tenor"). One page, 10.75 x 15.25 inches, central fold, in excellent condition. A rare document. Also included is a one page printed contract form, unused, from the same theater, 7.9 x 9.9 inches, central fold, in excellent condition.

Playbill announcement for upcoming opera and symphonic performances at Teatro Comunale di Firenze, season 1966, with the Maggio Musical Fiorentino and Leopold Stokowski as conductor.  Size is 5.75 x 12 inches, central fold, in excellent condition.

Unsigned playbill announcements for opera performances at Teatro Costanzi, Rome, between 1885 and 1910.  Various sizes and conditions.   SOLD INDIVIDUALLY - click on the thumbnails to see larger scans on the left, and descriptions below.

Unsigned playbill announcements for opera performances at Teatro Costanzi, Rome, between 1911 and 1925.  Various sizes and conditions.   SOLD INDIVIDUALLY - click on the thumbnails to see larger scans on the left, and descriptions below.

Set of 4 programs for a full Wagner ring cycle at the Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona, Spain, 1911. Each program is complete with all pages and covers, approx. 32 pages, 5.25 x 8.25 inches, in very good condition. See scans of one cover and all 4 cast pages.

Beautiful playbill announcing the upcoming performance of Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" at the Rome Opera on December 29, 1951, featuring Maria Caniglia, Tito Gobbi, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, under the baton of Gianandrea Gavazzeni. Size is 12.9 x 27.25 inches, folds, minor ink markings, otherwise in very good condition.

Unsigned playbills announcing opera performances at Teatro La Scala, Milan, between 1926 and 1959.  Each one's size is 10.75 x 15 inches unless described otherwise; in different conditions (see descriptions). SOLD INDIVIDUALLY - click on the thumbnails to see larger scans on the left, and descriptions below.

Unsigned playbills announcing opera performances at Teatro La Scala, Milan, between 1960 and 1990.  Each one's size is 11 x 15 inches approximately (except described specifically otherwise), in different conditions. SOLD INDIVIDUALLY - click on the thumbnails to see larger scans on the left, and descriptions below.

Fine collection of 29 programs for performances at Teatro Real de Madrid, Spain, between 1916 and 1924. Most programs are complete, with all pages and covers, various sizes, many important artists. See scans of cast pages. In good to excellent condition. Sold as a lot only - not sold separately.

Fine collection of 45 programs for performances at Teatro Real de Madrid, Spain, between 1901 and 1915. Most programs are complete, with all pages and covers, various sizes, many important artists. See scans of cast pages. In good to excellent condition. Sold as a lot only - not sold separately.

Set of 2 programs for a performance of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro (Feb. 14th, 1903) and Verdi's Il Trovatore (Jan. 29th, 1903), plus one playbill announcing the performance of Rossini's William Tell on Dec. 9th, 1906; conducted by Leopoldo Mugnone. Each program has 12 pages (cast printed on the cover), size is 5.25 x 11 inches; playbill is 7.2 x 16 inches; programs in excellent condition, playbill in poor condition. SOLD ONLY AS A LOT, NOT SOLD SEPARATELY.

Unsigned program for the inaugural 1928 Season of the Teatro Reale dell'Opera, after 15 months of reparations of the former Teatro Costanzi (1888-1926).  Teatro Reale retained its name between 1928 and 1946, becoming later Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.  Size is 6.9 x 9.75 inches, full program with illustrations and articles, 132 pages, minor damage and wear on the spine, otherwise in excellent condition.

Group of 5 full programs for opera performances at Teatro Regio di Torino, Italy, period 1926-1935, with some important artists in the casts, including Toti dal Monte, Isidoro Fagoaga, Aureliano Pertile, Carlo Tagliabue, Mercedes Capsir, Riccardo Stracciari, and others.  Various sizes, all complete with all pages and covers, some rust stains, but in overall good condition. See scans of cast (central) pages, and one of the covers. Sold as a lot only - not sold separately.

Small collection of 18 full programs for opera performances at the Teatro San Carlos, in Lisbon, Portugal, period 1908-1910 (17 programs), 1 program is from 1926. See scans of central (cast) pages, programs are 5.5 x 8.5 inches, some have ink markings on the cover with the name of the opera, all in very good to excellent condition. Not sold separately, sold as a lot only.

Program for the Farewell tour of Luisa Tetrazzini in 1933. Full program with all pages and covers. Size is 6.5 x 8 inches, some wear and minor stains, in very good condition.

London Queen‚ Hall May 22nd, 1913 Program with details on backside. Song Recital : Debussy etc

Playbill announcing the performance of Rossini's opera "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" in Baden, 1891, mounted on an album page along with 3 ticket stubs. Total size is 7.8 x 12.25 inches, some cracks, trimmed from a larger format, in overall very good condition.

Large playbill announcement for a performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor by Otto Nicolai at the Hopf und National Theater, Munich, Germany, on October 19th, 1909.  Size is 10.8 x 20.4 inches, folds, minor stains (see full and detailed scans), in very good condition. ALSO INCLUDED are two ticket stubs for this performance.

Beautiful book for The Royal Opera House 1913 Season with articles and pictures of singers and information about the operas of that season. Size is 7.3 x 9.7 inches, 70 pages plus soft covers, some minor damage on the spine, otherwise in very good condition.