Casals, Pablo.

the letters and cards mostly written in French, including twenty-nine to the pianist George Stewart McManus in the United States (one in English in 1919: "...I will always remember our concert tour--your splendid cooperation..."), and subsequently (1935-1970) about the cello concerto by Sir Donald Tovey, commending McManus's advocacy of Tovey in general, expressing his frustration waiting for General Franco's regime to be "sent to the devil", and lamenting the fact that Britain and America are doing nothing to end "son abominable régime" in Spain, thanking him for his support for Spanish refugees, reporting the setting up of the Bach-Mozart festival at Prades, later urging him to come and attend the festival in person, thanking him for his best wishes and birthday greetings; together with 3 letters written in French, Spanish and Catalan to Claire Svecenski (about her father Louis Svecenski, and 2 others incomplete), to Claire's mother, and others to Nicolas Karjinsky and M. Kantorowits; around 50 items in all, including a letter, card & photograph from Marta Casals thanking McManus for his condolences (1974), a newspaper photograph signed ("Pau Casals"), a card by Susan Metcalfe-Casals, 3 typed letters signed, and inscribed visiting cards, most of the letters in autograph envelopes, some printed stationery, Barcelona, Philadelphia, S. Salvador, Prades and San Juan (Puerto Rico), 25 June 1917-9 August 1970, some tears & creases, 2 letters to Svecenski incomplete, a few repairs with translucent adhesive tape; together with a collection of 40 programmes, mainly for Casals's concerts in Barcelona (35 items, 1919-1931, with Casals as cellist, pianist and conductor of the Orquestra Pau Casals), including the Trio Cortot-Thibault-Casals in 1922, the remaining items being for concerts in Granollers, Perpignan, Prades and San Juan, together with 3 typescripts of the extensive notes for Casals's master-classes at Zermatt (1952-1961), and related matter

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."

Some of these letters and most of the programmes date from the height of Pablo Casals's career in Spain, before his exile to Prades in 1936 as a proscribed opponent of the Franco regime.  His main correspondent, Professor George McManus, was a pianist who played on tour with Casals in 1919 and subsequently taught at the Wesleyan University in Connecticut; he visited Casals again at Prades in 1950.  Claire Svecenski taught at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia (where her father Louis Svecenski was one of the founding faculty members).  Casals gave the première of Tovey's Cello Concerto in Edinburgh on 22 November 1934.