On 29 November 2016, Sotheby’s in London will offer at auction the complete manuscript of Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony (the “Resurrection”). This dramatic manuscript, spanning 232 pages and written in the composer’s distinctive hand throughout, is the highest-estimated musical manuscript ever to be offered at auction, estimated in excess of £3.5m.

“No complete symphony by Mahler, written in the composer’s own hand, has ever been offered at auction, and probably none will be offered again. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a manuscript of truly outstanding historical importance.” Simon Maguire, Sotheby’s Senior Specialist, Books & Manuscripts

This hugely significant monument of musical history is made all the more noteworthy by its remarkable provenance. It is being offered by the estate of the American economist and businessman, Gilbert Kaplan (1941-2016), who, having become infatuated with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 upon seeing the piece performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1965, dedicated his life to realising his dream of conducting the piece with the world’s greatest orchestras.