Maurice Sendak: Costume Design Rough for "The Love of Three Oranges"

Maurice Sendak created costume and stage designs for the Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of Sergei Prokofiev's "The Love of Three Oranges." There was both a television production and a stage production, not to mention a book. The Booksniffer of Lewes, East Sussex, offers a rough of one of the illustrator's costume designs. How did the bookseller get his hands on this? "Maurice presented it to me when I asked him to sign some of my first editions." Who knew how simple it is? The price today is 2,200 British pounds.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed February 12, 2021

https://www.abebooks.com/Love-Three-Oranges-Maurice-Sendak-ORIGINAL/30838518670/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

There were dueling translations from Glyndebourne. The production was called "The Love of Three Oranges." When the book was published, the more traditional for was used.

https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/93100/SENDAK-MASTERPIECE-ART-FOR-1982-TV-PRODUCTION-OF-PROKOFIEVS-OPERA-THE-LOVE-FOR-THREE-ORANGES

 

https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/93100/SENDAK-MASTERPIECE-ART-FOR-1982-TV-PRODUCTION-OF-PROKOFIEVS-OPERA-THE-LOVE-FOR-THREE-ORANGES

Note:  I would love to post other original Maurice Sendak art, including any from Glyndebourne and any spontaneously gifted to those asking him to sign first editions. No story is too implausible. After all, how many Americans can resist a British accent?

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William's Copy of The Love for Three Oranges by Frank Corsaro and Maurice Sendak

In 2012 a rare copy of The Love for Three Oranges: The Glyndebourne Version by Frank Corsaro with stage and costume designs by Maurice Sendak was offered for sale on eBay. It was personalized to one William by Mr. Sendak, who drew a lively dancing pig.

Maurice Sendak
The Love for Three Oranges
eBay Item Listing Retrieved circa August 2012

Maurice Sendak
The Love for Three Oranges
eBay Item Description

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11-x-7-ORIGINAL-INK-MAURICE-SENDAK-DRAWING-author-Wild-Things-/251095268395?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D1653898849794894554%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D2%26#ht_8517wt_1180

The Love for Three Oranges

Prokofiev / Frank Corsaro / Maurice Sendak

Glyndebourne—Opera DVD

Note:  The book is still listed for sale on the Comic Art Fans site with its price currently lowered to $1399.95.

Quick Link to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Gahan Wilson (1930-2019)

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I Believe in Father Christmas

Greg Lake performs his seasonal single "I Believe in Father Christmas" in St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull joins him on flute. Other musicians are David Arch and Florian Opahle. The song dates from 1975 and this beautiful performance which includes the church choir was recorded in 2006. The song's second theme is borrowed from a movement in Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite, "Troika," which is meant to invoke the bells of a three-horse open sleigh.

"I Believe in Father Christmas" (1975)

By Greg Lake

Ian Anderson, Flute

David Arch, Keyboards

Florian Opahle, Acoustic Guitar

St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London, 2006

"Troika" from Lt. Kijé Suite, Op. 60, 1934

 Sergei Prokofiev, Composer

Anatole Fistoulari, Conductor

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Note:  There are no other posts here about Greg Lake, but I think I can find a few about Ian Anderson.

There is one earlier post on Sergei Prokofiev.

Here's your last opportunity this year to see all my Christmas posts.

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Album Review: Prokofiev and Shostakovich Cello Concerti

Sergei Prokofiev, Symphonie Concertante pour Violoncelle, Op. 125
Dmitri Shostakovich, Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 107
Mstislav Rostropovich, Cello
Seiji Ozawa, London Symphony Orchestra, 1988, Erato

The most thrilling concert I ever attended featured Mstislav Rostropovich leading the National Symphony Orchestra in an all-Tchaikovsky program. André Watts was the soloist for the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto. This would have been the spring season of 1982 at Carnegie Hall. It's a little sad that I haven't been to anything quite as outstanding since, but I have done far less concert-going in recent years.

Rostropovich was a great conductor, but first and foremost he was a cellist. He is responsible for commissioning a significant portion of the 20th century's cello repertory, and this is likely to be his most lasting legacy.

Two fine Russian works for cello and orchestra are featured on this 1988 recording. Both works are dedicated to Rostropovich, who plays them outstandingly here with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Seiji Ozawa.

Sergei Prokofiev's Symphonie Concertante, Op. 125, dates from 1950. It is probably the lesser known work here. It is introspective at times with fine solo passages.

Dmitri Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto, Op. 107 from 1959 has long been a favorite of mine since I first owned the 1984 Yo-Yo Ma recording of the piece on cassette. The Concerto dates from 1959 and is captivating and compelling from the initial exposition of the theme in the first bars.

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