Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel.

in which he rounds on Schwickert's request for him to look over and make any necessary revisions to his Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, reminding Schwickert that the book is perhaps freer of any flaws than any book in the world and certainly does not need looking at, much less correcting; he points out that, given his age and health, he always leaves such production matters to his publishers and will not be undertaking this in person "at any price" ("...daß ich Ihnen von dem Ihnen abgetreten Versuche sagte: daß dies Buch so ganz rein von aller Fehlern sey, als vielleicht kein einziges andere in der Welt...")



1 page, small 4to (c.19.5 x 16cms), "Pro-Patria" watermark, integral address panel, annotated by the recipient on verso, remains of red seal, Hamburg, 17 November 1787

E. Suchalla, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Briefe und Dokumente Kritische Gesamtausgabe, II (1994), no.580;  S. Clark, The Letters of CPE Bach, (Oxford, 1997), no.325 ("This letter is lost").

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Unpublished. This letter is hitherto only known from a brief summary given in a catalogue for an auction in Berlin in 1922, transcribed by Suchalla and Clark: since then it has been untraced.  It concerns what is arguably C.P.E. Bach's most famous work.

The Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen (1753) is one of the best-known eighteenth-century music treatises.  Originally published under the composer's auspices in Berlin in 1753, the second and third editions were brought out by the Leipzig firm of Schwickert in 1780 and 1787.  In fact the 1787 edition that Bach deals with here, proclaimed the addition of "sechs neue Clavierstücken" and other revisions.