H istorical d ocument

310-859-7701
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age
 15
15. Begin, Menachem. Autograph manuscript signed (“M. Begin”), in Hebrew, 3 separate pages (5 x 7 in.; 127 x 177 mm.), Israel, 1951. 
Headed “Goodbye and Not to See You Again”. Heavily edited by Begin. In fine condition.
Outstanding handwritten and signed final draft of an early original speech of future Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 
then leader of the opposition Herut party, urging defeat of Ben-Gurion’s Mapai party in the election of the second 
Knesset, referring to “Ben-Gurion’s disturbed soul…Ben-Gurion claims: there is no solid government unless it is my party – Mapai…”
Begin writes in part: In [Ben-Gurion’s] eyes there is no stable government unless it is his government! It seems that Mr. Ben-Gurion thinks about two 
possibilities. One is … Ben-Gurion submits his letter of resignation to the President; the President accepts his resignation but at the same time reaches 
the conclusion that there is no other Prime Minister except for the one that has just resigned, and Mr. Ben-Gurion who resigned continues ‘to fulfil his 
role.’ Till  when?...
The second option which is imagined in Mr. Ben-Gurion’s disturbed soul is new elections … if in the second Knesset there is no ‘solid majority’ about 
which Mr. Ben-Gurion thinks, it is possible that he will propose to turn again to the voter, until … the voter is tired and says ‘let it be, we would rather 
have Mapai as a ruling party than have new and unexpected elections’ … Mapai destroyed the economy … If the nation wants to end the aggressive 
demoralization, it has to overcome Ben-Gurion’s accusations. The voter has to make sure that it will be possible to assemble a government without Mapai 
… Ben-Gurion claims: there is no solid government unless it is my party – Mapai – who rules but the truth is that stability will only be reached without 
Mapai. To Mapai: ‘No and Goodbye and Not to See You Again’
The election of the second Knesset was held on 30 July 1951. Mapai won 45 seats (37.3%) and formed a coalition government as they 
had done in the first Knesset. Ben-Gurion continued as Prime Minister. Begin served in the first 10 Knessets and as Prime Minister from 
1977-83, the first government formed by a party other than Ben-Gurion’s. $8,000 - $12,000

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Profiles in History
   
Historical Document Auction 63
16. Beethoven, Ludwig van. Important autograph letter signed (“Ludwig van Beethoven”), in German, 2 pages (7.4 x 8.75 in.; 188 x 
222 mm.), [Vienna], 4 May 1806, to Baron Peter von Braun, court banker and theater director. In extraordinary condition with bright 
text; address overleaf exhibits minor paper loss; red wax seal with Beethoven’s imprint still mostly intact.
During one of the famous revisions to his only opera, Fidelio, Beethoven writes court theater director Baron Peter von 
Braun a conciliatory request after arguing over royalties.
Please be so kind as to let me have just a few words in your handwriting, stating that you grant me the permission to have the following 
parts of my opera fetched from the Chancery of the Wiedner Theatre, namely, the first flute, the three trombones and the four horn parts…
Prince Lobkowitz is thinking of having a performance of the opera at his palace and has asked me for the score… 
Beethoven writes in full: 
Vienna, 4 May 1806
Most Highly Born and Worthy Baron!
Please be so kind as to let me have just a few words in your handwriting, stating that you grant me the permission to have the following parts of my opera 
fetched from the Chancery of the Wiedner Theatre, namely, the first flute, the three trombones and the four horn parts – I need them for just one day in 
order to have those trifling details copied for me which for lack of space could not be entered in the score; and also because Prince Lobkowitz is thinking 
of having a performance of the opera at his palace and has asked me for the score – it so happens that I am not very well, or I would have come myself 
to pay my respects to you – 
With the greatest esteem, Ludwig van Beethoven
The Leonore Letter
This letter, the only written communication with Baron Peter von Braun, manifests the culmination of the chaos surrounding the 
creation and production of Beethoven’s only opera. It began as Leonore which title was abandoned in favor of Fidelio when it was 
discovered that three composers had written Leonore operas based upon the same text by the French playwright Bouilly. Beethoven 
rejected the suggestion of many other libretti in favor of Leonore because of its resistance to tyranny and its idealistic portrayal of conjugal 
love (the actual subtitle of Fidelio). 
The first performance was 20 November 1805 during Napoleon’s brief occupation of Vienna. Since the public was afraid to go out the 
small audience consisted mostly of French officers. There were only three performances – a fiasco – musically, critically and publically. 
Beethoven’s childhood friend Stephan von Breuning, now a member of the Court’s War Council, arranged with Prince Lichnowsky 
for a meeting with Beethoven, the entire cast and a few friends to play through the opera with the goal of tightening the libretto and 
reducing the three acts to two. Beethoven resisted any changes shouting, “Not a note.” The Princess Lichnowsky managed to calm him 
to accept the changes. Stephan von Breuning helped Beethoven with the revisions. Peter von Braun, whom Beethoven distrusted, had in 
the meantime taken over the Theater-an-der-Wien. The second version was given 29 March 1806 and was a great success.
After the first performance, Beethoven accosted Peter von Braun claiming that he had been cheated. Von Braun had contracted to 
give Beethoven 10% of the box office receipts. This had never been done previously and von Braun made the tragic mistake of telling 
Beethoven that Mozart operas appealed to the multitude and that if he had had such an arrangement he would have been a wealthy man. 
Beethoven shouted, “I do not write for the multitude – I write for the cultured! Give me back my score! I want my score – my score, 
at once!” Thus ended the run of Fidelio after one performance. 
A couple of weeks later Beethoven realized that during rehearsal he had made some changes in the flute, horn and trombone parts which 
he had not entered into the score and had obviously forgotten what they were. He then wrote this uniquely supplicatory letter to von 
Braun. He needed the completed score since he had high hopes (unfulfilled) of getting performances elsewhere. 
Beethoven might not have been entirely wrong in his accusation of von Braun since a petition was sent to the Emperor accusing von 
Braun of skimming from the three Court Theaters. He retired in luxury shortly thereafter. 
From all of Beethoven’s correspondence, only ten letters in 1806 seem to reflect his turbulent involvement with Fidelio.
Finally a third version of Fidelio was produced in 1814 at the large Redoutensaal under different auspices to a great success and has 
remained in the world repertory ever since. 
Published in The Letters of Beethoven, Vol. 1, letter number 131, by Emily Anderson, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1961.
Provenance: From the collection of classical pianist and conductor Daniell Revenaugh. $150,000 - $250,000

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