Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921). 2 L.A.S.,... - Lot 39 - Ferri & Associés

Lot 39
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Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921). 2 L.A.S.,... - Lot 39 - Ferri & Associés
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921). 2 L.A.S., 1896-1921; 7 pages in-8, and 2 pages in-4 (edges slightly trimmed). Barcelona December 15-16, 1896 (with small drawing), [to his librettist Louis GALLET]. A long and interesting letter on the criticisms made of his librettist's booklets, "a means that has always been used to prevent my operas from being performed"; thus for Samson and Delilah, on the index for ten years: "a 'biblical' opera was a priori declared impossible," and for Phryne and Proserpine, for whom he defends "the prodigious literary value of the text [...] There are only two inferior poems in my work, the Timbre d'argent and Henry VIII. There are only two inferior poems in my work, the Silver Stamp and Henry VIII, but the first is not boring and the second, if not amusing, is of unusual grandeur. Then he talks about the two singers for the role of Proserpine, between Marie Delna and Meyrianne Héglon... As for Carlsruhe, "for me, Wagner has not ceased to be the author of a capitulation, and I am on the index in the Wagnerian world". Then he mentions Javotte's project in Brussels, and Fervaal de V. d'Indy: "We are not in the same boat, but we esteem each other"... He regrets the decadence of opera: "The younger generations will no longer know these beautiful harmonious performances where everything contributed to the whole, where all the roles were well played, where one was sure to always meet some great voice and some great artist. Tempi passati !!! "... September 29, 1921, to his friend Boquet, talking about Ascanio, the contralto Germain Fillat ("good musician. Unfortunately she is small and enormous; she would be impossible in the theatre"), then about his health, and the rheumatism in his right thumb, which prevents him from playing the piano, when he is going to be 86 years old: "I still played brilliantly in 85; I believe that there are not many who could say the same"...
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