EDVARD GRIEG and ERNESTINE SCHUMANN HEINK Both sign their names on this album leaf containing several bars of music drawn by Grieg Autograph Musical Quotation signed: "Edvard Grieg" 1p, 6x3½. Leipzig, 1891. Three bars of music labeled: "Andante" at top by EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907). Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist who learned how to play at the age of six and went on the attend Leipzig Conservatory. His works include music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt (1876) as well as many choral, orchestral, and chamber pieces. On verso is an Autograph Note signed: "Schumann Heink" in German, New York, 1902 January. From the late 1880s to the early 1900s, the exceptional contralto voice of ERNESTINE SCHUMANN HEINK (1861-1936) was heard frequently at concerts and festivals throughout Europe. She was primarily known for her interpretations of Wagner and Strauss. In 1905, she took out U.S. naturalization papers. Her German-language recording of "Silent Night" earned sales for Victor Red Seal records unmatched by any other artist. When the U.S. read more...

THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: JOHN PHILLIPS, MICHELLE PHILLIPS, DENNIS DOHERTY and CASS ELLIOT The Mamas and the Papas sign a document amending their agreement with Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. Rare Typed Document Signed: "John Phillips", "Michelle Phillips", "Cass Elliot" and "Dennis Doherty", 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1967 August 17. To the Grammy Award-winning duo in letter form from Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. Amendment to their Agreement of October 4, 1965 (updated on April 28, 1966). In part: "Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. shall have the right to assign to Wingate Music Corp., all rights acquired by it pursuant to the terms of the Agreement including, without limitation the songwriting services of any or all of you and any copyrights acquired thereunder...." Also signed: "Larry Newton" as President of Trousdale Music Publishers, Inc. The Mamas and the Papas, who were formed in New York in 1964 and disbanded in 1972, had already had a Grammy Award-winning hit, "Monday, Monday" (1966), by the time they signed this document. read more...

JEAN SIBELIUS and IRVING BERLIN Framed Gallery of History display (35x25), including Berlin's signature on a card attached to a musical biography; and a typed letter signed by Sibelius in 1953, politely declining to answer the question of whether Berlin is "America's greatest composer". TLS: "Jean Sibelius" in English, 1 page, 6x8½. Järvenpää, 1953 June 4. To Cyril Clemens, President, The International Mark Twain Society. In full: "Many thanks for your latest letter with your account of my life and career. It was very well written, indeed, with much ability and sympathy. Please accept my cordial thanks for it. The article about Irving Berlin I have read with much interest. His works are indeed performed here very often. If he is America's greatest composer, is of course difficult to say. America has many prominent composers by now. It is almost impossible to say such a thing about any composer. With all my kindest regards". Mid-horizontal fold, not at signature. Fine condition. In this letter to Cyril Clemens of the Mark Twain Society, JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957) expressed the difficulty of calling any one composer a country's "Greatest Composer". read more...

THELONIUS MONK His career taking off, Monk contracts for an engagement in Philadelphia. Document signed: "Thelonius Monk", 1p, 8½x11. Also signed by Blue Note club owner "Lou Church." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1956 November 11. Monk signs an American Federation of Musicians contract for four performances by his quartet at the Blue Note in Philadelphia. The gig includes two evening and two matinee performances. The price agreed upon is $750, to be paid at the end of the engagement. The other members of his ensemble are not named in the document. Accompanied by unsigned, captioned photo (b/w, 10x8) of Monk performing. Jazz pianist and composer Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) has been called "the high priest of bebop," although his idiosyncratic style defies glib categorization. Several of his compositions, including Round Midnight and Blue Monk are classics of the genre. Although Monk had been performing since the early 1940s and had already written some of his classic songs, it was not until the mid-1950s that his avant-garde style began to attract a wide audience. In 1956 he released Brilliant Corners, considered one of the classic jazz albums of all time. read more...

BUDDY HOLLY He has signed his handwritten answers to a high school quiz, before he changed the spelling of his name! Autograph Manuscript signed: "Buddy Holley", 1 page, 8x10¼. Sheet of two-hole loose-leaf paper from his junior high or high school days in Lubbock, Texas. No date. The second page of a test graded with red pencil. Headed: "2". In full: "22. Hidalgo/23. nitrogen-humus/24. Pecan/25. Insurance-Retail trade-/Wholesale trade-manufacturing/26. Peanuts/27. Corn-Oats/28. Mineral water and salts/29. Federal Reserve Bank/30. Fourth/31.---/32. State capitol-Texas University/33.---/34. S.M.U. Southern Methodist University/35. T.C.U. Texas Christian University/36. Bal Baylor College/37. Price University University of Houston/38.---(Houston-University of Houston)/39.---(Houston-Baylor Medical College)/40.---(Houston-Texas School of Dentistry)". Number 22 ("Hidalgo") is marked wrong. #23 "nitrogen" is underlined, "humus" is circled, and "½" is written, probably giving half credit for the answer. Numbers 31 and 33 (no answers) are marked wrong. Born in 1936 in Lubbock, Texas, as Charles Hardin Holley, he became known as "Buddy". Holley attended J.T. Hutchinson Junior High in Lubbock. read more...

JULES MASSENET He has signed these autograph music and lyrics, the last four measures of his religious cantata, The Virgin, and dated it himself (1880) Autograph Musical Quotation signed: "J. Massenet/Paris 17-8-80", 1p, 10¾x3½. Inscribed by Massenet in French: "To Miss Eugenie Hautier/souvenir with respect". Massenet has identified the four long measures as the last measures of "Holy Friday", Third Scene of his religious cantata The Virgin scored by Massenet for four voices, one for each long measure, identified by Massenet as "Marie Salome", "Marie Magdalena", "Jean" and "Simon", with words penned in his hand. French composer Jules Massenet (1842-1912) made his name with the comic opera Don César de Bazan (1872). read more...

ANTON RUBINSTEIN 4¼x6½ cabinet photo, inscribed and signed by him in 1893, a year before his death. He has also penned a 5-bar musical quotation on it. His signature on a photograph is very rare. Autograph Musical Quotation on Photograph inscribed and signed (in French): "A Madame la Comtesse Rosa Lacchis/Souvenir Ant. Rubinstein/Cadenabbia/1893". Sepia 4¼x6½. Above the inscription is his autograph musical quotation (5 measures), which he has marked "Apassionato". Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894, born in Wechwotynetz, Russia, now in Transnistria, Republic of Moldova) founded and directed the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music (1862-1867, 1887-1891). A virtuoso pianist and prolific composer, Rubinstein wrote several operas, including operas Feramors (1863), Dmitry Donskoy (1852) and Sibirskiye okhotniki (Siberian Huntmsen, 1854), six symphonies, five piano concertos for piano and numerous songs and chamber works. Adhesive and paper residue (previous mounting) on verso. Soiled and lightly foxed. read more...

SIGNED, HANDWRITTEN COPY OF "CHANTILLY LACE" RECOVERED FROM THE BIG BOPPER'S SUITCASE ON THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED J.P. RICHARDSON "THE BIG BOPPER" Autograph Musical Manuscript signed: "Big Bopper", 9½x12½ lined music paper. The second trumpet part for "Chantilly Lace", written in signer's hand in black ink. A "flat" sign has been added in blue ink to the key signature. Accompanied by photocopy of a handwritten letter from Richardson's son, J. P. Richardson, Jr., which reads in part: "These three pieces (Chantilly Lace, Big Boppers Wedding, Little Red Riding Hood), were recovered from my fathers' briefcase which survived the plane crash of Feb. 3, 1959." [The other two pieces mentioned are not included with the sale of this item.] Jiles Perry Richardson (1930-1959) was a Texas disc jockey who called himself "The Big Bopper" after the latest dance craze, the bop. His song, "Chantilly Lace", which he wrote and sang, reached the "Top Ten" in 1958. In January 1959, The Big Bopper was booked on the Winter Dance Party tour that would cover most of the Midwest. The tour included such headliners as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Waylon Jennings and Ritchie Valens. read more...

WOODY GUTHRIE Folk singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie wrote this manuscript for a proposed series of albums with Asch Record Company, only one of which, Struggle: Documentary #1, was ever released. This rare document, signed with Guthrie's rank in the U. S. Army and his service number, chronicles a confrontation with a racist soldier and gives insight into this reluctant soldier's time in the Armed Forces during World War II! Autograph manuscript signed "Pvt. Woody W. Guthrie, #42234634." 2 pages, 7x10½, 1 sheet, front and verso, two columns. Written at "Scott Field", Aug. 12, 1945. Titled: "American Document/art number one". In part: "I met a soldier out on a rifle range down in Texas that was telling a gang of men, 'There's good and bad in every church and every race. They just got to be put in their place and made to stay in it. I say give every color his part of town and make him stay in it. My home town had a fight or a killing just about every few days. read more...