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Star Music Manuscript Collection Faces Sale -- and Possible Departure From New York

The iron-gall ink Bach used to compose the cantata has eroded the paper.

The Lehman Collection at the Morgan Library, a deposit of nearly 200 original music manuscripts that contains some of the greatest classical works of the 20th Century, is up for sale.

Owner Robert Owen Lehman is seeking $135 million for his collection, which has been on deposit at the Morgan since 1972. Lehman plans to open a foundation for music education and performance.

Antiquarian manuscript dealer John Lubrano is handling the sale, pursuing both individuals and institutions as prospective buyers. The sale has two conditions: that the collection stays together, and that it be immediately gifted to a public institution for ongoing view and study.

A major trove of music manuscripts on the auction block can mean the collection winds up anywhere in the world, a prospect that has shaken up East Coast musicologists.

"I think it would be quite a loss to the cultural nimbus of the city," said Harvard music history professor Christoph Wolff. "It would really make a big difference in the world of music if it were to leave New York."

In 1983, the Morgan bid — and lost — the Stravinsky archive when the Sacher Foundation in Switzerland acquired the archive for $5.25 million.

The Lehman Collection contains some of the most iconic works in classical music. Here’s a short list of some of the greats:

  • Bach's Cantata 171 (Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm)
  • The short score of Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
  • Mahler's Symphonies No. 3 and No. 9
  • Ravel's Bolero
  • Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire
  • Stravinsky's Petrushka (1911 version)
Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata 171, a church cantata, had its premiere in 1729. It is part of the Lehman Collection currently held at the Morgan Library.
Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata 171, a church cantata, had its premiere in 1729. It is part of the Lehman Collection currently held at the Morgan Library. (Caroline Cooper )
The iron-gall ink Bach used to compose the cantata has eroded the paper.
The iron-gall ink Bach used to compose the cantata has eroded the paper. (Caroline Cooper )
Lehman Collection curator Frances Barulich shows off a page of cantata 171. The nearly 300-year-old manuscript is kept under glass.
Lehman Collection curator Frances Barulich shows off a page of cantata 171. The nearly 300-year-old manuscript is kept under glass. (Caroline Cooper )
Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune is one of the composer's best known works.
Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune is one of the composer's best known works. (Caroline Cooper)
Alfred Cortot, an earlier collector of Debussy's original Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune manuscript, marked the work with his initials.
Alfred Cortot, an earlier collector of Debussy's original Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune manuscript, marked the work with his initials. (Caroline Cooper)
Mahler's celebrated 3rd Symphony is also part of the Lehman Collection.
Mahler's celebrated 3rd Symphony is also part of the Lehman Collection. (Caroline Cooper)
Scholars prize the opportunity to examine a composer's edits and notations. This page of Mahler's 3rd reveals changes and notes in the composer's hand.
Scholars prize the opportunity to examine a composer's edits and notations. This page of Mahler's 3rd reveals changes and notes in the composer's hand. (Caroline Cooper)
Another close look at Mahler's 3rd.
Another close look at Mahler's 3rd. (Caroline Cooper )
Mahler signed off on his 3rd Symphony with the date and location.
Mahler signed off on his 3rd Symphony with the date and location. (Caroline Cooper )
Ravel's Bolero manuscript is, in places, surprisingly spare.
Ravel's Bolero manuscript is, in places, surprisingly spare. (Caroline Cooper )
A closer look at Bolero, one the most iconic works of 20th century classical music.
A closer look at Bolero, one the most iconic works of 20th century classical music. (Caroline Cooper )
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