STRAVINSKY IGOR: (1882-1971) ``"We stage The Song of the Nightingale, conducted by Ansermet, whom Diaghilev had ...

STRAVINSKY IGOR: (1882-1971) ``"We stage The Song of the Nightingale, conducted by Ansermet, whom Diaghilev had brought especially for this occasion."

STRAVINSKY IGOR: (1882-1971) Russian Composer and Conductor. A lengthy and extremely interesting content early autograph letter by Stravinsky, with good association, A.L., three pages, large 4to, Morges, Switzerland, 23rd March 1920, to Vassili Kibalchich, in Cyrillic. Stravinsky writes to Kibalchich, director of Russian choir, who had directed the premiere a year earlier of Starvinsky´s work Quatre chants paysans russes ("Four Russian peasant songs"), and asks for news from his Swiss exile about musical events, asking for his copy of the score of his work `Les Noces´ ("The Wedding"), stating in part `J´ai un besoin urgent de cet exemplaire. Je vous le renvoie en automne si nécessaire. J´en ai besoin pour arranger le piano-chant pour le spectacle. Comment allez-vous me le faire parvenir? Par la poste ordinaire c´est risqué, on peut le perdre...´ (Translation: "I urgently need this copy. I will send it back to you in the fall if necessary. I need it to arrange the piano-vocals for the show. How will you send it to me? By regular mail it is risky, we can lose it...") Further Stravinsky refers to the staging of his works, to Diaghilev and to his day by day work and projects, saying `Nous avons une saison très importante en Mai à l´Opéra de Paris. Diaghilev monte Le Soldat mais sans le chant - choréographiquement. Je termine Pulchinella que je compose sur la musique de Pergolese. C´est une grande oeuvre, nous avons beaucoup de travail´ (Translation: "We have a very important season in May at the Paris Opera. Diaghilev is staging Le Soldat but without the singing - choreographically. I am finishing Pulchinella which I am composing to the music of Pergolese. It is a great work, we have a lot of work") Further again, Stravinsky mentions his personal situation in Switzerland, complaining about the cost of life and considering moving to Italy, and also comments on the recent performances, stating in part `Le Franc Suisse bat un record et la vie ici en Suisse est deux fois plus chère... racontez-moi vos projets avec l´opéra? Et pensez-vous avoir un choeur, c´est important pour moi de le savoir... On montait [`a Paris] le Chant du Rossignol, dirigé par Ansermet que Diaghilev a fait venir spécialement pour cette occasion. La musique a eu un grand succès qui sera immense en fin de saison...´ (Translation: "The Swiss Franc is at a record high and life here in Switzerland is twice as expensive... tell me about your plans with the opera? And do you plan to have a choir, it is important for me to know... The Song of the Nightingale was being staged [in Paris], conducted by Ansermet, whom Diaghilev had brought especially for this occasion. The music was a great success, which would be immense at the end of the season... ") Very small minor age wear, mostly to edges, and very few extremely small ink holes to the third page only, otherwise G to VG

Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929) Russian ballet impresario, founder of the Ballets Russes.

Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969) Swiss Conductor and Musicologist. A close friend and collaborator of Stravinsky. Ansermet introduced Charles-Ferdinad Ramuz to Stravinsky, and their long time fruitful collaboration gave birth to what most critics consider his masterpieces, The Wedding and L´Histoire du Soldat which was premiered in Lausanne in 1918 and conducted by Ansermet.

The Wedding is a Russian-language ballet-cantata by Stravinsky scored unusually for four vocal soloists, chorus, percussion and four pianos. Dedicating the work to impresario Sergei Diaghilev, the composer described it in French as "choreographed Russian scenes with singing and music" and it remains known by its French name of Les Noces despite being Russian. The Wedding was completed in 1917 but was then subjected to a series of changes of heart by Stravinsky regarding its scoring; he settled on the above forces only in 1923, in time for the premiere in Paris on 13th June that year under conductor Ernest Ansermet and danced by the Ballets Russes.

Histoire du soldat, or Tale of the Soldier is a 1918 theatrical work to be "read, played and danced" by three actors, one or more dancers, and a septet of instruments. The music is by Stravinsky and the libretto, in French, by Swiss writer Charles Ferdinand Ramuz.

Pulcinella is a ballet by Stravinsky with arias for soprano, tenor and bass vocal soloists, and two sung trios. The work premiered at the Paris Opera on 15th May 1920, only two months after the present letter was written, under again the baton of Ernest Ansermet. Pablo Picasso designed the costumes and sets and the ballet was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev