Walter RUMMEL (1887–1953). Autograph letter, near Lugano, January 20, 1953, to Jacques Thibaud; half-page folio (edges slightly frayed). A lovely letter of admiration from the pianist to the violinist. “Lost in a little corner by Lake Lugano, I happened to listen to the radio yesterday, Sunday, and was captivated by a performance of Brahms’s Concerto. My first impulse was to say, ‘But that’s Ysaye—that’s the grand tradition—who could this sublime artist be?’ As I waited for your name at the end, I was jumping for joy. […] Since the good old days of yesteryear, I have never heard such a performance. Your tone was magnificent, lively, and moving; your rhythm was that of a young artist. That theme in the last movement—how you sculpted and recreated it! It was a joy to hear once again an artist who shapes and interprets. “Our era, alas, sees only the beat of the machine”…