Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The moment the Mahler manuscript sold.

A piece of music handwritten by Gustav Mahler has broken the record for the highest price for a musical manuscript sold at auction.

The composer's Second Symphony, which spans 232 pages, fetched £4.5m at Sotheby's on Tuesday morning.

But a controversial score which the auction house said was handwritten by Beethoven failed to sell.

The authenticity of the manuscript for the composer's 1817 piece, Allegretto in B minor, had been questioned.

Sotheby's had stood by the manuscript's authenticity and expected it to fetch up to £200,000.

But ahead of the auction, Prof Barry Cooper, a musicologist and Beethoven scholar, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there were inconsistencies within the piece.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Who wrote this Beethoven score?

"[With] some of the notes it's slightly ambiguous, [with] other notes it's clear the copiers simply miscopied a note in a way that Beethoven certainly wouldn't - there's no doubt about that," he said.

"The curves in this copy are much more curved and elegant than any curves in Beethoven's manuscript."

But Dr Simon Maguire, head of musical manuscripts at Sotheby's, said: "We're responsible for making sure we get things right, and I have had two world class Beethoven experts come in [to authenticate it].

"At the end of the day, if we got something wrong, we would have to pay out. So I made sure I had two experts who I've shown manuscripts to for the last 25 years, and whose expertise and ability I have learned to trust."

Image copyright EPA Image caption Simon Maguire of Sotheby's said the Beethoven manuscript was authentic

The hammer price for the original manuscript of Mahler's Second Symphony was £3.9m. The added Sotheby's premium brought the total to £4,546,250.

There were four telephone bidders for the manuscript, which is thought to have been written between 1888 and 1894. The winning bidder chose to remain anonymous.

The only comparable handwritten music manuscripts of major symphonic works to have been sold at auction include the manuscript of nine Mozart symphonies - which fetched £2.5m in 1987.

The manuscript of Robert Schumann's Second Symphony sold for £1.5m in 1994.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. </s> Sotheby’s has criticised an academic who questioned the authenticity of a Beethoven manuscript for sale, claiming that the ensuing row over its legitimacy meant it failed to sell at auction. 



The auction house became embroiled in a dispute over the validity of the single-page manuscript with Manchester University academic Professor Barry Cooper, who was adamant that the document was the work of a copyist, and not an original manuscript penned by the German composer.

The handwritten score was expected to fetch up to £200,000 at auction in London on 29 November, but failed to sell.

The manuscript, described as “Autograph manuscript of the ‘Allegretto’ in B minor for string quartet WoO 210, composed for an English visitor to Vienna in 1817” has the words “composed and written by Beethoven himself November 29 1817 at Vienna” inscribed on it by Rev John Abbiss, with whose descendants the manuscript remained until the present sale.

Prof Cooper, a musicologist and Beethoven scholar, clashed with Sotheby’s director of books and manuscripts Dr Simon Maguire on Radio 4’s Today programme [the discussion starts at 1hr 42min on iPlayer] over whether it was genuine.



Cooper disputed “several aspects which prove absolutely that it couldn’t possibly be Beethoven’s hand”, not least the manner in which the naturals – the musical markings that cancel out sharps or flats – were written, and several copying mistakes that he maintained would not have been made by Beethoven. 



Maguire said two world-class specialists had examined the document to assess and verify it, and claimed Beethoven experts “think it is more a matter of Professor Cooper misreading the manuscript”.

The auction house said the work’s validity was dismissed by Cooper without it being “inspected first-hand” and stood by its description “as an authentic and important piece of musical history”. 



In the increasingly heated exchange on the Today programme, Maguire said the professor had “refused” to visit the auction house to look at the manuscript in person. Cooper said there was no need to make the journey to London because he was able to see “perfectly clearly from a copy” that it was not penned by the composer, and branded the situation “absurd”.

A Sotheby’s spokesman said: “We believe it was irresponsible for a third party to raise doubts about Beethoven’s Allegretto in B Minor manuscript when they had not inspected it first-hand or taken into account its provenance and the inscription by an English vicar confirming that it was composed and written by Beethoven.

“This unfortunately had a direct impact on the auction sale, but Sotheby’s stands by its description of the manuscript as an authentic and important piece of musical history and Sotheby’s view is shared by the majority of world-renowned Beethoven scholars who have inspected the manuscript personally.”

Professor Cooper said to the Guardian: “I cannot see how it can be regarded as ‘irresponsible’ to point out, as a Beethoven expert who has been studying his manuscripts for over 40 years, that certain features in this manuscript do not match Beethoven’s handwriting anywhere else, and that the only plausible conclusion is that ... it is simply a careful copy of his autograph score.

“Although a personal inspection would enable me to study the paper type and the nature of the ink, handwriting features are perfectly evident in a good photocopy such as I have. Sotheby’s have not named a single Beethoven scholar who considers the writing to be Beethoven’s ... whereas I could name six Beethoven scholars who are convinced this is not his handwriting, and have not yet encountered a single one who disagrees. Dr Michael Ladenburger, head of the Beethoven House in Bonn, has disputed its authenticity, and Sotheby’s are well aware that another outstanding Beethoven scholar – Jonathan Del Mar – inspected the manuscript in person last week and confirmed that doing so made no difference at all. He was appalled that they were trying to sell it as genuine when it quite clearly was not.

“I am happy to agree with Sotheby’s that this manuscript is ‘an authentic and important piece of musical history’; but it was not written by Beethoven.”

In the same music and continental books and manuscripts sale, a record was broken for the sale of a music manuscript when Mahler’s complete Second Symphony (the “Resurrection”) sold for £4,546,250. </s> An untitled Harry Potter prequel handwritten on a postcard by JK Rowling has been stolen in a burglary in Birmingham.

The "extremely valuable" 800-word work was penned on both sides of the A5 card for a charity auction nine years ago and sold for £25,000 at Sotheby's.

The manuscript and a quantity of jewellery were stolen from a property in Howard Road, Kings Heath, during a break-in between April 13 and 24.

West Midlands Police have issued a plea for information in the hope that "the appeal goes far and wide among Harry Potter fans throughout the world."

Investigating officer PC Paul Jauncey said: "The only people who will buy this unique piece are true Harry Potter fans.

"We are appealing to anyone who sees, or is offered this item for sale, to contact police." </s> Poland's culture ministry on Thursday bought a private art collection worth an estimated two billion euros that includes Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine".

The 15th-century portrait of a young woman holding a white ermine, a kind of short-tailed weasel, is one of just four known paintings of women by the Renaissance master. Another is the Mona Lisa.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as Polish citizens, we are now all owners of the Czartoryski collection," Culture Minister Piotr Glinski said to applause at the signing ceremony at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

Sitting alongside him among marble columns and chandeliers and under a fresco was Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski, president of the foundation that sold the collection.

"I am basically just following my ancestors who always worked for the Polish nation," the 76-year-old prince, who lives abroad, told the audience.

Glinski said the country paid 100 million euros (dollars) plus tax for the tens of thousands of items, "a small fraction of the market price."

In addition to the Da Vinci, which is insured for about 350 million euros ($365 million), the collection's other big names include a Rembrandt, drawings by Renoir and Chopin's letters.

When asked by reporters why he was willing to accept such a low sum, Czartoryski said: "Listen, in life you do the things the way you feel like it. I felt like making a donation and that's my choice."

His ancestor Princess Izabela Czartoryska founded the collection in 1801 to preserve Polish and European works while her country was partitioned by neighbors Austria, Prussia and Russia.

The culture ministry in turn has said it wants to ensure the collection never leaves the country, which was a possibility as long as it was owned by the Princes Czartoryski Foundation.

The transaction was not without controversy, as the foundation's Polish board of directors quit last week in protest, saying the negotiations were conducted without their knowledge.

"Lady with an Ermine" is among only 15 Da Vinci paintings in the world, according to art expert Janusz Walek.

"If we compare that to other painters, like Titian or Rembrandt, then that really isn't a lot," said Walek, author of a book on Da Vinci's portraits of women.

The Italian master painted the revolutionary portrait, measuring 54 by 39 centimeters (21 by 15 inches), between 1488 and 1490.

The small oil painting on wood depicts Cecilia Gallerani, the multilingual teenage mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and one of Da Vinci's patrons.

The Italian nobleman, who commissioned the portrait, makes his own cameo in the painting, as art historians believe the ferret-like animal in Gallerani's arms is an allusion to him.

"The ermine, a symbol of purity, was in the duke's emblem," said Grazyna Bastek, curator of Italian painting at the National Museum in Warsaw.

Gallerani is believed to have held onto the painting till her death in 1536 but what happened to it over the next 300 years remains a mystery.

The Czartoryski family bought it in Italy around 1800 and took it to Poland, where the invading Germans looted it in 1939. But it was restituted after the war.

"For many, many years the painting was not very well-known. It was only when it began to tour the world in the 1990s that its value rose," Walek said, citing exhibitions in places like Italy, Sweden and the United States.

"This is really the first modern portrait in European painting," he added, explaining that it is not a mock-up but an incredibly lifelike representation that even manages to convey Gallerani's inner thoughts.

Glinski said the state treasury will transfer the Da Vinci painting and the rest of the collection to the National Museum in Krakow for all the world to see. </s> The David Gilmour Guitar Collection sells for $21.5 million

Bidders from all over the world compete to buy guitars from the personal collection of the Pink Floyd singer and songwriter, including ‘The Black Strat’, which realises $3,975,000

The David Gilmour Guitar Collection, the largest and most comprehensive sale of guitars ever offered at auction, told the story of one of the world’s most influential guitarists. The 126 lots, which included iconic instruments played by Gilmour on Pink Floyd’s greatest tracks as well as his solo albums, totalled $21,490,750 — the most valuable musical instruments sale in auction history — with proceeds being donated to ClientEarth. In the months leading up to the auction, over 12,000 fans attended the tour stops in London, Los Angeles and New York to get up-close to the guitars played by the Pink Floyd guitarist, singer and songwriter. In excess of 500,000 people viewed the content around the sale on Christies.com, and more than 2,000 bidders from 66 countries registered for the sale, which took place at Christie’s Rockefeller Center HQ.

Fans view David Gilmour’s guitars at Christie’s Rockefeller Center HQ in New York

On the day of the auction, the unprecedented level of interest was evident in the queues that snaked around the block and the fact a second saleroom had to be opened up to accommodate the crowds. The lucky ones who made it inside witnessed some extraordinary results. The best, however, was saved until last when ‘The Black Strat’, which was integral to the recording of Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979), sold for $3,975,000 — a new world record for a guitar at auction.

The clamour to own a piece of rock history was evident from the very first lot — a 1966 solid-body Fender Stratocaster bought by Gilmour in 1970. Carrying an estimate of $10,000-15,000, it sold for $423,000. Immortalised for its part in legendary Pink Floyd tracks Wish You Were Here and Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Gilmour’s Martin D-35 was the next instrument to the block. The acoustic had an estimate of $10,000-20,000 but sold for $1,095,000 — a new world auction record for a C.F. Martin guitar. The opening riff on Wish You Were Here was actually composed on another Martin acoustic, a D12-28 12-string guitar that Gilmour bought from a friend in 1974. The instrument was estimated at $5,000-10,000 but realised $531,000.

Lot 20, the star’s 1954 White Fender Stratocaster #0001 (estimate: $100,000-150,000), was used on several recordings, including Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 2 and 3). It sold for $1,815,000, which was, for a couple of hours at least, a new world record for a Fender Stratocaster. Further highlights included a 1955 Gibson Les Paul, famous for Gilmour’s guitar solo on Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2). Estimated at $30,000-50,000, it sold for $447,000, a new auction record for a Gibson Les Paul, surpassing the previous record set for Les Paul’s own 1954 Les Paul Custom. A little later, an incredibly rare Gretsch White Penguin 6134 purchased by Gilmour in 1980 for his private collection, also realised $447,000 — a new auction record for a Gretsch.

On the eve of the sale David Gilmour announced on social media that proceeds would be donated to the charity ClientEarth. ‘The global climate crisis is the greatest challenge that humanity will ever face,’ he wrote, ‘and we are within a few years of the effects being irreversible. ‘As Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, said in a speech earlier this year, “Either we choose to go on as a civilisation, or we don't”. The choice really is that simple and I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change. We need a civilised world that goes on for all our grandchildren and beyond in which these guitars can be played and songs can be sung.’

Sign up today Christie's Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe </s> A red 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $48.4-million on Saturday in California, the most ever paid for a classic car at auction.

The vehicle was offered by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, and was estimated to fetch between $45-million and $60-million, the highest valuation ever for a vintage auto at auction. It smashed the previous record of $38.1-million paid for a 1963 model of the same car in 2014.

The seller was Greg Whitten, chairman of Numerix Software Ltd. and an early Microsoft Corp. employee, who purchased it in 2000. Sotheby’s declined to say how much he bought it for, but said the market price for such Ferraris at the time was about $10-million.

Ferrari built just 36 examples of the model from 1953 to 1964, and these elegant race cars have generated the highest prices among all vintage automobiles in recent years. A 1963 version sold for $70-million in a private transaction earlier this year, according to Sotheby’s.

The record price includes the buyer’s premium based on the hammer price of $44-million, calculated at 12 per cent on the first $250,000 and 10 per cent on the remainder.

Sign up for the weekly Drive newsletter, delivered to your inbox for free. Follow us on Instagram, @globedrive. </s> (Bloomberg) -- A red 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $48.4 million on Saturday in California, the most ever paid for a classic car at auction.

The vehicle was offered by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, and was estimated to fetch between $45 million and $60 million, the highest valuation ever for a vintage auto at auction. It smashed the previous record of $38.1 million paid for a 1963 model of the same car in 2014.

The seller was Greg Whitten, chairman of Numerix Software Ltd. and an early Microsoft Corp. employee, who purchased it in 2000. Sotheby’s declined to say how much he bought it for, but said the market price for such Ferraris at the time was about $10 million.

Ferrari built just 36 examples of the model from 1953 to 1964, and these elegant race cars have generated the highest prices among all vintage automobiles in recent years. A 1963 version sold for $70 million in a private transaction earlier this year, according to Sotheby’s.

The record price includes the buyer’s premium based on the hammer price of $44 million, calculated at 12 percent on the first $250,000 and 10 percent on the remainder.

To contact the reporter on this story: Frederik Balfour in Hong Kong at fbalfour@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Ville Heiskanen, Stanley James </s> A rare Harry Potter prequel handwritten by author J.K. Rowling on a postcard was stolen during a burglary in central England, police said Friday as they appealed for help from fans of the wizard across the world.

The 800-word story, set three years before Harry Potter is born and which sold for 25,000 pounds ($32,152) at a charity auction in 2008, was stolen from a property in Birmingham between April 13-24.

“Please don’t buy this if you’re offered it,” Rowling wrote on Twitter. “Originally auctioned for @englishpen, the owner supported writers’ freedoms by bidding for it.”

The proceeds of the auction were donated to English PEN, an organization that champions freedom of expression, and to Dyslexia Action.

“The only people who will buy this unique piece are true Harry Potter fans. We are appealing to anyone who sees, or is offered this item for sale, to contact police,” said Constable Paul Jauncey from West Midlands Police.

Handwritten over two sides of an A5 postcard, the untitled prequel features the characters Sirius Black and Harry’s father, James. It opens with a youthful Sirius and James cornered by two irate policemen at the end of a high-speed motorcycle chase.

After an exchange of words with the policemen, the two teenagers make their escape using a touch of magic. The card concludes with the words “From the prequel I am not working on — but that was fun!”

More than 450 million copies of the seven original Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide in 79 languages. The movie franchise has grossed more than $7 billion worldwide. </s> RM/Sotheby's auctions at Monterey Week lived up to its billing, with renown car collector Greg Whitten’s fabled 1962 Ferrari 260 GTO, chassis 3413, the star of Saturday night auction, fetching $44 million in just 12 minutes of vivacious bidding in a room absolutely buzzing with excitement. The winning bid was placed on behalf of an agent, with the winner bidder not yet known at press time. The extremely rare Ferrari was widely considered to be the most valuable vehicle to ever come to auction as detailed here.

“I’m very happy,” says seller Greg Whitten, clinking champagne surrounded by his wife and close friends.

The market for Ferrari 250 GTOs continues to grow, selling for eye-popping figures. Just this past June, German race car driver Christian Glaesel sold his 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 4153, for somewhere between $70 million and $80 million in a private sale to WeatherTech floor mats founder David MacNeil. In 2014, chassis 3851 sold for $38.1 million at auction, at that time the most expensive car ever auctioned. Another rumored private sale by American collector Paul Pappalardo in 2013 estimates his 250 GTO sold for around $52 million.

Ferrari historian and expert Marcel Massini recently told CNBC he expects a similar car to the $70-million plus chassis 4153 will sell for over $100 million in the next two to three years. Current 250 GTO owners include Ralph Lauren; Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason; Peter Sachs, grandson of Goldman Sachs founder Samuel Sachs; and Jon Shirley, of Microsoft. Three currently own two 250 GTOs, including hedge fund founders Tony and Lulu Wang, (unrelated to U.K.-based owner Brandon Wang), Rob Walton of Wal-Mart, and British businessman Sir Anthony Bamford, who for a brief time once owned the chassis which just sold. Should any of them decide to sell, and with Whitten’s car setting a new high mark, that $100 million dollar mark inches ever closer.

The success of the RM/Sotheby's auction bucks a vintage car market that has cooled since 2013, when aggressive investors crowded the field, seeking post-recession deals. According to José Luis Celada, a Buenos Aries vintage car collector interviewed by the New York Times here, the opportunists are less active, leaving the market once again to specialists, which also means few buyers. But vintage Ferraris continue to rank amongst the most preferred, especially those in pristine, and preferably running, condition.
A manuscript by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler sells for about £4.5 million at Sotheby’s.