Gershwin's "Strike up the Band" and Stravinsky's "Scènes de ballet", both scores inscribed by their composers, 1930-1944

George Gershwin and Igor Stravinsky

Two inscribed scores: "Strike up the Band" by Gershwin and "Scènes de ballet" by Stravinsky, 1930 & 1944

GERSHWIN. Strike up the Band, [vocal score], New York: New World Music Corporation, 1930, signed and inscribed by Gershwin to the composer Maurice Yvain, FIRST COMPLETE EDITION, inscribed in black ink on the title ("To Maurice Yvain, with cordial greetings on his first trip to America, With Admiration, George Gershwin, Apr.29, 1930"), 167 pages, 4to, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, book by Morrie Ryskind, publisher's wrappers printed in red and blue, red cloth spine, modern red folding cloth box, front wrapper restored

STRAVINSKY. Printed reproduction score of "Scènes de ballet", signed twice ("Igor Stravinsky 1944") and inscribed by him with a warm dedication to his choreographer, Anton Dolin ("Pour vous, mon cher Antony Dolin, avec mes pensées admiratives et avec toute mon impatience de voir réalisé cette musique avec votre brillant couleurs/ Votre Stravinsky/ Hollywood, Sept 16, 1944"), a photographic reproduction of a manuscript piano score, 25 leaves, 4to, 12-stave paper, printed on one side only, fixed together with adhesive tape, contemporary dark blue cloth, blue-gilt labels, staining from the adhesive tape

Gershwin originally staged Strike up the Band in 1927, but only separate numbers were published. This wholesale revision, with half of the score rewritten, was premiered on 14 January 1930 and only then published in full. The plot satirizes America's enthusiasm for trade wars, declaring war on Switzerland over the tariff on Swiss chocolate. Stravinsky's score was probably used at the rehearsals of Scènes de ballet in Philadelphia, in 1944. Anton Dolin (1904-1983) provided the choreography for the production, alluded to in the composer's dedication, which opened on 24 November 1944.