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an old photo of a group of people standing around a tablea close up of a book with a crown on top of it
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128 - Important album – Behind the scenes at the 1955 Queen Elisab…
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
Important album – Behind the scenes at the 1955 Queen Elisabeth Competition (Frères Haine) An exceptional collection comprising a vintage photographic album containing 34 pages of silver gelatin prints, documenting the violin round of the 1955 Queen Elisabeth Competition, held in Brussels in the wake of the legacy of the great violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. The album, which is in particularly fine condition, is embossed with the monogram of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, indicating that it was produced for official or ceremonial purposes. It offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the competition: jury sessions in a packed hall, the candidates’ performances, the preparation of the instruments, moments of waiting and informal scenes, rarely documented with such intimacy. The inclusion of a photograph of the chairman’s desk, accompanied by a handwritten card bearing the name ‘Jo Cuvelier’, suggests privileged access to the organisational inner circles and reinforces the internal nature of this collection. The jury for this edition brought together some of the leading figures on the international violin scene, including David Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Grumiaux and Zino Francescatti, testifying to the competition’s high standard of artistic excellence. The 1955 edition, now regarded as one of the most memorable, was won by Leonid Kogan (First Prize), alongside leading prize-winners such as Berl Senofsky, Julian Sitkovetsky and Victor Pikayzen, illustrating the dominance of the major international violin schools in the post-war period. It also brought together numerous candidates from leading European and international schools, including Pierre Doukan, Alberto Lysy, Marine Iashvili, Igor Politkovsky, Berl Senofsky, Julian Sitkovetsky, Luben Yordanoff, as well as other young performers destined for international careers. With its wealth of perspectives – blending official scenes with more intimate glimpses of the contestants – this album offers a rare insight into the behind-the-scenes world of a competition that has become legendary, at a pivotal moment in European musical life.
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About the sale DE SPILLIAERT AND DE SMET IN GABON, VIA CHINA Khnopff, Mortier, Picasso • Old Master paintings • Chinese bronzes and porcelain • Kota reliquary • Jewellery • Antique weapons
Auction location
Auction time 10/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits:
Hugo Sanchez
See original version (French)
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