"Printemps" - Signed and Inscribed to Jean Wiener

Paris: Editions de la Sirène. 1920-21. Printed score of the important French avant-garde composer's six piano works Printemps (op. 25 and op. 66), in two volumes, inscribed by the composer inside both volumes to his friend and colleague, composer, pianist and impresario Jean Wiener. On the first page of the first volume, Milhaud has inscribed to Wiener and dated Paris 1921; inside the second volume, his inscription reads: "À Jean Wiener / en souvenir d'Enclos 1912 / de Gédalge 1913-14 / du Gaya 1921 / son vieil ami / Milhaud." First volume 8 pp. [PN] E.D. 16 L.S.; Second volume 7 pp. [PN] E.D. 55 L.S. Original wrappers heavily toned with significant edge wear, the wrappers to the first volume completely detached. Internally intact, with crisp inscriptions. Overall in good to very good condition.

Milhaud's inscription recalls the time spent together with Wiener as students at the Paris Conservatoire, where they both studied with Charles-Marie Widor and André Gedalge. The first line apparently refers to the Milhaud family's country home L'Enclos outside Aix-en-Provence, though the penmanship is here ambiguous and may in fact read "Widor," as the second line clearly references their other teacher. After not seeing one another for some years, they met again in 1921 at the Parisian café La Gaya, where Wiener was earning his living as a pianist. According to historian Leona Rittner, it was Wiener who suggested that Milhaud move the weekly meetings of Les Six to the café. Before long, the locale was overflowing with famous patrons and the owner moved to a larger space, renaming the café Le Boeuf sur le Toit after Cocteau's ballet pantomime.

Jean Wiener (1896 -1982), trained at the Conservatoire in Paris, where he studied alongside Darius Milhaud, and worked with Erik Satie. He then embarked on a career as concert impresario, composer and pianist. He was the house pianist at the Gaya bar, and later at Le Boeuf sur le Toit. In 1924 a chance encounter with Clement Doucet (who succeeded him at Le Boeuf) brought him into the world of popular music. Already a jazz enthusiast, Wiener found fame with Doucet in the music halls of Europe as a piano duet, under the name "Wiener and Doucet" in which they performed classical music, hot dance and jazz. He was of some significance in the promotion of new music, both by his friends in the Les Six (Milhaud, Poulenc, etc.), and by composers such as Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. His compositions involve the use of jazz informed by French wit and elegance. (14476)

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Signed Document/Item

Printed Music

Classical Music

$900.00

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