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Price: $250.00

NEAR MINT CONDITION

MORIZ ROSENTHAL - PIANIST

Autographed one page letter in French to a concert promoter, February 19, 1904.

We offer with a portrait postcard of the period.

 

Vienna, Piaristengasse 36

February 19, 1904

Sir,

As you have already learned from my telegram. I accept the following dates:

 

Naples April 2

 

Rome April 4

 

Monte Carlo April 10

 

The same fee having offered me in Naples as in Rome, I therefore wish for 1500 Francs for this concert. And it would not be possible to play once or twice in Nice.

With my distinguished feelings.

Mor Rosenthal

Rosenthal (1862-1946) a pupil of Mikuli and Joseffy and was with Liszt from 1878 until his death in 1886.  He made his professional debut in 1876 and by 1904 had a  well established concert career in Europe, Britain and the United States.  Based out of Vienna at this time, he was a real music luminary in the most important music town in Europe. In 1903 he had been on the jury panel of the Diemer Competition with the likes of Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Paderewski, Planté, Pugno and Philipp.  In 1904 he was also contracted for 4 concerts in Berlin at the Beethovensaal which was attended by Busoni, Godowsky, and Schwarenka among others.  It seems amazing that he had to specially ask for 1500 Francs, the equivalent of $288.00 in 1904, or $8,300.00 if one takes the rate of inflation to 2020 dollars.  Today, the fees are far in excess for a musician of that caliber in a solo recital concert.

None-the-less, a very telling letter from one of the true piano legends!