Bidspirit auction | [MUSIC AUTOGRAPHS] - FERRUCCIO BUSONI

[MUSIC AUTOGRAPHS] - FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866–1924) - Substantial autograph letter signed to his friend Austin - FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866–1924) - Substantial autograph letter signed to his friend Austin, discussing wartime Berlin, his family, Bach and his current compositions. [New York, 1915]. Autograph letter signed (“Ferruccio”), in English, to his friend Austin. [New York, 1915]. Four closely written pages on a large folded sheet; with address supplied at head: “1400 Clinton Ave., Bronx, N.Y. City.” A remarkably substantial and personal wartime letter. Busoni reports receiving his correspondent’s letter of 29 March and explains that he had to open it as he was force to leave Berlin the previous Saturday. He writes anxiously of his family and of the situation in Germany, confessing that the excitement had left him “really sick” and incapable of work. Of particular musical interest, Busoni reports significant progress on his compositions: “I have actually finished the second part of Bach, & a piece for orchestra.” He also mentions working on a one-act libretto, which he describes enthusiastically as “turning out beautifully.” Busoni reflects vividly on the war and his longing for the conflict to end: “If the war was only over! It is like a nightmare from which one were awake.” He nevertheless reports hearing that conditions in Berlin were normal and discusses friends and acquaintances, including Lidia, while expressing the hope of seeing his correspondent again. The letter closes affectionately: “Keep well, dear Austin, we were so happy over the news that you would come here …” followed by the German: “Es grüsst dich sehr tausend mal” (“A thousand warm greetings to you”) and signed simply “Ferruccio.” Written amid the upheavals of 1915, the letter offers a particularly rich account of the intersection between Busoni’s private and creative lives. His anxiety about the war, his family and events in Berlin is accompanied by important evidence of sustained compositional activity, including his work on Bach, an orchestral piece and a new theatrical project. Condition: Original folds, light age-toning and handling; some show-through and minor wear, but the manuscript remains complete and clearly legible.