Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Felix

ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF HIS AN DIE KÜNSTLER, OP.68, FOR MALE CHOIR AND BRASS, stating that if wishes to publish the work, then it would be best for it appear very soon, advising him to obtain a copy of the voice parts from a committee member so that they may be engraved straight away, stressing that he will not be making significant alterations and that he will send him the full score once he has had it copied and when he has looked through it, making the suggestion that it might perhaps be safest to have the voice parts copied out from the score; also in the letter, which includes a hasty marginal postscript, the composer also requests a fee of 40 Friedrichsd'or, and notes that his time is too limited for him to prepare a vocal score himself, but that if he wishes one to be made, then he should have it done there and sent to him for his approval

...Da Sie den Gesang an die Künstler herausgeben wollen so wäre es wohl am besten wenn er recht bald erschiene. Sind Sie auch der Meinung, so lassen Sie sich wohl von einem Comité-Mitgliede ein Exemplar der 4 Singstimmen geben und könnten den Stich danach bald beginnen. Bedeutende Aenderungen mache ich darin auf keinen Fall... 



1 page, 4to (28.2 x 21.7cm), integral autograph address panel, annotated by the recipient, Cologne, 16 June 1846, some very light spotting, seal tear, not affecting text

R. Elvers, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Briefe an deutsche Verleger (Berlin, 1968), p. 246

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."

A fine letter written in the year before Mendelssohns's death at the age of 38, and in his characteristic, somewhat hasty, late hand. The work whose publication is discussed here, An die Kunstler, Op.38, was written for the first Deutsch-Vlaemisches Sängerfest, and first performed on 14 June 1846 in Cologne.