Jean-Jacques Sempé's Tout se complique Signed with a Musical Drawing

A copy of Jean-Jacques Sempé's Tout se complique [Everything is Complicated] is inscribed by the artist to pianist John Philips. It has an original drawing of a pianist playing, if not the Moonlight Sonata, then perhaps a sonata in the moonlight. It was sold on eBay by Dunaway Books of St. Louis in September of 2007 for $135.50.

Jean-Jacques Sempé
Tout se complique, Denoël, 1962, 1964

Inscribed "Pour John Philips, Sempé" with a drawing of a pianist playing in the moonlight

Note:  Cartoons books with original drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (and others) are a specialty of the house here at Attempted Bloggery. Please send scans or photos of your own examples of the house special and we'll see what we can put on the menu.

Information about the pianist John Philips, likely a longtime friend of Sempé, would be welcome as well. Did he have a prosperous concert career? Did he record more than the Milhaud piano and ondes Martenot sonata?


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Jean-Jacques Sempé's La Grande Panique Signed with a Musical Drawing

La Grande Panique [The Great Panic] is a 1966 cartoon collection by Jean-Jacques Sempé. A copy inscribed to pianist John Philips includes a drawing of a pianist and a harpist preparing for a performance by—what else?—tying back their hair. The unique book was sold on eBay by Dunaway Books in St. Louis for $129.26 in November of 2007.

Jean-Jacques Sempé, La Grande Panique, Denoël, 1966

Inscribed "For John Philips, Sempé" with a drawing of a pianist and harpist tying back their hair on a concert stage

Note:  Cartoons books with original drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (and others) are a specialty of the house here at Attempted Bloggery. Please send scans or photos of your own examples of the house special and I'll see what we can put on the menu.

Pianist John Philips, as we have seen, recorded at least one piece by Darius Milhaud in France. His library contained Sempé first editions personalized by the artist over at least two decades. So how did his book collection get to a bookseller in St. Louis? Anyone?


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Beware the Ides of March. And that longhair music.

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Jean-Jacques Sempé's Vaguement Compétitif Signed with a Musical Drawing

Jean-Jacques Sempé's Vaguement Compétitif [Vaguely Competitive] was published by Denoël in 1985. In the year of publication, Sempé inscribed a copy to musician John Philips with a drawing of a concert pianist approaching his instrument. The book was sold by Dunaway Books of St. Louis, MO on September 25, 2007 for $90 on eBay.

Jean-Jacques Sempé
Vaguement Compétitif, Denoël, 1985

Inscribed "Pour John Philips, J. J. Sempé 1985" with a drawing of a man walking to a piano
Jean-Jacques Sempé
Vaguement Compétitif, Denoël, 1985

Book recipient John Philips performed in the suite by Darius Milhaud on a 1962 recording.

Messiaen:  Fete des Belles Eaux
Milhaud:  Suite pour Piano et ondes Martenot
J. Charpentier Lalita (pour Martenot et percussion)
Jeanne Loriod, ondes Martenot and musical direction
John Philips, piano
Didier Duclos, percussion
France, 1962

Inscribed "Pour John Philips, J. J. Sempé 1985" with a drawing of a musician walking to a concert piano
Jean-Jacques Sempé
Vaguement Compétitif, Denoël, 1985

Note:  I'm the first to admit that original works by Jean-Jacques Sempé don't appear enough on this blog, so who has something good to share here?


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