131

Writing to Gustav Mahler about the Vienna premiere of his "La bohème"

Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Autograph Letter Signed, "R. Leoncavallo," to Gustav Mahler ("Dear Maestro"),

in purple ink, in French, reporting that he will be departing the following day for Hamburg to attend to that city's premiere of La bohème, after which he will meet Mahler in Vienna for the rehearsals of La bohème, congratulating him on becoming Director of the Vienna Court Opera, remarking that he recommended that Mahler receive the Knight's Cross of the Crown of Italy, and reporting that he will be staying at the house of [Bernhard] Pollini in Hamburg. 4 pages, 8vo, written on a folded sheet; short closed separation at horizontal fold with minor loss to text, faint scattered soiling, ink date received stamp at upper edge of first page, docketing at upper edge of terminal page.

Brissago, 11 September 1897.

  • Notes: "I am leaving for Hamburg tomorrow, September 12th, to attend the final rehearsals and the premiere of La Bohème, which will indeed be on the 25th of this month.
    "I hope to see you there; but in any case, I want you to know that on my return from Hamburg I will stop to attend all the rehearsals of my work, which, according to what Van Dyck has written to me and what has been agreed upon, will be performed in your city on November 19th. I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your new position at the Opera, a position you deserve for your great talent. I also wish to inform you that I have already written to our Minister of Public Instruction to obtain for you the Knight's Cross of the Crown of Italy, and I am sure that this nomination will reach you at the premiere of La Bohème in mid-November. . . ."

    Writing from Vienna three days after Leoncavallo signed his letter, Mahler wrote to the composer of  La bohème to explain that it would be necessary to postpone the performance of his opera, which had been announced to open on November 19, "because Mr. van Dyck has resolutely declared that he cannot accept the part assigned to him." This precipitated a crisis, causing Leoncavallo to send his publisher to harass Mahler, which was precisely the wrong strategy to use if one wanted to persuade the legendarily inflexible Maestro. The performance did not take place until weeks of argument had already spilled onto the gossip pages of the Vienna press.

    On February 23, 1898, the Vienna premiere of Leoncavallo's La bohème was performed at the Vienna Court Opera, in German, conducted by Gustav Mahler. The world premiere was performed in the original Italian in Venice on May 6 of the previous year.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

April 9, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000