Original engraved printed visiting card of the great composer, giving his name and address "Johannes Brahms / IV. Karlsgasse 4." in printed script, inscribed with nine lines in the composers's hand. Dated 8 May, 1889, to an unidentified recipient, the note begins on verso, translated from the German: "Thank you very much for thinking of me so kindly at the Wartburg! I recently forgot to mention that I am going to Ischl for the summer - unfortunately your 'mountain trips' will not take you there!? - Hopefully the question mark applies." In lieu of signing, he has underlined his name in printed script on the front of the card. In very fine condition. 3.4 x 2.25 inches (8.6 x 2.7 cm.).

"From the year 1889 onward Brahms chose for his summer dwelling-place the charming town of Ischl, the central point of the beautiful region of the Salzkammergut, and a favourite watering-place of the Viennese. He rented rooms, as on one or two former visits, in a cottage prettily situated on the outskirts of the town near the rushing river Traun, away from the visitors’ quarter and convenient for his favorite walks about the picturesque mountains which surround the valley." (Mahler Foundation) The Wartburg, mentioned in the letter, is a castle overlooking Eisenach in Thuringia, Germany. Built in the Middle Ages, the grounds include a museum, a performance venue that regularly stages productions of Wagner's Tannhäuser among other things, and a hotel that was added during reconstruction in the 19th century. As at the time of the letter, the Wartburg remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province.