Fourteen letters by the 19th century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) are to auction in Switzerland on March 13.
 Composer and pianist Franz Liszt in 1858 |
The letters discuss Liszt's relationships with his peers Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Frederick Chopin (1810-1849), as well as his ire at cultural ignorance and indifference more generally - Liszt launches an attack at those members of the public who have failed to appreciate his work.
An eight page, handwritten pamphlet containing several piano exercises, which were composed by Liszt for his pupil Valerie Boissier in 1832, is also to auction on March 13. The auctioneer's estimated value for the Liszt lots is €7,900 ($10,300).
As a composer, Liszt was among the prominent representatives of the New German School, leaving behind an extensive and diverse body of work that would go on to inspire future musicians for many years.
Offered as part of a diverse sale of items relating to musicology, which is to include manuscripts, photographs and musical scores, the Liszt letters offer collectors a rare opportunity to invest in one of classical music's most important and celebrated exponents.
Rare and personal documents relating to the lives of culturally significant figures often put in strong performances at auction. Virginia Woolf's appointment diaries sold at Sotheby's for �73,250 ($118,072) in December 2012, while a letter written by Edgar Allen Poe brought $34,000 as part of an online auction in November 2012.
Here at Paul Fraser Collectibles we have an extensive range of investment grade books and manuscripts in stock, including this magnificent King Henry VIII autographed document from the 1500s.
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