Typed letter signed, in French, to film director Denise Tual in Paris. 1 page, dated 9 July 1953, on the composer’s Hollywood address letterhead. Mailing folds, nicks to the left-hand edge, overall fine. 1.4cm of bottom edge folded over to verso. 8.5 x 10.5 inches; 26.6cm x 21.5cm. Translated in full, as follows:
‘Dear Denise, How kind of you to have thought to write to me, and to write to me especially on this occasion, which, naturally, particularly interests me.
Unfortunately, the press I have received, on the whole and with rare exceptions, is distinctly hostile, incompetent, and provincial. To tell the truth, I would have hoped for a better welcome from Paris. One gets the impression that for all these people nothing has happened since the 'SACRE', that is, for 40 years....
I am delighted to know that you are thinking of coming to the United States, especially since I will be in the east in January (Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Chicago). Keep me informed of your schedule so we can see each other.
Have a good summer and try to take some vacation.
Yours affectionately,
I Stravinsky"
Denise Tual (1906-2000) was a film editor, director, and sound technician. She was the daughter of the publisher Henri Piassa and was one of the directors of the documentary Ce Siècle a Cinquante Ans, a cultural review of the first half of the 20th century narrated by Jean Cocteau and others. She was involved in the 1952 production of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.
The ballet and orchestral concert work Sacre du Printemps [Rite of Spring] was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the original choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky with stage designs and costumes by Nicholas Roerich. When first performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913, the avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a sensation. Many have called the first-night reaction a "riot" or "near-riot," though this wording did not come about until reviews of later performances in 1924, over a decade later. Although designed as a work for the stage, with specific passages accompanying characters and action, the music achieved equal if not greater recognition as a concert piece and is widely considered to be one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.
Typed letter signed, in French, to film director Denise Tual in Paris. 1 page, dated 9 July 1953, on the composer’s Hollywood address letterhead. Mailing folds, nicks to the left-hand edge, overall fine. 1.4cm of bottom edge folded over to verso. 8.5 x 10.5 inches; 26.6cm x 21.5cm. Translated in full, as follows:
‘Dear Denise, How kind of you to have thought to write to me, and to write to me especially on this occasion, which, naturally, particularly interests me.
Unfortunately, the press I have received, on the whole and with rare exceptions, is distinctly hostile, incompetent, and provincial. To tell the truth, I would have hoped for a better welcome from Paris. One gets the impression that for all these people nothing has happened since the 'SACRE', that is, for 40 years....
I am delighted to know that you are thinking of coming to the United States, especially since I will be in the east in January (Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Chicago). Keep me informed of your schedule so we can see each other.
Have a good summer and try to take some vacation.
Yours affectionately,
I Stravinsky"
Denise Tual (1906-2000) was a film editor, director, and sound technician. She was the daughter of the publisher Henri Piassa and was one of the directors of the documentary Ce Siècle a Cinquante Ans, a cultural review of the first half of the 20th century narrated by Jean Cocteau and others. She was involved in the 1952 production of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.
The ballet and orchestral concert work Sacre du Printemps [Rite of Spring] was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the original choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky with stage designs and costumes by Nicholas Roerich. When first performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913, the avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a sensation. Many have called the first-night reaction a "riot" or "near-riot," though this wording did not come about until reviews of later performances in 1924, over a decade later. Although designed as a work for the stage, with specific passages accompanying characters and action, the music achieved equal if not greater recognition as a concert piece and is widely considered to be one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.