CLOSE OF A LETTER SIGNED BY AMERICAN OPERATIC BARITONE DAVID BISPHAM.

- Close of a letter on a piece of blue paper, approximately 2 inches high by 4-1/4 inches high, which has been mounted on a piece of cream-colored paper of the same size. Boldly signed in black ink "Sincerely Yours / David Bispham". The blue paper is rippled from the mounting and the letter "D" in David smudged. Good. American operatic baritone David Bispham [1857-1921] appeared in numerous musical performances in his childhood despite having no formal music training. At the age of twenty-eight he went to Europe and studied singing in Florence, Milan and Bayreuth. He was selected to take part in a London performance of Messager's "La Basoche", his first professional appearance on any stage. This led to his singing the role of Kurwenal in Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde", under Gustav Mahler, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden--his first Wagner role. For all but two of the next ten seasons he appeared at Covent Garden, mainly in Wagnerian roles. He made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1896, singing the role of Beckmesser in "Die Meistersinger". He remained with the Met until 1903.…