# - Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel.

marked "P[raemissis] P[raemittendis]", abbreviating the usual greetings, 1 page, 4to, integral blank, Hamburg, 13 April [17]87



 



 

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."

In this lapidary letter, Bach describes the contents of a parcel sent via Herr Herold, which contains copies of the second, third and fourth collections of  Sonatas " für Kenner und Liebhaber", the first in keyboard clefs, the rest in keyboard and violin clefs; these are for Herr Kuhn, the organist in Hirschberg; he discusses the sixth volume of the sonatas and expresses the hope to send him the title and subscribers' list soon; he also wishes that the sixth collection can be sold at the Leipzig Messe

...In beykommendem, durch Herrn Herolden besorgeten Pakete werden Sie
Von meiner 2ten Sammlung 1 Ex in Cl. Zeichen
---                3ten ---                     2 – in V.u.Cl. Z.
---                4ten ---                     2 – in V. u.Cl.. Z.
erhalten...

This letter is not published in Ernst Suchalla, Briefe von Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach an Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf und Johann Nikolaus Forkel (Tutzing, 1985), where it would precede letter 170; or in S. Clark, The Letters of C.P.E. Bach (Oxford, 1997, see letter 307, p.260), though it is listed as lost and is briefly described from the Liepmannssohn catalogue in which it appeared (Katalog 63, 9 December 1932).

The six collections of sonatas "für Kenner und Liebhaber" constitute one of the great publishing projects of Bach's final years and the subject of his many letters to Breitkopf. Bach sent the title-page and list of subscribers for the sixth volume to the publisher in his next surviving letter of 1 May 1787.