Sotheyb's - London

Important Manuscripts, Continental Books and Music
Sale #L19406

This sale features some important autograph manuscripts by Anna Akhmatova (Poem without a Hero) and Nikolay Gumilev, and letters by Goldoni, Napoleon, Leopardi, Carducci, Ludwig II (about Wagner), D’Annunzio (about Mascagni), Alfred Nobel, Trotsky, Einstein, Egon Kisch and Erich Kästner (c.900) and some substantial mediaeval manuscripts, including a thirteenth-century English Bible and a fifteenth-century illuminated Book of Hours.

There are 71 lots of music (34-104), including many manuscripts that have never been previously offered for sale, by Purcell, JS Bach, JA Hasse, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Delius, and autographs of Weber, Bruch, Gounod, Massenet, Offenbach, Richard Strauss and Parry; a hitherto unknown series of autograph letters by Bellini (approximately 35 pages) and more unpublished letters by Puccini and Verdi; there are fine first and contemporary editions of music by Handel, Rameau and Mozart, and the libretto of the first French opera to be performed in Italy (1690).

The Continental Books section (lots 105-272) begins with a collection of fine bindings from the library of the Earls of Haddington, followed by numerous incunabula and sixteenth-century imprints including a coloured copy of the 1487 Brescia Dante and a fine illuminated printed Book of Hours with extensive provenance.

10am

EXHIBITION TIMES
Fri, Nov 29th 9am - 4:30pm
Sat, Nov 30th 12pm - 5pm
Sun, Dec 1st 12pm - 5pm 
Mon, Dec 2nd 9am - 4:30pm

Sotheby's - London
34-35 New Bond Street

London, UK