Oct 10, 2019 - Sale 2519

Sale 2519 - Lot 157

Price Realized: $ 3,500
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,000 - $ 3,000
BUILDING THE BAYREUTH FESTSPIELHAUS WAGNER, RICHARD. Autograph Letter Signed, "R. Wagner," to "Dearest Friend," in German, requesting that corrections be sent [to Berlin], expressing puzzlement that issues 3 and 4 of his weekly newsletter have not come out, requesting a detailed report of his certificate of patronage sales, requesting that the money be sent immediately, and explaining that he is meeting with the architect of the theater [Bayreuth Festspielhaus]. 1 page, 12mo, with integral blank; some loss to upper corners of blank, even toning overall, horizontal fold. Lucerne, 24 January circa 1871
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"I sent you a telegram regarding the corrections. You know the address of the superior court clerk K. von Gersdorff . . . . So send corrections and notifications there until further notice. . . .
"Send to me in Berlin a detailed report of the certificates of patronage purchased from you; collection and delivering . . . is imperative immediately.
"My trip is for a meeting with the architect of the theater . . ."
Construction of the proposed Bayreuth Festspielhaus was estimated to cost 300,000 thalers, and to raise the money, Wagner authorized the issuing of 1,000 "certificates of patronage" at 300 thalers each. One certificate granted its owner a reserved seat at each of the three performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen planned for the opening of the Bayreuth Festival. Because of the steep price, "Wagner Societies" were formed, whose members would pool their money to purchase a ticket and draw lots to determine who would attend.