D'INDY (Vincent). - Lot 79

D'INDY (Vincent). Born in Paris. 1851-1931. French composer. Autograph letter signed "Vincent d'Indy". Les Faugs par Vernoux (Ardèche), October 21, 1890. 4 pages in-4. SUPERB LETTER ON THE SUBJECT OF THE EXECUTION OF A QUARTET AND THE DIFFICULTY OF COMPOSING.d'Indy sends him a "business letter", and urges him to obtain ...lÉlévation pour quatuor à cordes harpe et harmonium, partition et parties (pas les chœurs ni les soli, nous terminerons avant l'entrée du chant, le manque total de voix nous oblige)....for a concert performance on November 9, and regrets that the artists are inaccessible ...the 1st and 2nd violin in Valence, the Viola in Grenoble, the Cello in the Alps, and that it is necessary for them to become acquainted with their parts before the rehearsals, there is not (sic) too much time to lose (...). We're doing a Concert Soc. Nat. 1st quartet by Fauré, my Quartet, your Elevation, the Suite Basque by Bordes and a few pieces or waltzes by Chabrier, I can't see anything to give by Chausson given the lack of vocal resources and as I'm the only pianist, I can't play Viviane with 4 hands!... When are you coming back to Paris? - 1st We absolutely must make serious arrangements with Pleyel so that we don't have the same problems as last year, if need be - 2nd To see Lemoine to alternate with the Trompette - 3rd To see if Heymann is radically cured enough not to crack during the season, in which case to resume the Rémy quartet...? These are 3 commissions that are as important as they are urgent, and I don't think I'll be entrusting them to Fauré, Benoit !!!... Chausson won't be back until next year. So it will be the first of us to return to Paris who will have to do them. I'll be back around November 15, not before, so if you're in the capital before me, take care of the 3 aforementioned commissions... Bravo for the baritone scene like petite Clémence, but you're talking about making noise, which is hardly the case with a singer. As for me, I'm dabbling in dramatic preparations, soiling a lot of paper without arriving at anything definitive, but it's always a good first coat of dye that's past, and there are idiot journalists who announce that I've just finished a great drama etc.! They think they're rubbing their noses in it... I haven't finished describing the quartet to the net yet, I'm resting after the first 3 pieces, it's horribly difficult and time-consuming to write a string quartet. I'm doing my father Franck thing, saving the finale for the fall, but I'm happy with the rest so far...