Interesting new site with music memorabilia

[bhodges]

Composer Daniel Felsenfeld has a blog called Felsenmusick, and today he mentioned a friend who has started a new site called Schubertiade Music with quite a lot of interesting memorabilia.  I didn't look at every single item, but noticed a Luciano Berio LP recording signed by the composer ($150), a letter from Karl Böhm ($85) and a copy of Le sacre du printemps signed by Stravinsky ($1,100). 

--Bruce

[Mark]

Wow! Only $700 for a rare Du Pre autographed photo. Bargain.

[PSmith08]

An interesting website, including the now-sold Furtwängler autograph inscribed to Adolf Hitler. A conversation piece, even if it isn't the sort of conversation anyone really wants to have.

[Bunny]

An interesting website, including the now-sold Furtwängler autograph inscribed to Adolf Hitler. A conversation piece, even if it isn't the sort of conversation anyone really wants to have.

Depends on who's doing the talking.

I'm sure there must be plenty of Karajan and Böhm Führer memorabilia somewhere waiting to be exposed.  If you managed to stay working in that period in Germany and Austria, you had to sleep in the same bed with the Führer even if you weren't in a liplock with him.

[PSmith08]

Depends on who's doing the talking.

No one I'd really want to be connected with, for various reasons.

I'm sure there must be plenty of Karajan and Böhm Führer memorabilia somewhere waiting to be exposed.  If you managed to stay working in that period in Germany and Austria, you had to sleep in the same bed with the Führer even if you weren't in a liplock with him.

There was the famous salute by Böhm, in contravention of the rules for such salutes. Well, not to plunge OT, he got off pretty easily compared to Karajan and Schwarzkopf. NSDAP allegations dogged the latter two for the rest of their lives, despite their efforts to explain it away or ignore it. Böhm (more or less) dodged the bullet, so to speak. I suppose no one wanted to bother nailing the least-flashy of the three to the floorboards.

[SonicMan46]

Bruce - thanks for the link - I love this kind of stuff - we collect a lot of artwork, esp. original prints, photographs, etc., but for those interested in purchasing these types of items be careful of the reasons for the purchase and the possible need for restoration & preservation; many of these items are printed (and written) on non-archival types of paper, which 'yellow' and deteriorate w/ time, so the 'condition' of the piece will impact of the price paid and the potential for further increase in value, thus a consideration of your reasons to make a purchase.

Higher quality artwork, such as a limited edition print, is done on 'acid-free' paper of different types, often rag paper that is hand-made; mounting should be of 'museum' quality (and not cheap) - acid-free mats, appropriate hinges, and non-reactive glues (such as rice glue).  My main reason for raising this issue is the need to assess the original condition of an item that is not made from these materials or mounted in such a fashion.

As an example, we were given several letters (written & signed by A. Rodin & Henry Moore - my FIL was into sculpture) and a B&W signed lithograph by Chagall - these were mounted & framed decades ago; well, the letter paper was yellowing, as was the print, along the edges.  A couple of years ago, I decided to open them up - well, the yellowing was related likely to the use of cheap acid paper mats & every piece was Scotch-taped to the mats!  I wanted the Chagall print restored & re-mounted, but was not sure if the letters were worth the effort?  After a web-search, I sent 'all' off to a paper-art restorer in Denver (can't remember her name right off); she e-mailed me her estimate - the Chagall print cost me about $200 for restoration fees (looks a lot better but some of the tape yellowing is permanent), and another $150 for museum mounting done locally (a place we've used for years); the letters would have cost me another $300 - opted out.

Sorry for this longish post, but be wary when buying these items - yes, they are appealing, but consider your reasons first, the purchase price (and whether it is worth the charge), and the potential need for restoration & re-mounting, which can exceed the orginal price - 

[bhodges]

Just browsed this site again after many months, and interesting items continue to appear.  On the first page alone: a program signed by Claudio Arrau, a letter from Luciano Berio about his Folk Songs, and a photo of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.

http://www.schubertiademusic.com/

--Bruce