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Phone: 212-860-5541 * Fax: 917-677-8247
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Price: $225.00 |
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NEAR MINT CONDITION |
VLADIMIR DE PACHMANN - PIANIST |
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Holographed Autographed 5 bar musical quotation in B flat major he entitles "Golden Wings of Youth encore, Leamington, August 1, 1910. The autograph is on a pink album leaf that measures 5" x 7" and we offer with a sepia period postcard photograph.
De Pachmann (1848-1933) was never one to shirk the creature comforts of life, he spent his final years without teeth eating meals of imported Russian caviar as it was soft. In 1910, the pianist was 62 years of age and was one of the "grand old men" of the piano at the time. Leamington in Warwickshire was a spa town and the waters were supposed to hold medicinal powers. Queen Victoria had named the spa "The Royal Leamington Spa" in 1858 and the first lawn tennis club was established in 1874 and the upper crust of British society would repair their for the cure and other activities, a perfect place for a pianist of de Pachmann's cultured taste and refinement. (Or at least what he projected) The pianist had been nicknamed "The Chopinzee" by the critic James Hunneker due to his heavy programming of Chopin and what were perceived as his looks. Of course a showman like De Pachmann could not resist adding his own personal touches to the composers works.
De Pachmann was known for playing endless encores. I looked at the quotation, played it a few times and it didn't ring a bell. Then I looked at his complete discography, no luck. Then I went to programs and couldn't find anything that rung a bell their either. The only two pieces he regularly played that involved the word bird, or wing in any language was Schumann's "The Prophet Bird" from "Waldzenen" and a solo piano version of Mendelssohn's "On the Wings of Song", but alas this is neither of those. So we have a mystery! That said it is unique!
Perfect for display! |
