Lyapunov, Sergei. (1859 - 1924)
Autograph Letter to a pianist closely associated with his works
Autograph letter signed "S. Liapounow." 3 pp. 8vo. 19 September (2 Oct.) 1907. From St. Petersburg, in French. Addressed "Madame," an interesting letter from the Russian composer and pianist who succeeded Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov as assistant director of music at the Imperial Chapel and was later head of the Free Music School. He is largely remembered for his Douze études d'exécution transcendente, which completed the cycle of the 24 major and minor keys that Franz Liszt had started with his own Transcendental Études but had left unfinished. In the present letter, evidently to a female pianist, the composer apologizes for his inability write in English and notes that he "rejoices greatly at the success you have in performing the 'Carillon' [from the Transcendental Etudes]" and that he is deeply grateful for "her constant attention which has so greatly contributed to the propagation of my works." He promises to write something new especially for her when he has some free time and in the meanwhile directs her to some works "apart from the 12 etudes which you know," listing six of them and their publishers announcing the forthcoming publication of Rhapsody for piano and orchestra on Ukrainian themes. He continutes to note that if she would "play sometimes my Concerto for piano (op. 4), it would give me great pleasure," as the work was published a long time ago and not well known in Europe or America." (11474)Book