Chapter 5, 17 June 1953

Title

Chapter 5, 17 June 1953

Subject

Nadia Boulanger

Creator

Igor Stravinsky

Date

17 June 1953

Source

Bibliothèque nationale de France

Type

Letter

Extracted Text

Stravinsky to Boulanger
1260 North Wetherly Drive
Hollywood 46, California
Mademoiselle Nadia Boulanger
36 rue Ballu
Paris 9th, France
June 17, 1953
My very dear Nadia,
Received your kind note upon my return from Cuba/Venezuela/Boston.
I spent three very tiring weeks in the last city, performing The Rake with students from Boston
University.
It was an immense success, even in the malicious Boston press. The two performances each had
different artists, which made them all the more difficult and trying. The first group was very
good, the second much less so.
I was quite ill afterward with a bad case of colitis and was forced to withdraw from a concert,
though not a particularly interesting one, in Chicago, and return here where I resumed my
customary activities.
You and others mentioned to me the performance of the Cantata in Paris, but without telling me
where or by whom . . . I suppose on the radio? . . . and who were the singers? . . . what was the
reaction?. . .
You also haven’t mentioned how you yourself are doing?
Try to respond to me quickly.
Fond wishes,
I Str.
Stravinsky à Boulanger
1260 North Wetherly Drive
Hollywood 46, California
Mademoiselle Nadia Boulanger
36 rue Ballu
Paris 9eme
, France
17 juin 1953
Tres chere Nadia,
Recu votre gentil mot a mon retour de Cuba/Venezuela/Boston.
Dans cette derniere ville, j’ai passe trois semaines tres fatigantes pour donner le Rake avec les
etudiants de Boston University.
Ca a eu un immense succes, meme dans la presse malveillante de Boston. Les deux
representations avaient chacune des artistes differents, ce qui rendait tout d’autant plus difficile
et eprouvant. Le premier groupe était tres bon, le deuxieme beaucoup moins.
J’ai été malade apres cela d’une tres forte crise de colite qui m’a oblige a renoncer a un concert,
du reste sans interet, a Chicago, et a rentrer ici ou je reprends mon activite coutumiere.
Vous et d’autres me metionnent l’execution de la Cantate a Paris, mais sans me dire ou ni par
qui…. Je suppose a la radio?... et quels etaient les chanteurs?... quelles reactions?...
Vous ne dites pas non plus comment vous allez vous-meme ?
Tachez de me repondre vite.
Je vous embrasse
I. Str.

Files

Citation

Igor Stravinsky , “Chapter 5, 17 June 1953,” Digital Exhibits, accessed April 26, 2024, https://digex.lib.uoguelph.ca/items/show/2697.

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