Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus.

containing a continuity sketch for the whole of the cadenza for the first movement, notated on the verso of the leaf in brown ink on four two-stave systems, with autograph title at the head of the music ("Cadenza."), comprising 27 bars; and containing, on the recto, two autograph horn parts for two unidentified instrumental works, possibly contredanses



2 pages, the upper half of an oblong 4to leaf, irregularly cut (c.17 x 31cm), eight staves visible of originally probably ten, Tyson Watermark 39, later manuscript annotations ("Mozart's eigne Handschrift", in blue ink at the upper right-hand corner of the recto and verso; and "H." [?], in pencil, at the upper left-hand corner of the verso), no place or date [probably Salzburg, 1779, or later; the recto horn parts c.1776-1778], traces of mount to recto and verso, vertical folds and creasing at corners, minute tear to leading edge; together with an autograph letter, signed, by Aloys Fuchs, [to Johann Kafka] describing the contents of the leaf (dated 25 February 1851) 

W. Reeves, London; W. Speyer, Shenley; L. Liepmannssohn Antiquariat, Berlin (Auction 35, 26/27 May 1905); J. Kafka, ?Vienna, to whom the autograph was presented by A. Fuchs on 25 February 1851; J. A. André, Offenbach

Neue Mozart-Ausgabe [NMA] X/33/2 [Watermark catalogue, prepared by A. Tyson; the sketchleaf was not examined by Tyson] (Kassel, etc., 1992), p.17; NMA V/14/2, pp.57ff.; NMA X/30/3, pp.13-14

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."

a sketchleaf for one of mozart's greatest works, and perhaps the most important single leaf of autograph music by him to be offered at auction in recent years. It has, furthermore, not been available for consultation by modern Mozart scholarship.

Truly infinite riches in a little space: the 27 bars contained here being among the greatest in all Mozart, the music of the climactic cadenza for the first movement of the great Sinfonia Concertante, K.364 - in effect a double concerto for violin and viola - dating from the end of Mozart's Salzburg years (the exact date and circumstances of its composition are unknown). K.364 represents a milestone in Mozart's creative output, a work of explosive emotional power and intensity which he may later have equalled but never surpassed.

The autograph score of K.364 is lost, and only the following autograph sources survive: the present sketch; two sketches for the slow movement cadenza, contained on the verso of a leaf bearing a draft for the original close of the first movement, bb. 349-357 [Houghton Library, Harvard University, Ms Mus 177]; and a fair copy of the first and second movement cadenzas [Veste Coburg, Autographensammlung, V, 11 09, 9].

The sketch was evidently written down at breakneck speed: remarkably, however, it diverges very little from the autograph fair copy (a few minor differences affecting pitch, for example, can be found in bb.10 and 25 of the cadenza). A characteristic piece of Mozartian technical witchcraft is also revealed in the sketch: the D-major key signature of the viola part (b.1). To lift the tone of the viola out of the accompanying orchestral sound and give it a brilliance on a par with that of the solo violin, the instrument was tuned a semitone higher (the so-called scordatura tuning), its part being notated a semitone lower. The autograph horn parts on the recto of the leaf (not the verso, as stated in NMA X/30/3), dating from c.1776, or a little later, are for works which have so far not been identified.