New York exposes Freddie Mercury manuscripts to the public before auction – International

2023-06-02 02:17:00

Manuscripts by singer Freddie Mercury never before seen by the public, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, are on display in New York, the first stage of a tour before they are auctioned in London in September, Sotheby’s announced on Thursday -Friday (1st).

After New York, until June 8th, the manuscripts will stop in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, then go on display in London in August, before being sold in a series of auctions, scheduled to take place from August 4th to 11th. of September.

Written in pencil and pen on the letterhead of the defunct airline British Midlands Airways, the outline of “Bohemian Rhapsody” reveals, in 15 pages, the different drafts by Freddie Mercury for this Queen success, which he initially thought of calling “Mongolian Rhapsody”. Sotheby’s estimates its value between US$ 1 million (R$ 5 million) and US$ 1.5 million (R$ 7.5 million).

Among the other drafts of the singer, who died of AIDS in 1991, are those of “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Somebody to Love” and “We Are the Champions”.

The items up for auction offer “a fascinating look into how Mercury’s songs were developed and composed, while also reminding us of their musical complexity and sophistication,” said Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby’s manuscript expert.

Among the other pieces is a red notebook from the early 1970s whose pages contain coffee-stained sketches of the band’s logo. There is also a 24-page yellow notebook with lyrics from the group’s seventh album, called “Jazz”, which includes the theme “Don’t Stop Me Now”, as well as some costumes, including the satin jumpsuit that Mercury wore in the video. of Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975.

The complete catalog of around 1,500 objects will be unveiled by early August, and Sotheby’s estimates it will fetch a value of US$7.2 million (R$36.3 million).

SOTHEBY’S