Unpublished Manuscripts of Freddie Mercury, Including “Bohemian Rhapsody” Sketch, Up for Auction at Sotheby’s London

Unpublished manuscripts of the legendary Freddie Mercury, with as centerpiece the sketch of Bohemian Rhapsody, have been unveiled to the New York public, announced the prestigious auction house Sotheby’s on Thursday. This event marks the start of an international tour before these musical treasures are offered for acquisition at an auction in London in September.

Listen to the article

The late Freddie Mercury’s world tour of rock treasures will cross Los Angeles and Hong Kong, after a remarkable stay in New York until June 8. In August, these historical manuscripts will take up residence in London, the British capital, before being auctioned between August 4 and September 11.

One of the jewels of this collection, a sketch of the mythical “Bohemian Rhapsody”, was written in ballpoint pen and pencil on the paper of a defunct airline, the “British Midlands Airways”. Across fifteen pages are sketches by the legendary Freddie Mercury for this iconic Queen piece, which he had originally considered naming Mongolian Rhapsody .

Sotheby’s, the prestigious auction house, values ​​this precious document between 800,000 and 1.2 million pounds sterling (or between 930,000 and 1.4 million euros). Other manuscripts of the charismatic leader of Queen, who died of AIDS in 1991, will also be available. In particular, there are drafts of Don’t Stop Me Now , Somebody to Love , et We Are the Championsestimated between 200,000 and 300,000 pounds (i.e. between 225,000 and 339,000 euros).

“These initial drafts, so easily misplaced or discarded, offer a fascinating dive into Freddie Mercury’s creative process, while highlighting the musical complexity and sophistication of his works,” said Gabriel Heaton, Manuscript Specialist at Sotheby’s.

The leaves of these manuscripts testify to the artist’s consistent investment, his “incredible focus” in creating Queen’s distinctive vocal harmonies. “The lyrics are extraordinary, as they illustrate how hard he worked. It was not just a scribble of words on paper, it clearly shows his focus, thoughtfulness and care for the writing, as well as the many tweaks and tweaks,” said an enthusiastic Cassandra Hatton, head of pop culture at Sotheby’s in New York.

Among the unseen wonders unveiled is a red notebook from the early 1970s, arguably one of Freddie Mercury’s first collections of lyrics. This 42-page notebook, marked by time and use, not only displays the lyrics in the making, but also sketches of the band’s logo and coffee stains, testifying to the artist’s marathon creative sessions.

Another treasured relic is a 24-page yellow spiral notebook containing lyrics for the band’s seventh album, Jazzreleased in 1978. Among these titles is the timelessDon’t Stop Me Now. In addition, costumes, such as the famous satin jumpsuit worn by Freddie Mercury in the music video forBohemian Rhapsodyin 1975, will also go on sale.

The complete catalog of this exceptional sale must be revealed at the end of July at the beginning of August. When the auction was announced in April, Sotheby’s predicted an offer of 1,500 items including stage costumes, as well as works of art by Matisse and Picasso that belonged to Freddie Mercury. She estimated that this sale could reach the impressive sum of six million pounds (more than 6.7 million euros).

A philanthropic gesture will accompany this sale, since the profits will be donated in part to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and Elton John Aids Foundation, two organizations committed to the fight against AIDS, thus perpetuating Freddie Mercury’s humanitarian legacy.

Sophia Novalis with AFP