[GOUNOD Charles]. SAINT-SAËNS Camille (1835-1921).

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[GOUNOD Charles]. SAINT-SAËNS Camille (1835-1921).
12 L.A.S. "C. Saint-Saëns " to Charles GOUNOD, 1882-1893 and n.d.; 25 pages in-8 and 1 page in-4 (cracks). Very beautiful musical and friendly correspondence, often tinged with humour. [Saint-Saëns was ten years old when he met Gounod, who encouraged and protected the young musician's career]. Saint-Saëns expressed his admiration for his master: "You are the most charming of men! You tell me that there is nothing to do for the great organ during mass; I think so, but there is the exit"... - V.M. received me with open arms and promised me the voice, with a thousand kindnesses." .... - London: "It is with a shudder that I announce the fact... I slept last night in the bed that once had the honor of resting your divine members; and this sacrilege is going to be repeated a number of times. If only it could inspire me with something like Redemption or Mors et vita! [...] Yesterday Mrs Melba sang Romeo, unfortunately I was invited [...] and I could not afford this little party. I had to play the piano again at St James's Hall. It is a torment you have never known, fortunately for you' .... 3 March 1882: he leaves for Lille for a rehearsal of the Déluge; he asks Gounod to sit on the commission for the election of a free member: perhaps Du Sommerard; and he hopes for Liszt as a foreign associate; he ends with an amusing poem .... 11 October 1882: 'I am literally mad about Redemption, every moment that Henri VIII does not take from me is spent playing and singing it, my voice is broken to the bone'... Enghien 23 July 1884, with a watercolour drawing of an organ turret from which 5 trumpets are coming out in chamades: he regrets not being able to go and hear his "beautiful work". London 2 December 1885: he has heard Mors et Vita again at St James' Hall, "magnificent performance and very great success [...] People are beginning to think that Mors et Vita surpasses Redemption, which is entirely my opinion [...] You have never shown yourself to be such a great master, in every respect. Forgive me for this familiar way of complimenting you. You have shown me enough that you are not indifferent to my opinion for me to take the liberty of telling you that your work has my entire admiration. It is a masterpiece"...Algiers, January 10, 1892: he marvels at the sight of nature in bloom and "resigns himself with difficulty to the idea that I will never again hear the concerts on the rue Bergère. Well, you can't have everything"... [December 1892]: condolences for the death of the painter Pierre Galland (father-in-law of Jean Gounod). Paris 13 October 1893 : " How do you do it, my dear Gounod, to always find such beautiful things, at the same time so original and so right? That is your secret. I, who am only a beast, only know how to thank you for your letter and to kiss you... [Gounod died on October 18; the day before, Saint-Saëns was at his bedside]. Attached : - 9 L.A.S. to Anna Gounod, 1898-1906 (20 pages in-8). Paris 20 October 1898, after the death of the poet and librettist Louis Gallet: " How many times we have spoken together about Gounod whom he appreciated as he should, as the artist and intelligent being that he was ". Cairo 24 December 1903: he envisages having Maitre Pierre performed, finishing the scene of the Synod; in Faust, " the tenor David was perfect ". 1904: "first-rate voices" are needed for the roles of Pierre and Héloïse "Ah! if the Litwinne were not so big!"; Carré "proposes Dufrane for Abélard, and for Héloïse he gives you to choose between Mlles Friché, Garden and Hatto"; he will go to Toulouse "to watch the Barbarians"... 1905: in January, Hélène is given at the Opéra-Comique and Mme Gounod attends the dress rehearsal; in April he is in Marseille and must go to Bordeaux to conduct a rehearsal of his cantata. Thursday: he predicts a longer life for Gounod's oratorios than for his operas: "We no longer play Handel's operas, we still sing his oratorios; [...] If, in the 21st century, we no longer play Faust, it is certain that no one will ignore its existence!"... - and 4 L. A.S. to Jean Gounod [1897 and n.d. ; 14 pages in-8). Thursday [end of October 1893] : " Figure-toi qu'on m'est venu annoncé la mort de ton père quand il vivait encore, pour m'extorquer un article " ; he did the article and is pleased " to have attached a bell that becomes a bell ". Saturday: he is going to play on the organ various works by Gounod (a scene from Faust and Polyeucte, fragments of Mors et vita); he has done a work on Gounod's book on Don Juan for La Vie Contemporaine, then in a booklet published by Ollendorff. 29 June 1897. Long letter of clarification: he has never encouraged Jean in the path of musical composition: " You will never be more than an amateur with your illustrious and glorious father. If your name was Tartempio
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