Mozart’s manuscript that sold at Sotheby’s for $413,000 in 2019.
Today we celebrate the 265th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a special entry in our provenance series. Centuries after his birth, Mozart continues to dazzle the public imagination through reinterpretations of his work, including The Magic Flute by Julie Taymor, Academy Award-winning film Amadeus, and the Amazon Prime series Mozart in the Jungle. As the works of a musical prodigy and globally-recognized composer, Mozart’s manuscripts are highly prized by collectors. One such piece, an original score with two minuets dating from 1772, sold for $413,000 (€372,500) at auction in 2019. Notably, Mozart was only 16-years-old when he created the works. The first versions of Mozart’s scores are significant because, unlike Beethoven, the young composer did not make major revisions to his drafts. This means that there are fewer copies in existence, making them both rare and valuable. Indeed, the final hammer price for this piece exceeded the projected value by nearly double.
The minuet score has an esteemed provenance; it was originally kept by Mozart’s sister Nannerl (who was an accomplished musician and composer herself), and ultimately entered the collection of Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. Upon Zweig’s death in 1986, his collection of manuscripts, including Mozart’s handwritten catalogue of works, was donated to the British Museum. The score was later acquired by Swiss bibliophile Jean-François Chaponniere, making it the only copy of an autograph composition by Mozart in private hands. Moreover, this is the only surviving copy of this particular composition in manuscript form. The other manuscripts in this minuet series are currently held by the US Library of Congress and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, Austria.
However, Mozart’s manuscripts were already setting records prior to the 2019 auction. In 1987, a private collector paid $4.4 million for a 508-page compendium of Mozart’s scores, which was the highest amount paid for a post-medieval manuscript at the time. To compare, the previous record for a musical manuscript was $544,500 for an incomplete copy of Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” in 1982. The 1987 record was later surpassed in 2016, when a handwritten score of Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony was auctioned for $5.6 million. Although the value of classical music compositions has risen sharply in the past few decades, this phenomenon is not free from controversy. A score attributed to Beethoven failed to sell at Sotheby’s when scholars questioned the authenticity of the work. This demonstrates the importance of establishing provenance for all types of collectible items, even those tied to musical geniuses. Fortunately, the minuet score posed no such problems, making it a true prize.
Sold for $4.4 million, the portrait of the teenage Mozart has an alluring provenance.
But private collectors’ interest in Mozart is not limited to musical manuscripts; a rare portrait of the composer as a teenager fetched €4,031,500 at auction soon after the minuet score was sold in 2019. The painting has an impeccable provenance, as it was referenced in a letter from Mozart’s father Leopold to his wife Maria Anna, dated January 1770. In 1769, Mozart had toured Italy with his father. At the age of 13, he was already a celebrity recognized for his remarkable musical talent. During Mozart’s stay in Verona, a passionate music lover commissioned a portrait of the prodigy. This is one of only five confirmed portraits of the composer painted during his short life.
What is unusual for this painting, aside from its glimpse of the composer as a young man, is the thorough documentation of the circumstances leading to its creation. Pietro Lugiati, Receiver-General for the Venetian Republic and member of a powerful Veronese family, commissioned the work while hosting Mozart and his father in Italy. The portrait depicts the teenager in a powdered wig and red frock before a Renaissance harpsichord in Lugiati’s music room. By all accounts, Lugiati was so in awe of the young Mozart he described the child as a “miracle of nature in music” in a letter to the composer’s mother and essentially detained the Mozarts for two days, until the portrait was completed.
Curiously, despite the references to the painting in contemporaneous documents, the artist remains unconfirmed. While it is likely that the painter was leading Veronese artist Giambettino Cignaroli (he referenced Mozart’s visit to his studio), an alternative attribution is Saverio della Rosa, Cignaroli’s nephew. The painting could also have been a collaboration between the two artists. Although firm attribution remains elusive, the painting was an immediate success – one of the world’s oldest newspapers, La Gazzetta di Mantova, praised the work a mere five days after it was finished – a fitting tribute to a great musician.
The Mozarteum (the house where Mozart was born) in Salzburg, Austria is currently closed due to COVID. And it is not possible for most people to purchase original manuscripts of the musical prodigy, but we can celebrate the musical genius’ birthday by listening to one of over 600 musical compositions he wrote. Happy birthday Wolfgang!
Photo: Leila Amineddoleh NOT performing on a destroyed Fazioli piano
Instruments, like fine art, must be carefully handled. Unfortunately, accidents do happen. A rare $194,000 Fazioli piano was destroyed when movers dropped it during its transit from a recording studio. The piano’s iron frame smashed when the 1300 pound instrument fell as movers attempted to lift it on to a trolley. The force of the break, compounded by the high tensions in the piano’s strings, was so strong that it split the piano’s lid in two.
The instrument belonged to Canadian virtuoso Angela Hewitt. Her F278 Fazioli piano was the only one in the world with four pedals. The pianist kept the instrument in her home in Italy. Fazioli Pianos originate in Sacile, near Venice, an area famed for woodworking. “There are six or seven top companies making good quality pianos. Different pianos appeal to different people according to tone and touch. The Fazioli is good for Bach,” said Simon Markson, managing director at Markson Pianos.
Hewitt said she will choose a new Fazioli in the next few months, writing, “I hope my piano will be happy in piano heaven.” Speaking of her destroyed piano, Hewitt said, “It was my best friend, best companion. I loved how it felt when I was recording — giving me the possibility to do anything I wanted.” Italian engineer and pianist Paolo Fazioli, the owner of Fazioli Pianos, deemed the instrument “unsalvageable.”
Similar to appraising unique fine art items, valuing an exquisite piano is challenging. Each piano is unique. And like with fine art, an instrument’s provenance (ownership history) affects its value. Here, the Fazioli piano’s value would have been boosted by the fact that it was owned and played by such a talented and well-known pianist. According to Terence Lewis, co-owner of London’s Jaques Samuel Pianos, “If that piano went to auction unbroken that [the piano’s ownership by Hewitt] would have given it a very large premium.”
It is important that all owners of valuable instruments properly insure their property. As Ms. Hewitt told CNN, she is handling insurance issues now. This serves as a reminder to all owners: it is important to regularly appraise valuable property and update insurance policies.
Amineddoleh & Associates LLC has the honor of working with many talented individuals and groups in the art and music industries. Amongst those clients are well-known musicians. On Saturday, Pegasus: the Orchestra (we worked with the orchestra to successfully receive 501(c)(3) status for the group and we continue to handle other legal matters for the orchestra) will be hosting an incredible performance this Saturday at 8 pm at Merkin Hall in New York City.
The program will feature two premiere violinists, Eiko Kano and the legendary former New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow. As per our earlier blog posts about valuable musical instruments, both musicians will be performing on historic violins. Mr. Dicterow will be playing an Andreas Guarnerius violin (it was created around 1657, before the birth of J.S. Bach) and Ms. Kano will be playing a “Wilhelmj” Stradivarius violin (dating to 1725) loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation. The Bach Double violin concerto to be performed on Saturday evening is believed to have been composed around 1730 – not too far off from the creation of these instruments.
Saturday’s concert is a great opportunity to experience a wonderful evening of music featuring the sound of these valuable instruments. We hope to see you there!
Our previous post focused on the artistic and financial value of musical instruments. Like other movable pieces of art, due to their unique characteristics, musical instruments are very susceptible to loss or theft – although thieves may not always know the value of what they have stolen. Some items take years to track down, while others disappear altogether. In 2013, a Manhattan violin shop was sued for losing a 176-year-old fiddle valued at $400,000. The owner had consigned the instrument years before but the shop never found a buyer. When the owner returned to claim her property, she was eventually told that the violin had been lent to an individual for a trial and they never returned. The instrument essentially walked out the door, never to be seen again.
In the UK, a couple has spent 15 years stealing musical instruments from stores, including a rare guitar worth £11,000. The woman tucked inside her fur coat before waving goodbye and leaving. Despite being photographed on CCTV, they continue to “steal expensive musical instruments to order.”
However, theft is most often one of opportunity rather than premeditation. Robert K. Wittman, former FBI agent on the Art Crime Team, states: “What [the thieves] are interested in doing is trying to make a quick flip and make as much money as they can off it.” As a result, victims of instrument theft should file a police report immediately and quickly notify local dealers, repairers, and pawn shops – that way, once the thief tries to sell his loot, he will get caught. However, police departments may not be aware of the value of a musical piece, which means that proactivity and partnering with seasoned industry professionals is essential. Law enforcement officers generally understand that cars, jewelry and certain paintings are worth millions – but they may not realize that instruments can also command such high prices.
Lawyers specializing in art and cultural heritage are uniquely poised to understand the sentimental and monetary value of these items and ensure that they are protected as much as possible before and during their recovery. Moreover, as time is of the essence in these cases, specialized attorneys can point the police in the right direction and intercept likely buyers before an unauthorized sale takes place.
Connoisseurs, collectors, and lovers of musical instruments alike must be vigilant and know the risks posed to their belongings. Amineddoleh & Associates represents a considerable number of clients in musical matters– the firm’s attorneys are always pleased to work with clients to protect and recover musical property.
Last week, a valuable violin was accidentally left on a train by its owner, Stephen Morris. Morris, a violinist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, forgot the 310-year-old Tecchler violin on a train from London. It is worth about a quarter of a million pounds because it is one of only a few made by David Tecchler in 1709. (Tecchler was part of the renowned Roman School of Violin Making in the 17th Century and was considered to be the institution’s leading violin and cello maker.) Morris urges anyone who finds the violin to return it, describing the instrument as “a piece of history.” However, the loss of instruments is not rare- other musicians, like Yo-Yo Ma, have misplaced these valuable pieces. In April 2008, Phillippe Quint left a $4 million Stradavarius violin in a cab, but luckily the honest cab driver returned the valuable instrument to its owner.
Although not categorized as “fine art,” some musical instruments have tremendous artistic merit. In some cases, the well-crafted objects are not only functional, but beautiful and valuable. What makes these items even more remarkable is that some multi-million dollar instruments are still used for performances. The production of instruments has evolved over time, however, detailed craftsmanship is still a hallmark for some of the world’s great “instrument makers.” Well-made instruments continue being resold and circulated, meaning that some of them on the market today have incredible provenances. Like the fictionalized “Red Violin,” some valuable instruments have famed pasts.
One of the most famous violins in the world is the Cannone Guarnerius. Fabricated in 1743 by Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri of Cremona, it was owned by Niccolo Paganini. The famed virtuoso bequeathed the instrument to the city of Genoa, Italy upon his death. It is securely exhibited in the city’s town hall, and is considered part of Italy’s cultural heritage. The violin is taken out and played on a monthly basis by its curator and is played biannually by the winner of the Premio Paganini Competition. The valuable instrument is insured for $4 million, although other famed violins are estimated to be worth much more. The Messiah Stradivarius, housed in the Ashmolean Museum, is valued as the most expensive violin with an estimate of $20 million.
Although larger in scale but lower in value, the most expensive pianos have sold for less. One of the most expensive, the Crystal Piano, sold for $3.22 million. Entirely made from crystal, and designed by the Heintzman Company, it was used at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was sold to an anonymous buyer after its only performance. Other pianos that have received fame were Mark Bradford’s painted Steinway piano for the US Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. This law firm represents Steinway’s first visual artist in residence, Lynx Alexander, whose masterfully painted pianos have graced Steinway’s NY and Texas showrooms, in addition to stages around the world.
Photo Credit: NY Times
Over time, instruments have gained notoriety for their sound, their beauty, and their storied pasts. Many people are enticed by the opportunity to own objects played by a celebrity or royalty, and who wouldn’t want to play on “Sam’s” piano from the film Casablanca? As with art objects and luxury goods, the safety of instruments is a concern. It is important for owners to properly maintain the items, secure them from theft, properly appraise and care for them, plan for their passage (as in a will or a trust) and protect them (during travel, while loaned for a performance, while being moved, and while in storage). When contemplating a purchase, it is important for potential buyers to authenticate the instruments, appraise their condition, and ensure that they weren’t stolen in the past. It is hard to imagine the theft of a grand piano, although it has occurred (like in instances in which a piano mover delivers the wrong instrument and absconds with the more valuable one).
Just as owners of fine art sue for the return of stolen works, breaches of contract, and damage to their property, owners of instruments take actions to protect their valuable musical possessions.
