A ‘scandalous’ letter by the legendary Mozart to his friend Baroness von Waldstätten is the centerpiece among the objects up for sale in ‘Exceptional Sale’, which will take place on July 6, 2023, in London, as part of Christie’s Classic Week. The dramatic letter is expected to achieve between £300,000 and £500,000.
Written in the summer of 1782, the 26-year-old musical prodigy explains to his close friend that, in order to save his future bride from experiencing the embarrassment of being hauled from his home by the police, he must be married as soon as possible.
The two-page letter, handwritten in German, continued to explain the circumstances of Constanze, who was said to be living with Mozart under the same roof, which led her mother, Cäcilia Weber, to call the police to take her daughter back to her residence to save her reputation. The only option, according to Mozart, is for him to get married to Constanze the following day, or even the same day if at all feasible. The pair eventually got married on August 4, 1782.
In June 2017, Mozart’s Autograph letter to his father soared past its expectations and achieved $260,000 at Christie’s New York. It remains to be seen how much this letter detailing his eventful love life would bring in at the auction.
Thomas Venning, Head of Christie’s Books & Manuscripts, London, said, “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most influential and prolific composers of all time, and we are delighted to unveil such a personal letter to the world. Mozart letters are scarce at auction, and it is hard to think of any iconic historical figure where you have an equivalent unfiltered insight into such an important and private moment. The letter has always been in private collections and has not been seen by the public or scholars since 1989. Christie’s offered the most recent autograph letter and manuscript by Mozart sold at auction, and we are proud to follow that with such an exciting letter and opportunity for Mozart aficionados worldwide.”
