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Price: $1650.00 |
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FINE CONDITION |
ALEXANDRE GLAZUNOV - COMPOSER |
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Phone: 212-860-5541 * Fax: 917-677-8247
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Autographed 6.25” x 10” Karl Fischer of St. Petersburg presentation photograph of the Russian composer, December 7th, 1911. The composer has dedicated the photograph to Annie Harrison, the Mother of violinist May Harrison (1890-1959), cellist Beatrice Harrison (1892-1965), mezzo-soprano Monica Harrison (1897-1983) and violinist Margaret Harrison (1899-1995). Glazunov dedicates the photograph, To the happy mother of the most brilliant artists, Mrs. A. Harrison in remembrance from his truly, Alexandre Glazunov, The 7th Dec. 1911. St. Petersburg. Annie Harrison studied with George Henschel and Manuel Garcia Jr.’s son Gustave Garcia at the Royal College of Music. She met and married Colonel John Harrison, an engineer in the British army, who happened to be an amateur flautist. She gave up an opportunity for a career and raised a family of four daughters, each with musical talent. May the eldest and a violinist studied with Fernandez Arbos at the Royal College of Music and later with Leopold Auer at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she became acquainted with Glazunov, the Director at the time. The second daughter Beatrice studied with Hugo Becker in Berlin. In January of 1912, shortly after this photograph was signed, a very drunk Glazunov led May in a performance of his violin concerto, apparently conducted entirely at the same tempo. More importantly in the same concert, he conducted May and Beatrice in their debut performance of the Brahms double concerto, at a very slow tempo, which they took throughout Europe performing the work some 60 times in the space of 4 years. During one of those concerts, Frederick Delius happened to be in the audience and after hearing the work decided to write a double concerto of his own for the girls, which they premiered, which led to a lifelong friendship in life and after death led to his burial at the Harrison family churchyard, St. Peters, Limpsfield in Surrey England. (Sir Thomas Beecham is also buried there.) The Harrison girls also performed the debut performances of his cello and violin sonatas. His very favorite however, turned out to be their younger sister Margaret who is buried closest to him. A most fascinating autographed photograph, one where the surrounding events led to both both brilliant life an career changing elements which happily followed the sisters for the rest of their lives. A few light stains as seen, otherwise superb!
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