1 10 2 https://digex.lib.uoguelph.ca/files/original/7d81b71ed0147dcf48ec53f34e3d7302.pdf 561c7cf4bfd8dc9b7df1e2e4ec53cf33 https://digex.lib.uoguelph.ca/files/original/a7709035016af5eb35c2eafe6cae570f.pdf 4873b495322ecee159d438dd87722f4a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Boulanger and the Stravinskys, Chapter 5 Description An account of the resource English translation and transcription of French originals from Chapter 5 of Kimberly Francis, Nadia Boulanger and the Stravinskys (University of Rochester Press, 2018) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chapter 5, 28 September 1953 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Igor Stravinsky Subject The topic of the resource Nadia Boulanger Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Bibliothèque nationale de France Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 28 September 1953 Type The nature or genre of the resource Letter UG Extracted Text Stravinsky to Boulanger 1260 North Wetherly Drive Hollywood 46, California Mademoiselle Nadia Boulanger 36 rue Ballu Paris, 9th (France) September 28, 1953 Dear Nadia, We are happy to finally have news from you. Thank you for giving me your comments on The Rake and the Opéra Comique. I didn’t know that Beydts had died. Who will take over from him? I had always thought the French version would be the most difficult to stage and, most certainly, the present translation did not help to overcome these difficulties, but did quite the reverse. Let’s hope that one day, as you imagine, we will succeed in doing better. Soulima, back from Urbana, told me that Swarsenski (from Boosey & Hawkes, rue d’Anjou) had organized a group to present The Rake in the provinces. Is this what you are speaking of in mentioning Tours? Great success in Edinburgh—I have received quite a bit of feedback from there. As for your “request,” as nice as it seems to me, I can only—unfortunately!—respond to you in the negative, because I am absolutely overrun with work and a surplus of commitments. After having lost about two months this summer to an operation and getting myself back on my feet, I have just agreed to write a ballet for Kirstein-Balanchine (New York City Center). I am in the middle of another project, I have a two-month American tour followed by a two-and-a-half- month European tour (Rome at Easter, Turin, Switzerland, Germany, England, Lisbon). After that, I will just have to try to catch up on the work that will have piled up. So, my dear Nadia, please forgive me and understand. With an affectionate kiss, I Str. � Stravinsky à Boulanger 1260 North Wetherly Drive Hollywood 46, California Mademoiselle Nadia Boulanger 36 rue Ballu Paris, 9eme (France) Le 28 septembre 1953 Chere Nadia, Nous sommes heureux d’avoir enfin de vos nouvelles. Merci de me donner vos commentaires sur le Rake et l’Opera Comique. Je ne savais pas que Beydts etait mort. Qui va lui succeder ? J’avais toujours pense que la version francaise serait la plus difficiles a etablir et, assurement, la traduction presente n’a pas aide a surmonter les difficultes, au contraire. Esperons qu’un jour, comme vous l’envisagez, on reuissira a faire mieux. Soulima, de retour a Urbana, m’a dit qui Swarsenski (de Boosey & Hawkes, rue d’Anjou) avait organisee une troupe pour presenter le Rake en province. Est-ce de cela que vous parlez en mentionnant Tours ? Gros success a Edinburgh d’où j’ai eu plusieurs echos. Quant a votre « priere », toute sympathique qu’elle me soit, je ne peux vous repondre—helas !— que negativement car je suis absolument deborde de travail et surcharge d’engagements. Apres avoir perdu environ 2 mois cet été a me faire operer et a me remettre en circuit, je viens d’accepter de faire un ballet pour Kirstein-Balanchine (New York City Center), j’ai une autre affaire en course, j’ai 2 mois de tournee americaine suivis de 2 mois ½ environ de tournee europeenne (Rome a Paques, Turin, Suisse, Allemagne, Angleterre, Lisbonne). Apres ca, je n’aurai qu’a essayer de rattraper tout le retard accumule. Alors, chere Nadia, ne m’en voulez pas, et comprenez-moi. Je vous embrasse affectueusement, I. Str. � 1953 Agon Author: Igor Stravinsky Igor Location: California Lincoln Kirstein Louis Beydts Nadia Location: 36 rue Ballu Recipient: Nadia Boulanger The Rake's Progress https://digex.lib.uoguelph.ca/files/original/61b2497c0399e2db6c941c0d0a14c97e.pdf b0ad09ea078ee23ce87475600f604599 https://digex.lib.uoguelph.ca/files/original/254897948f3193854851ffb23a5ecbdc.pdf b64fe5606e5ba98705a0159d9aac5de6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Boulanger and the Stravinskys, Chapter 5 Description An account of the resource English translation and transcription of French originals from Chapter 5 of Kimberly Francis, Nadia Boulanger and the Stravinskys (University of Rochester Press, 2018) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chapter 5, 21 September 1953 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Nadia Boulanger Subject The topic of the resource Igor Stravinsky Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Paul Sacher Stiftung Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 21 September 1953 Type The nature or genre of the resource Letter UG Extracted Text Boulanger to Stravinsky 36 rue Ballu 9th September 21, 1953 Very Dear Friend, It’s been impossible to write to you during this overwhelming summer. Certainly, what I am doing is not important, but it is all I can do, and so I put all my energy into it. The Opéra Comique performs the Rake often enough (in a manner of speaking, unfortunately), and the number of people who attend each performance is comforting. The faults of the performances remain the same. I had written on this subject to Beydts, who listened, [but] he just died. But the time will come soon, I believe, when the necessity of staging this work in [the correct] conditions will be imposed. Because, judging by the mail I myself receive regarding it, I understand the extent to which people want this to happen. Sooner or later, it must be retranslated, and the continuity imposed once again. No matter what the design errors of the different performances are, it has been proven that the work has won people over. I will endeavor to send you, one day, excerpts from these letters. It would be worth the trouble. Students performed The Rake at Tours this summer. It was during a general strike. I could not leave the School, but the GD students I sent to listen to it found the whole thing good—excellent orchestra, and an acceptable staging. As for Edinburgh, I understand the production was remarkable. All things considered, the Opéra Comique was not so awful. Little by little, they will all understand. One must give them a lot of time! But the critics are such an impoverished type—pretentious, because they are too aware of their own weakness; or, out of fear of being wrong, they stay quiet; or out of bravado, they rip [the work] apart with relish. Which is to say the only thing left for them is ridicule. The majority among them have never understood anything about anything, and neither the Rake nor the Cantata is an exception. Sometimes I so want to fight with them, but more often, I ignore them. But, I have a request—a request that I imagine must be refused—but nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, here it is. For multiple reasons, I want the École de Fontainebleau to have a real purpose, or else we should let it go. So I choose to fight—and for a well-defined cause. Would you offer the help that will make it even more so? For the piano competition, to which I would like to attract good musicians, I wish (one can hope for the impossible) that you— yes, I said you—would write a concert study around 5–6 minutes long, that you would dedicate to whoever wins first place and who would have the privilege of the premiere. “And . . . ?” I understand that on this point, you must think me completely crazy. I’m not sure I believe it myself, but the crisis hasn’t reached its peak— I have to tell you everything, with as much slight of hand and juggling as it takes . . . but I won’t lie . . . and forgive my audacity—but, I have, despite an enormous effort, [scraped together] only 100,000 fr. It’s ridiculous, shameful. But think, next year will be my fiftieth anniversary as a professor. If I succeed with such an ambitious project, I will feel myself as proud as Artaban. �Ah! Don Quixote, how I need you! Reply in any case, insult me if you must, but consider this for a little while, to find in your heart a little indulgence, and who knows, perhaps an unbelievably charitable impulse. I send fond wishes and say again how much I love you, Your Nadia. � Boulanger à Stravinsky 36 rue Ballu 9è 21 septembre 1953 Bien cher Ami, Impossible de vous écrire durant cet été accablant. Certes, ce que je fais n’est pas important, mais c’est tous ce que je peux faire—et je m’y donne de toutes mes forces. L’Opéra Comique donne assez souvent (c’est une manière de parler hélas) le Rake—et le nombre de gens qui vont à chaque représentation est consolant. Les défauts de ces représentations restent les mêmes—j’avais écrit à ce sujet à Beydts, qui écoutait—il vient de mourir. Mais le temps viendra vite, je crois, où la nécessité de donner cette œuvre dans les conditions [voulais], s’imposera. Car, si j’en juge par le courrier que je reçois, moi seule, à ce sujet, je comprends à quel point les esprits sont attachés à cette idée. Il faudra, tôt ou tard, refaire la traduction, et imposer la continuité. N’importe quelles sont les erreurs de conception des différentes exécutions, il s’avère que l’œuvre a gagné la partie. Tâcherai de vous envoyer, un jour, des extraits de lettres. Cela vaut la peine. Cet été des étudiants ont donné le Rake à Tours. C’était en pleine grève. Je n’ai pu quitter l’École, mais les GD étudiants que j’ai envoyé l’entendre, ont trouvé que l’ensemble était bon, l’orchestre excellent et la scène possible. Quant à Édimbourg, je crois comprendre que la représentation était remarquable. Tout compte fait, l’Opéra Comique n’a pas si mal réussi. Petit à petit, ils comprendront tous. Il leur faut tant de temps ! Mais les critiques sont de pauvres types, prétentieux, parce qu’ils connaissent au fond leur faiblesse, ou ils se taisent, pas peur [de] se tromper, ou par bravade, ils déchirent à pleines dents. Dire qu’il ne leur reste que le ridicule. La plupart d’entre eux n’a rien compris jamais rien à rien—et ils n’ont pas fait exception ni pour le Rake, ni pour la Cantate. Parfois, on a envie de les battre, le plus souvent, de les ignorer. Mais je viens avec une prière—une prière que je devine devoir être repoussée—mais qui ne risque rien n’a rien. Donc, voilà ce dont il s’agit. Pour des raisons multiples, je veux que l’Ecole de Fontainebleau ait une vraie utilité, ou que nous le laissions tomber. Donc, je lutte—et dans une direction bien définie. Voulez-vous m’apporter la seule aide qui la précise. Pour le concours de piano, auquel je voudrais amener de vrais bons musiciens, je voudrais, on a bien le droit de souhaiter l’impossible que vous, oui j’ai dit vous écriviez une étude de concert environ 5 à 6 minutes, que vous dédieriez à celui qui obtiendrait le 1er prix et aurait le privilège de la 1ère audition. « Et quoi encore ? » Je comprends qu’à ce point, vous devez me croire tout-à- fait folle. Je ne suis pas sûre de ne pas le croire moi-même, mais la crise n’est pas à son point culminant—car, puis qu’il faut tout vous dire, en faisant des tours de passe et des jongleries je puis…ne mentez pas…et pardonnez mon audace, vous avouer—enfin je n’ai, et au prix de quel �effort, que 100 000 fr. C’est une dérision, une honte—mais songez—c’est l’année prochaine ma 50è année de professorat. Si je réussissais une telle ambition, je me sentirais fière comme Artaban. Ah ! Don Quixote, que me veux-tu ! Répondez-moi tout de même, insultez-moi si vous voulez, mais réfléchissez un peu, pour trouver de l’indulgence dans votre cœur—et qui sait, un invraisemblable mouvement de charité. Je vous embrasse et vous redis combien je vous aime. Votre Nadia � 1953 Author: Nadia Boulanger Cantata Cantate Fontainebleau Louis Beydts Nadia Location: 36 rue Ballu Recipient: Igor Stravinsky The Rake's Progress