LONDON.- On 11 December, Christie’s Classic Week Valuable Books and Manuscripts live auction at King Street will contain an important collection of music manuscripts from the pioneers of classical music, including Beethoven, Wagner, Stravinsky, Verdi, Puccini, Ravel, Strauss, Mendelssohn and Debussy. Leading the selection of musical lots is Ludwig van Beethoven’s autograph sketch leaf for the string quartet in C, op. 59 no. 3. This is densely written, with many cancellations and emendations, for one of Beethoven’s celebrated ‘middle period’ quartets (estimate £100,000–150,000).

The prominent collection was established by Helmut Nanz in the 1980s and 1990s, fuelled by his deep musical knowledge and passion for manuscripts. Additional sale highlights include a signed autograph manuscript by Richard Wagner (1813-1883), one of the most revolutionary figures in the history of music, featuring the first poetic draft of the libretto for Tannhäuser. This is the most significant Wagner manuscript available in twenty years (estimate: £80,000-120,000). Another notable Richard Wagner lot is a significant fragment of the original compositional draft for the conclusion of the concert overture Polonia, with an estimate of £25,000-35,000. Also noteworthy is a signed autograph manuscript by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) for the reworking of his first masterpiece, The Firebird, for small orchestra (estimate: £70,000-100,000).

An autograph music manuscript of the aria "E la vita un mar d'affanni" by the world-renowned Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) will additionally be showcased. This album leaf is dated in Rome just two days after the premiere of I due Foscari, with an estimate of £25,000-35,000. Also included is a leaf from the working manuscript of Richard Strauss’s (1864-1949) final opera, Capriccio, with an estimate of £3,000-5,000.