A letter written by Mahler to auction on Ebay

[Leo K]

I thought this is interesting, a letter which references the 5th Symphony...soon to go to auction:

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/050-Mahler-Gustav-ALS-About-His-5th-Symphony_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28202QQihZ011QQitemZ320102340453QQrdZ1

[Jot N. Tittle]

What'll you give, Leo, and how much?

    . & '

[Leo K]

What'll you give, Leo, and how much?

    . & '

If I only had the money! 

 

I have a feeling Gilbert Kaplan has got his eye on this.

[barry guerrero]

I just found the following letter from Mahler when taking a walk along the S.F. bay shorline trail:

Dear Gutman,

I should be proof reading parts for my sixth, but am busy studying Wagner as I'm doing the entire Ring this week. Have you located the proper birch trees from making the rute? I left my good one back in Budapest. Expect the deep bells to arrive at the theatre next week. I caused quite an uproar at the rail station, as those giant bells took up an entire freight car. Make sure your attendents eat plenty of sausage on the morning of their arrival. I'm stopping in Bregenz to pick out tam-tams, as yours simply won't do. The special bass drum will have to be assembled there at the theatre. I insist that Rose be in charge of the violins. Heinrich from Hannover will be my principal horn. Remember, 15 rehearsals - no less. Ripe fruit can only picked when the proper amount of sunshine has been applied. Yours.

Mahler

[Casaubon]

Man, that is some terrible handwriting 

[Jot N. Tittle]

If I only had the money!  I have a feeling Gilbert Kaplan has got his eye on this.

Somebody did. It went for $3400 to someone bidding from the floor, going up from $2000--the top eBay bid--in 39 seconds. The bidding was at two-second intervals up to $3200, then a wait of 18 seconds: $3400 bid and sold. No indication of how long the $3400 hung there. No indication of who the buyer was, a collector, a dealer, or an institution.

Do we have any collectors of Mahler memorabilia among us here?

     , & '