POULENC (Francis). - Lot 183

POULENC (Francis). Born in Paris. 1899-1963. French composer and pianist. L.A.S. "FR" addressed to "Cher Stéphane" [Stéphane Audel, Belgian actor (1901 - 1984)]. Italy, February 20, 1962. One page in-4, headed "Brufani Palace Hotel, Perugia", stamped envelope. ...If I haven't written to you, it's because I've had neuritis in my right arm since the end of January. Miraculously I was able to go on tour with Duval [singer Denise Duval], but I'm still under contract to write Entendu on the 6th and 13th... He specifies that he will be back on ...27. Telephone. I'm ready for Proko [Serge Prokofiev] and Igor [Stravinsky]... He adds: ...Duval is a great success here...The charm, poise and acting qualities of the young soprano DENISE DUVAL (b. 1921), who had made her debut as Madame Butterfly at the Opéra-Comique, immediately fascinated Francis Poulenc. From this encounter sprang a friendship and complicity that would last until the composer's death in January 1963. In 1960, Poulenc composed for her the song cycle La Courte Paille, based on poems by Maurice Carême. She created the female roles of Thérèse in Les Mamelles de Tirésias in 1947, Blanche de la Force in Dialogues des carmélites in 1957, La Femme in La Voix humaine in 1958 and La Dame de Monte-Carlo in 1961.