Klarinet Archive - Posting 000207.txt from 1997/12

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Sale of Brahms clarinet sonatas manuscript
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 12:59:43 -0500

Several weeks ago I reported that the two Brahms sonatas were to
be sold at auction by Sotheby in London. They were sold today
for 441,500 pounds or $750,550. The purchase price was below
expectations. Southeby expected 600,000 pounds.

The manuscripts were bought by a dealer, not a clarinetist. I
suspect that he will try to resell them at a much higher fee.

For your information, I bid on the autographs, but only once. I
authorized a bid of $10,000 knowing full well that I would not even
get into the fight. My agent told me that the bidding began higher
than this so, technically, I did not even make a bid.

Years ago I bid $3,000 for a Mozart letter. I really didn't have
the money but that sort of things doesn't come along every day.
The letter went for $14,000 at the time (1958). Today the letter
is worth $85,000. Manuscripts are good investments but you have
to know what to buy.

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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