Wagner, Richard

THE STICHVORLAGE FOR THE FIRST EDITION OF THE VOCAL SCORE, a working manuscript, with autograph title-page signed ("Tristan und Isolde von Richard Wagner Vollständiger Clavierauszug III Akt S.61-93 Schluß) Hans von Bülow"), notated for voices and piano in black ink on up to twelve staves per page, with many deletions, alterations, corrections and revisions throughout, pages 42-46 heavily reworked in ink and orange crayon with additional inserted pages ("Supplement"), additional music and revisions in the lower margins, marked by and for the printer in orange crayon (for pp.173-[2]50 of the edition), including "Akt 3" at the head of the title page, DIVERGING IN PLACES FROM THE PRINTED SCORE

97 pages, folio (33 x 26.7cm), including title and additional pages inserted for pp.42-45, later cloth-backed wrappers, no place or date [by 1860], lacking the final page, title re-margined and repaired, last page reinforced, trimmed by the binder, browning to margins of page 1

"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."

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ARRANGEMENTS IN MUSIC HISTORY. 

Wagner began the composition of Tristan und Isolde, one of the most seminal works of the nineteenth century, or indeed of any century, in August 1857, completing the entire score some two years later. The celebrated vocal score of the work, was prepared and completed by Hans von Bülow (1830-1894), Wagner's great acolyte and one of the finest pianists of his age, by Easter 1860. The staging of the work, however, was delayed for many years, due to the work's supposed intractability, finally receiving its première under the baton of Bülow in Munich, where he was Kapellmeister, on 10 June 1865.

Bulow's arrangement stands as a pinnacle among the many services he rendered Wagner, providing a brilliant rendering of the latter's complex orchestral score for the piano (too brilliant perhaps for the average pianist, who would have to wait until 1885 for a simplified score, prepared by Richard Kleinmichel). That today it is regarded as a monument of selfless devotion by one great musician for another is due to the retrospective glow cast on it by the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the later première, which threw the hapless Bülow into a real-life love triangle that mirrored the on-stage passions of Tristan, Isolde and the deceived King Marke. For from 1864 Wagner conducted an affair with Bülow's wife, Cosima, an affair that resulted in the birth of three children, Isolde, Eva and Siegfried, before Cosima eventually asked Bülow for a divorce and left him in 1869 for Wagner. Although Bülow was devastated and resigned his Munich position, he remained in the following years, however, famously loyal to Wagner as a musician. The two never again spoke with one another, however, and Bülow never visited Bayreuth.

The first edition of the vocal score (plate number 9942, priced at 10 Thalers) was published towards the end of 1860, the first edition of the score having appeared at the beginning of the year. Although Bülow indicates on the title-page that the manuscript contains only pages 61 to the end, it in fact contains the whole of the third act, except for the final page.