Album.

comprising a collection of complete settings by a series of great twentieth-century composers, including by Bax, Bloch, Chavez, Copland, Dohnányi, Howard Hanson, Roy Harris, Hindemith (a collage), Honegger, Martinu, Menotti, Milhaud, Piston, Pizzetti, Poulenc, Carlos Salzedo (loose), William Schuman, Stravinsky (a canon), Virgil Thomson, Villa-Lobos, Vaughan Williams, Walton and Efrem Zimbalist, with a title-page by Samuel Barber and a printed note by Sibelius, each item written on an individual page, some in full score, 32 pages, oblong 4to (c.22.5 x 29cms), 8-stave paper, full brown morocco by Gerhard Gerlach, gilt lettered to cover ("for M.C.Z. August 6, 1951"), fitted case, 1951

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

An important album of newly-composed pieces, including an apparently unpublished setting by Stravinsky.

This birthday album celebrates Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist (1876-1970), founder of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1924.  Well-known alumni of the Curtis Institute include Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Menotti and Gary Graffmann, some of whom are included in this album. (Mary Curtis married Edward Bok in 1896 and the composer and violinist Efrem Zimbalist in 1943; for a photograph of her, see The New Grove, xix, 555.) Barber, an autograph title page to the whole album ("Happy Birthday to Mary"), containing a setting of twenty-five of the composers names, to the tune of "Happy Birthday", signed ("Sam"), dated Capricorn, August 6, 1951; Bloch, a setting inscribed "With my gratitude for all what you did for America--and for the publication of the extraordinary Burrell collection...Ernest Bloch, Berkeley, August 6, 1951"; Copland, "Passacaglia theme", based on the pitches of the tune, Tanglewood, 1951; Hindemith, a collage of cuttings from printed musical scores, laid down in the album, with the notes picked out from the cuttings, signed "Paul Hindemith" in black ink; Honegger, a four-part setting for "Big Chorus", signed ("AHonegger, Paris, 6 Aout 1951"); Martinu, a 21-bar setting for "Soli", in 48/64 time, marked "as fast as possible" and signed "B.Martinu...New York 1951";  Poulenc, a setting for voice and piano, written in blue ink, the words in English, and inscribed "'Happy Birthday Mrs Zimbalist' avec les respectueux compliments de Francis Poulenc...6 Août 1951"; Stravinsky, a two-part canon notated in 3/2, signed and inscribed "Happy Birthday to Mary Curtis Zimbalist for her August 6, 1951 anniversary",  Vaughan Williams, a setting on two staves, with the tune in the bass, signed and dated "with kind regards RVaughanWilliams June 20th 1951", altered by him to "Aug 6th");  Villa-Lobos, a setting signed and inscribed in black ink ("Harmonization by H. Villa-Lobos, Rio de Janeiro, August, 1951"), Walton, a setting of the words, to the tune of "The Stars & Stripes",  

The short work by Stravinsky has not been published in this form before: a preliminary version in 3/4 time, sent in response a request from Samuel Barber, appears in Selected Correspondence, vol. 3, p.388n. (with the composer's admonition that it would be "better in 6/4"); however, this definitive version notated in 3/2 time, is apparently hitherto unknown.  It is distinct from the "Greetings Prelude" composed for Pierre Monteux's 80th birthday in 1955.