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STRAVINSKY, Igor. An important archive containing 24 autograph letters signed, 3 typed letters signed, 6 postcards signed, 5 autograph notes signed, 1 autograph telegram signed, 1 autograph christmas card signed with autograph musical quotation, 1 concert program, 9 photographs (including 2 inscribed and signed), all addressed to Dagmar Godowsky. Various places (Paris, Hollywood, etc.), 5 March 1937-June 1967. Together approximately 60 pages, 4to and 8vo, principally in French, most letters with autograph envelopes. A revealing series of letters, to a close personal friend, rich in biographical detail about Stravinsky, his musical activities, concert schedules and appearances, aesthetics, music and his private life during this period.
A sampling: 11 June 1937: discusses the possibility of writing music for a Charlie Chaplin film (he had met the actor in Hollywood); 30 September [1937?]: details of various concert engagements: "I was just on a trip to Italy where I conducted my Jeu de cartes in Venice, with big success...for the coming two months I will be travelling from time to time for concerts (London, Amsterdam, Naples, Bucarest etc)"; 29 December 1937: confesses anguish caused by his wife's terminal illness and discussing his composing: "I was very afraid...her relapse took a serious and alarming form...After my travels, I went back to my composing: a concerto for chamber orchestra [the Dumbarton Oaks Concerto], whose first performance is commissioned by Mrs. Bliss in Washington. Nadia Boulanger, who is leaving for America in a month, is going to conduct this composition at home, along with L'histoire du soldat, and [Samuel] Dushkin [violinist] is going to participate in this private soirée (playing in the Soldat and also some small pieces by me) ... I wrote [Dushkin] that I was in negotiations with Capley for next season, but that I entrusted Capley solely with the symphonic engagements, not being able to participate anymore in those joint-concerts because it was doing more harm than good to Dushkin as a soloist (it's me the public comes to see) ... because [they] were not profitable....[I'll come to America] if Capley arranges a good symphonic season for me, with a good engagement at NBC, who for the moment (along with Hollywood) are being mournfully silent towards me"; 29 March 1938: negotiating a concert season in America: "Judson told you that he strongly considered inviting me for the next season and Capley writes to me that he was not successful in his negotiations with the Philharmonic, despite the more than modest fee ($3500 for 7 concerts!)...the other arrangement with NBC seems to be much more interesting, if only it could be worked out with Sarnof -- this would be the most desirable. But Sarnof is only interested in Toscanini (and not in music), -has promised and has done nothing for me"; 12 July 1938: sending a lecture by Adolphe Bordiard on Stravinsky, "after my Chroniques, various books on me and information that I gave him viva voce," and suggesting Godowsky use it for her American lecturer; 6 August 1938: regarding problems getting his works performed and suggesting a "benevolent neutrality...to the companies concerned, so that they change their attitude towards the music and no longer fear playing it, as this was very recently the case in Berlin where Petrouchka was meant to be produced and in Düsseldorf-- L'oiseau de feu...my two most famous and most popular scores in the entire world, including in Germany"; 9 August 1938: regarding his daughter's illness and their unhappy situation: "My wife and I are living in an atrocious uncertainty and a constant struggle with this anguish suffocating us. What a year, what a life!"; 20 July 1939: on his recording contracts with Colombia Records New York and concert engagements in Chicago and Boston: "the details that you give me (7½ to 10 for the piano recordings and 5 for the orchestral recordings) are certainly conditions that are well under the ones that I had up to now with recording companies. I have never had a contract at less than 10 (piano or orchestra)...along with a large advance (royalties)...I have too much to do in Paris in September, before leaving this Old Europe for seven long months. I will be in Venice the first week of September to conduct a concert...[In Chicago] I am asked to conduct three concerts...with only one single preparatory rehearsal per program. Only one, do you hear me?!!! The Philharmonic of Boston will propose...that I conduct a program of my works (a double concert in Boston...repeated at Harvard University...). Mr. Koussevitzki [permanent conductor of the Boston SO] will take steps with the Philharmonic Committe for my engagement for a similar group of concerts in November, however he is not at all sure he will succeed, as the Committee is too stingy to pay an extra fee ... I am ready to give them an exceptional price of $2000"; 24 July 1939: regarding performances: "...Kall...tells me that the ballet master Th. Kozloff has consented to defer the performances of Jeu de Cartes and Petroushka until December...These performances should have taken place now in September at the Hollywood Bowl...Kozloff was counting on me...he was offering me $2000 to conduct these two performances....It would be really good if this deal is a success, provided that the Montecarlo Ballet does not come to Los Angeles at the same time and upset the plans of Kozloff!" -- [With:] A series of 9 photographs, two signed by the composer. Together approximately 50 items (excepting envelopes). (49)
A sampling: 11 June 1937: discusses the possibility of writing music for a Charlie Chaplin film (he had met the actor in Hollywood); 30 September [1937?]: details of various concert engagements: "I was just on a trip to Italy where I conducted my Jeu de cartes in Venice, with big success...for the coming two months I will be travelling from time to time for concerts (London, Amsterdam, Naples, Bucarest etc)"; 29 December 1937: confesses anguish caused by his wife's terminal illness and discussing his composing: "I was very afraid...her relapse took a serious and alarming form...After my travels, I went back to my composing: a concerto for chamber orchestra [the Dumbarton Oaks Concerto], whose first performance is commissioned by Mrs. Bliss in Washington. Nadia Boulanger, who is leaving for America in a month, is going to conduct this composition at home, along with L'histoire du soldat, and [Samuel] Dushkin [violinist] is going to participate in this private soirée (playing in the Soldat and also some small pieces by me) ... I wrote [Dushkin] that I was in negotiations with Capley for next season, but that I entrusted Capley solely with the symphonic engagements, not being able to participate anymore in those joint-concerts because it was doing more harm than good to Dushkin as a soloist (it's me the public comes to see) ... because [they] were not profitable....[I'll come to America] if Capley arranges a good symphonic season for me, with a good engagement at NBC, who for the moment (along with Hollywood) are being mournfully silent towards me"; 29 March 1938: negotiating a concert season in America: "Judson told you that he strongly considered inviting me for the next season and Capley writes to me that he was not successful in his negotiations with the Philharmonic, despite the more than modest fee ($3500 for 7 concerts!)...the other arrangement with NBC seems to be much more interesting, if only it could be worked out with Sarnof -- this would be the most desirable. But Sarnof is only interested in Toscanini (and not in music), -has promised and has done nothing for me"; 12 July 1938: sending a lecture by Adolphe Bordiard on Stravinsky, "after my Chroniques, various books on me and information that I gave him viva voce," and suggesting Godowsky use it for her American lecturer; 6 August 1938: regarding problems getting his works performed and suggesting a "benevolent neutrality...to the companies concerned, so that they change their attitude towards the music and no longer fear playing it, as this was very recently the case in Berlin where Petrouchka was meant to be produced and in Düsseldorf-- L'oiseau de feu...my two most famous and most popular scores in the entire world, including in Germany"; 9 August 1938: regarding his daughter's illness and their unhappy situation: "My wife and I are living in an atrocious uncertainty and a constant struggle with this anguish suffocating us. What a year, what a life!"; 20 July 1939: on his recording contracts with Colombia Records New York and concert engagements in Chicago and Boston: "the details that you give me (7½ to 10 for the piano recordings and 5 for the orchestral recordings) are certainly conditions that are well under the ones that I had up to now with recording companies. I have never had a contract at less than 10 (piano or orchestra)...along with a large advance (royalties)...I have too much to do in Paris in September, before leaving this Old Europe for seven long months. I will be in Venice the first week of September to conduct a concert...[In Chicago] I am asked to conduct three concerts...with only one single preparatory rehearsal per program. Only one, do you hear me?!!! The Philharmonic of Boston will propose...that I conduct a program of my works (a double concert in Boston...repeated at Harvard University...). Mr. Koussevitzki [permanent conductor of the Boston SO] will take steps with the Philharmonic Committe for my engagement for a similar group of concerts in November, however he is not at all sure he will succeed, as the Committee is too stingy to pay an extra fee ... I am ready to give them an exceptional price of $2000"; 24 July 1939: regarding performances: "...Kall...tells me that the ballet master Th. Kozloff has consented to defer the performances of Jeu de Cartes and Petroushka until December...These performances should have taken place now in September at the Hollywood Bowl...Kozloff was counting on me...he was offering me $2000 to conduct these two performances....It would be really good if this deal is a success, provided that the Montecarlo Ballet does not come to Los Angeles at the same time and upset the plans of Kozloff!" -- [With:] A series of 9 photographs, two signed by the composer. Together approximately 50 items (excepting envelopes). (49)