L. VON SONNLEITHNER, AUTOGRAPH LETTER, ABOUT MOZART'S "FIGARO" AND "DER SCHAUSPIELDIREKTOR", 5 NOVEMBER 1858

prefacing his remarks by admitting that earlier requests on the same subject by Otto Jahn have pretty much exhausted all that he has been able to find out either through the oral tradition or through his own examination of the sources, observing that each work can be judged best in relation to contemporary creations, discussing Salieri's opera Prima la musica, poi le parole [performed together with Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor at the première on 7 February 1786], its libretto, and the location of the autograph in the Hofbibliothek, listing other operatic works performed for the first time in 1786, including those by Martin, Paisiello, Monsigny and Dittersdorf, also mentioning Mozart's Figaro and recording the number of performances in the years between 1786 and 1807, and in the years 1809-1813 (at the Theater an der Wien), claiming that he is in a position to provide details of the original casts for the performances of Figaro in the years mentioned, recording three performances of Der Schauspieldirektor at the Theater auf der Wieden in 1797, and concluding by noting that his remarks here are not suitable for publication and are just intended to fulfil his request ...Jedes Werk wird so wie der lebende Mensch am Besten durch Zusammenstellung mit anderen gleichzeitigen Schöpfungen beurtheilt. Versuchen Sie es, diesen Maßstab auch an den "Schauspieldirektor" anzulegen... 3 pages, 4to (28.8 x 22.8cm), autograph address panel, [Vienna,] 5 November 1858, browned, edges chipped, with some slight loss of text

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."

Leopold von Sonnleithner (1797-1873), who had been a friend of Beethoven and Schubert, was a notable notable nineteenth-century Viennese personality. Joseph Sonnleithner (1766-1835), the librettist of Beethoven's Fidelio, and a founder of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, was his uncle. The poet and librarian Rudolf Hirsch (1816-1872), to whom the present letter was addressed, published in the following year (1859) his volume entitled Mozart's Schauspieldirektor, Musikalische Reminiscenzen.