BERLIN, IRVING.
Songs from Annie Get Your Gun. N.p., n.d [but New York: Irving Berlin Music Co., 1946]. Inscribed by Irving Berlin on front free endpaper "To Jack [Kapp] with my best wishes for a merry Xmas and all kinds of happiness for The New Year. Irving Dec. 25. 1946." Original smooth dark brown flexible leather. The upper cover bears the title at the center of the cover, "1946" at bottom left, and the recipient's name at bottom right, all gilt lettered. 12 inches, (30.5 cm). Title page, verso listing the contents, 64 pp. in all. The edges of the covers and the joints are rubbed, with a small chip to the foot of the spine, but the binding is in sound condition, and the text is unblemished.
A remarkable presentation copy of the songbook for one of the greatest of American musicals. The work seems to be unrecorded in this form, which was prepared by Berlin as a gift for close friends and associates. The recipient, Jack Kapp, was the president and founder of Decca Records, who had published the album of the Broadway show.
Annie Get Your Gun opened on May 16, 1946 and ran for 1,147 performances. It has been revived several times since. It introduced to the musical repertoire such standards as Anything You Can Do, There's No Business Like Show Business, The Girl That I Marry, etc.