By Mike Graff
Written on a single sheet and signed “Wolfgang Amadé Mozart,” the letter opens with exaggerated politeness before quickly shifting into a more personal register. Mozart thanks his cousin for her previous correspondence and apologizes for the brevity of his reply, noting that he will make amends in a future letter. He then turns to practical matters, referencing his communication with theater director Johann Heinrich Böhm and expressing his readiness to compose an aria: “I’m just waiting for a nod from him, and then the aria will be finished.
In April 1780, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote to his cousin Maria Anna Thekla Mozart—known as “Bäsle”—in a letter that blends formal courtesy with bursts of irreverent humor. The autograph letter, now offered in RR Auction’s Remarkable Rarities sale, is part of a celebrated series of nine known “Bäsle letters,” widely noted for their playful tone and linguistic inventiveness.
The reverse of the page reveals Mozart at his most playful. He mixes gossip, theatrical commentary, and family updates with increasingly elaborate expressions of affection. The letter closes with a famously exuberant flourish, in which Mozart tallies an absurd number of greetings and compliments—culminating in “12345678987656095 compliments”—a numerical joke that has become one of the defining features of the Bäsle correspondence.
The letter dates to a pivotal period in Mozart’s career, as he sought to establish himself beyond the confines of Salzburg and secure operatic opportunities elsewhere. His mention of Böhm reflects these efforts, which would soon lead to the commission for Idomeneo in Munich. At the same time, the informal tone of the Bäsle letters offers a rare contrast to Mozart’s more formal correspondence, revealing a side of his personality that is humorous, affectionate, and at times deliberately absurd.
Of the nine known Bäsle letters, five are held in institutional collections, including examples at the British Library and the Morgan Library. The present example—Letter No. 7—is the only one known to have appeared at public sale, making it a particularly significant opportunity for collectors.
Accompanying the letter is a wrapper inscribed in 1845 by Josephine Baroni von Cavalcabò, the companion and heir of Mozart’s son, further linking the document to the composer’s immediate legacy.
The autograph letter is being offered as part of RR Auction’s Remarkable Rarities sale, which closes March 26. Additional details are available at rrauction.com.
