Music & Musical Instruments

This violoncello was made Luigi Rovatti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1915. It is made of a two-piece table of spruce, two-piece back of maple with even fine descending figure, ribs of similar maple, mildly figured maple neck, pegbox and scroll; golden orange-brown varnish. The instrument has an original printed and handwritten label:

Luigi Rovattia
Ennio Bolognini
fece in Buenos-Ayres anno 1915
Calle Amambar. p. 232

(and a handwritten inscription):

Te Niglior
Violoncello del
mondo. Il mio
padrone e
Ennio Bolognini.
Cuando Studia
e mi suona bene

[”Best Violoncello of the world for my friend Ennio Bolognini.

This instrument was made expressly for the cellist Ennio Bolognini (b. November 7, 1893, Buenos Aires; d. July 31, 1979, Las Vegas). Bolognini was raised in a musical family and subsequently received his early training under José García, teacher of Pablo Casals, at the St. Cecilia Conservatory in Buenos Aires. His talent attracted the attention and friendship of highly regarded musicians such as Jasha Heifetz, Valdimir Horowitz, Victor Herbert and Maurice Ravel. During his years in Buenos Aires he shared an apartment with Arthur Rubenstein and Andrés Segovia. Ennio's father was a close friend of Arturo Toscanini, who became Ennio's godfather.

Ennio Bolognini became an American citizen in 1929 and pursued a career with symphony orchestras in Philadelphia, Chicago, Hollywood and Las Vegas. In addition to his remarkable talent as a cellist, he was a conductor and composer, writing six pieces in the style of flamenco guitar for the exclusive performance use of the American cellist, Christine Walewska. Beyond his musical accomplishments Bolognini was a South American boxing champion and licensed airplane pilot, and he is remembered by many colleagues for his unpredictable behavior both inside and outside the concert hall.

Ennio Bolognini collected autographs of prominent 20th century musicians, composers, conductors, actors and sports figures. They are written in ink on the table and ribs of this cello.

Among the most easily legible signatures are on the left (bass) side of the instrument. Signatures on the upper bass side of the cello include:

Remo Bolognini (1929-1973), violinist, brother of Ennio Bolognini

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Austrian-American violinist and composer

Dmitri Mitropoulos (1896-1960), Greek-American pianist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1937-1949) and the New York Philharmonic (1951-7)

Andrés Segovia (1893-1987), father of the modern classical guitar movement

Joseph Szigeti (1892-1973), Hungarian-American violinist

José Ferrer (1912-1992), the first Latino (Puerto Rican) actor to win an Academy Award

Bruno Walter (1876-1962), German-born conductor of many famous American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Richard Crooks (1900-1972) American tenor, a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera
G[iovanni] Martinelli, (1885-1969), Italian-American tenor, also a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera

János Starker (b. 1924), Hungarian-American cellist and teacher

Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985), Hungarian-American violinist and conductor who led the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1931-1936), and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1936-1980)

Richard Tucker (1913-1975), a leading American operatic tenor of the post-war era

Stephen Kates (1944-2003), American cellist, and the last person to sign Bolognini’s cello

This sheet music is for the song “Poor Butterfly,” with lyrics by John Golden and music by Raymond Hubbell. It was published by T. B. Harms in New York, New York in 1916.

”Poor Butterfly” was featured in the production,The Big Show, at the New York Hippodrome in 1916.

This two-tone wood block was made in the United States, around 1900 to 1910. It is made of rosewood.

This two-tone wood block was used by William T. Armstrong (1879-1965), orchestra leader and musician in vaudeville and silent film theaters. Armstrong grew up in South River, New Jersey and began playing drums at the age of 14. He continued his musical career through the mid-1910s, after which, Armstrong began work in banking and finance. This artifact is part of a collection of drums, sound effect instruments, and other percussion instruments used by Armstrong.

This glockenspiel, also known as school bells, was made in the United States, around 1900 to 1910. It is made of 30 metal bells, two and a half octaves, with a wood frame.

his set of school bells was used by William T. Armstrong (1879-1965), orchestra leader and musician in vaudeville and silent film theaters. Armstrong grew up in South River, New Jersey and began playing drums at the age of 14. He continued his musical career through the mid-1910s, after which, Armstrong began work in banking and finance. This artifact is part of a collection of drums, sound effect instruments, and other percussion instruments used by Armstrong.

This music roll perforator was made by Leabarjan Mfg. Co., Hamilton, Ohio, after 1911. It is a hand- operated perforator for making 65 or 88 note piano rolls.

This perforator features U.S. Patent number Pat.1005562, dated October 10, 1911 issued to John Curtis Lease for a music roll punch.

This trumpet was made by Franz Hörth in Saarbrücken, Germany in 1913. It is an E-flat trumpet made of brass with nickel silver trim and has three mechanical rotary valves. This trumpet is engraved:

Franz Hörth Saarbrucken. Jager Regt. z. Pferde No.8 1913

According to the accession paperwork, this trumpet was one of 12 instruments captured from the Jäger-Regiment zu Pferde Nr. 8 (Eighth Jaeger German Mounted Band) during WWI.

Franz Hörth (also spelled Hoerth) (1862-1932) founded his musical instrument firm in what was known as St. Johann in 1898. This small fishing village merged with two other villages to form Saarbrücken around 1909. Hörth’s son-in-law Richard Wolff became manager of the company around 1921, then known as “Franz Hoerth, metal and wood instrument maker, musical instruments and talking machines."

This cornet was made by the Harry B. Jay Co. in Chicago, Illinois around 1911 to 1915. It is a long model B-flat cornet Columbia model, serial #735, made of brass with 3 piston valves and features a patented tuning by Harry B. Jay. This cornet is engraved:

COLUMBIA
PATENTED
Harry B. Jay Co.
CHICAGO
UNION
LABEL
735

There are two patents issued to Jay featured on this cornet:

United States Patent #856642, June 11, 1907, for “Improvements in Tuning Slides for Horns and Like Instruments.”

United States Patent #1003049, September 12, 1911, for “Improvements in Musical Instruments.”

This sheet music is for the song “Try This Over on Your Piano,” by music by Harold Orlob and lyrics by Harry L. Court and George E. Stoddard. It was published by Shapiro, Bernstein Co., Inc. in New York, New York in 1918.

”Try This Over on Your Piano” was featured in the musical, Listen Lester, with music by Harold Orlob and lyrics and book by Harry L. Court and George E. Stoddard. The musical opened at the Knickerbocker Theatre on December 23, 1918 and closed on August 16, 1919.

This Appalachian dulcimer was made by James Edward (Uncle Ed) Thomas in Bath, Kentucky, in 1915. It is a double-bout dulcimer made of walnut, with three strings (one melody string and two drone strings), wood nut and bridge, 17 metal frets, 4 heart-shaped sound holes, 3 wooden friction pegs, carved out pegbox, and rounded head. The fretboard has handwritten numbers. Handwritten inside the dulcimer:

Manufactured by
J. Edward Thomas
Dec. 1 - 1915
Ky.

This sheet music is for the song “Wait Till the Cows Come Home,” with music by Ivan Caryll and words by Anne Caldwell and R. H. Burnside. It was published by Chappell & Company, Ltd. in New York, New York in 1917.

"Wait Till the Cows Come Home" was featured in the musical Jack O’Lantern. The musical opened on Broadway at the Globe Theatre on October 16, 1917.

This sheet music is for the song “All Through the Day,” with words by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Jerome Kern. It was published by Williamson Music, Inc. in New York, New York in 1946.

”All Through the Day” was featured in the 1946, 20th Century Fox musical film, Centennial Summer, directed by Otto Preminger and starred Jeanne Crain, Cornel Wilde, Linda Darnell, and William Eythe. “All Through the Day” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 19th Academy Awards. There are images of the stars of the film on the sheet music cover.