LS in German, signed “F. Liszt,” one page, 5.25 x 8.25, August 7, 1845. Untranslated letter to the Austrian tenor and later producer at the Vienna Court Opera, Ludwig Cramolini about the unveiling of the Beethoven Memorial at Bonn and the Beethoven festival there. In fine condition, with intersecting folds and slight haloing to ink. Just five days after this letter, on August 12, 1845, a large bronze statue of Beethoven was unveiled in Bonn, his birthplace, to honor the 75th anniversary of his birth. Just eight years after the composer's death, August Wilhelm Schlegel helped to organize the Bonn Association for the Beethoven Monument, calling for a permanent monument to be erected in the town square. Although it was enthusiastically embraced at an ideological level, fundraising attempts faltered and the project nearly went extinct before Liszt intervened in 1839, personally donating 10,000 francs to the fund. With Liszt's advocacy, the project began to materialize and—after a long five years—a three-day Beethoven Festival was organized in Bonn, the highlight being the official unveiling of the monument. Liszt had also financed the construction of the venue for the event, which was attended by the likes of Queen Victoria, Hector Berlioz, and Jenny Lind. With Liszt working to cement the Beethoven's legacy in the town square, this is a truly remarkable letter associating two of classical music's greatest figures. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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