I spent too many months without playing the piano, more than those that I want to admit. I knew I needed to start again and I contacted my professor. He proposed me to start with the F. Chopin, 12 Etudes, Op. 25: No. 2 in F minor and the J. S. Bach, 15 Inventions and Sinfonias: Invention No. 4 BWV 775 in D minor. So we started with learning the works, concerned with learning the pieces entirely. Now I’m focusing on getting good tempo, rythm, elasticity, relaxation, fingering, hands, back, legs positions, pedal… so many things.

Anyways, I also started tracking my progress on a daily basis (I’ll write about it in another post). And as part of tracking that progress I decided to record myself playing, becuase, somehow, watching yourself playing from afar gives a lot of feedback. Some times I got nice videos where you can see the progress. I shared those videos with some short comments through Twitter (I refuse to call it X) about the practice session. And one day I got some nice comment from a follower and friend Felipe Jaramillo F (@mrfelipe). I just kept uploading videos from time to time.

Some days ago I got contacted by him through Twitter’s chat. He told me that he saw me practicing and that he got some old books and sheets from his piano’s previous owner: Georgette Stefan. A Lebanese woman who married a Colombian man. She got a German Geyer Piano and she kept it for many decades. His husband sold it when she passed away. That’s how my friend from Twitter bought it. Two days later the husband called him back to offer him those books and sheets. He offered me those books and I told him of course I would gladly accept them.

When I opened the box I leafed through them. It was amazing because they still had some studying and preparation notes. It was quite reminiscent: they had some of the store’s seals in Beyrouth with the five-digits telephone numbers. Those sheets definitively got some history. Some of those are not in good shape, so I think I’ll treat them differently. But what caught my eyes were, obviously, the four big books.

Here’s what I got.

Favorite Compositions for the Pianoforte

This work was printed in Melbourne by Allan & Co between 1940 and 1950 probably. It’s part of the Kynoch music archives, which is a collection that has more than 2715 records. This one has a seal of the Orphee Salon de Musique in Beyrouth.

Noomen (Credo) by Rev. Louis Zouain

This one is an original work by Rev. Louis Zouain in Philadelphia, Pa. I couldn’t find anything related for the work as it seemed to be a composition to be played at masses in the Saint Maron Church 1013 Ellsworth St, Philadelphia, Pa. I got some insights as this Church is one of the first Maronite Churches in North America that dates back to June 15^th, 1865. The Chorbishop Louis Zouain “assumed the role as spiritual head of the Maronite community” on 1925¹.

I was wondering why Georgette got this copy. And it happens that the Maronites are a “Christian sect of Syrian origin, living chiefly in Lebanon and in communion with the Roman Catholic Church” (the name comes from John Maro, a 7^th-century Syrian religious leader)², so it made a lot of sense.

Album de Chant Dix Melodies Celebres de Cesar Frank, Delibes, E. Jaques Dalcroze, Bizet, Berlioz, Offenbach

This one was quite frustrating. I spent some good hours looking for information, but the book has nothing useful to infere but “International Edition”.

This book is very well convserved because it’s printed in a thick paper. This is its content:

1. Vieille Chanson (G. Bizet)
2. Adieux de l’hotesse arabe (G. Bizet)
3. Pastorale (G. Bizet)
4. Bonjour Suzon (L. Delibes)
5. Chanson espagnole (L. Delibes)
6. Chanson de Fortunio (J. Offenbach)
7. Absence (H. Berlioz)
8. Le Cavalier bleu (E. Jaques-Dalcroze)
9. Roses et Papillons (Cesar Franck)
10. La Procession (Cesar Franck)

Menuet G-Dur Beethoven-Parlow

This Minuet in G Major by Beethoven, is a composition originally written for orchestra, but the work was lost and only the arrangement for piano could be found. This one was printed in Denmark by Wilhelm Hansen, Musik-Forlag, Kobenhavn, for a series called Den rode Serie. This sheet was apparently acquired in the Chahine Pianos-Musique in Rue Georges Picot - Beyrouth. The store seems to be still operating.

Bouquet de Violettes par B. Ferzein

An enigmatic one. I couldn’t find information for this one either. But it’s title recall the famous painting by Edouard Manet portrait of a “fellow painter Berthe Morisot dressed in black mourning dress, with a barely visible bouquet of violets”³.

Les Saisons (ou les 12 Moi de l’Année) 12 Tableuaux caractéristiques du Nord pour Piano par P. Tchaikowsky Op 37

An interesting work by P. Tchaikowsky that reflects “the characteristic of a different month of the year in Russia”⁴.This one is special because it’s an excerpt for June: the Bacarolle.

La Sérénade by Schubert

Unfortunately, this one isn’t in a good shape. I’m trying to manipulate it very carefully. Due to its state, I’ll probably frame it to hang it up in the wall as it has a very beautiful printing. I love the shatters in the edges, a sign of the pass of time.

What I love of this page is the marks on each meassure, showing Georgette’s notes on study.

Biblioteca Pianistica per la Gioventù

Dated 7th November, 1939. This copy, printed in Italy, has Beethoven’s Tempo Di Minueto (dalla Sonata Op.49 No.2). A work for four hands. The cover has been sealed with an embossing stamp: G. Ricordi & Co 6 17. Nothing else than the Italian publishing house Casa Ricordi Founded in Milan in 1808 by Giovanni Ricordi⁵.

Plaisir d’Amour by Martini

The state of this sheet is even more delicate. I haven’t tried to open it yet as I haven’t had the proper time to do it. I guess I’ll frame this one as well as I don’t want to lose it.

Chanson Russe Sydney Smith Op. 31

Another book from the enigmatic Orphee Music store in Beyrouth. Edward Sydney Smith was born in 14^th July, 1839 in South Street, Dorchester. The second son of Frederick William Smith and Helen (née Boyton). Smith became famous in England and America for his piano compositions⁶.

I find very reminiscent this book back cover. It has a XIX-Century air in the way to advertise other books.

C. M. Weber Invitación al Vals Rondó Op. 65 para piano

An Argentinian printed sheet from Ricordi in Buenos Aires. This one was acquired at Casa Musical Humberto Conti. The Italian immigrant family Conti made a business out of music in 1890. The Conti brothers: Manuel, Emilio and Egidio, worked for 20 years selling music sheets, books and instruments. Despite Egidio’s shop kept working, around 1920 Humberto Conti, Manuel’s son and Layer from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, opened the Casa Musical Humberto Conti, from the musical instruments left by his father. The shop was closed in the 2000⁷.

What I love from this copy is that it is very well conserved.

Cours de Piano Élémentarie & Progressif par Paul Rougnon

Paris, E. Gallet et fils, Èditeurs, circa 1900. 6, Rue Vivienne et Galerie Vivienne, de 62 á 72. The gallery is still there, but I couldn’t find any reference of the store.

It’s a book of exercices and method to improve and acquire good performance. It seems it’s not complete, but a jewel in itself.

J. Massenet Elegia Melodia para Piano

Another one from Casa Musical Humberto Conti. This one is another amazing piece as it has several notes and remarks of Georgette’s study and practice. Something that amazes me is that it has three dates: May 25^th - July 19^th, 1972. The third one is the amazing one: Perfect September 4^th, 1972. This piece was mastered on a Saturday ending the year 1972. I have so many thoughts right now 🤔.

L. C. Hanon El Pianista Virtuoso 60 Lecciones para Piano

From the Editorial Musical Julio Korn, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Printed on October 3^rd, 1960. I love its foreword:

“… the good pianists are so numerous, it is not allowed to tolerate mediocrity in this instrument execution”.

Very inspiring 🧐.

This book is almost untouched. There are no marks or notes. Only a few fingering notes on the Ab m scale at two hands.

Beethoven Klavier-Sonaten Sonatine Eb

From the Henry Litolff’s Verlag in Braunschweig. Printed in Germany. This copy is also in good shape. I don’t know the date, but it was acquired in the Conti’s music shop. So it gives me an idea on when it could be bought.

Sonaten für Pianoforte solo von W. A. Mozart

Herausgegeben von Louis Köhler und Adolf Ruthardt. Edition Peters No. 486^a.

Now it’s the time of the big books. This one holds Mozart’s sonatas 1 - 9. The second book is not in the package. But this one by itself holds a lot of history inside. This one seems was treated specially because there is no mark at all in any of its pages. I think I’ll spend a lot of hours with this one as well.

Chopin 15 Valses

Augener’s Edition No. 6091. Made and Printed in England. This one was acquired in Maison de Musique Lyra in Beyrouth.

This book was worked: The Trois Valses. Op. 64, No. 1 in Db. What is amazing of this work and practice is that it was mastered on May 2020. But moreover, because it has armonic functions analysis, It has some nice little stickers marking the modulation Db - A - Db - A - B - B₂ …

Czerny Exercices & Ètudes Pour Piano

Édition revue et doigtée par Th. Lack. No. 478, Op. 636. Petite Vélocité. 24 Petites Etudes de la Vélocité.

This book contains 24 small studies for speed.

The book has no major notes. All the pages are signed with Georgette’s small signature. Some pages has some notes equivalences. The Etude No. 10 was studied on 1938 and has some small directions, the expression and intent. The Etude No. 17 has a stamp of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph that says “Make me rest in peace in your hands”. A woman devoted to her believes.

There were some other books and music sheets but I couldn’t dedicate that time to research more on those ones. Here I presented the most appealing ones.