Autograph letter signed.
4to. 2 pp.
€ 180.00
Highly interesting letter to his friend, the critic René Dumesnil, concerning the wedding of Tansman's daughter Marianne to a Sienese nobleman and a campaign for the preservation of the Théâtre Royale de La Monnaie in Brussels as an independent institution. Tansman informs Dumesnil that he has received an appeal from the directorate and the personnel together with news clippings concerning government plans for La Monnaie. According to this plan, La Monnaie would cease to exist as an autonomous opera house and serve only as a venue for productions of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège and the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp. He therefore asks Dumesnil to join a campaign and write an article for Le Monde, citing the ancient tradition of La Monnaie and its importance for French music: "Presque tout le répertoire de ce théâtre est consacré à la musique française; ces créations passées sont innombrables, et quant aux créations de ces dernières années, la plupart ont été faites avant Paris, et certaines attendent encore la création en France. Je vous cite, en hâte : Rake's Progress de Stravinsky, Oedipe (reprise) d'Enesco, David de Milhaud, mon 'Serment', Atlantide et Don Juan de Mañara de Tomasi; reprises de Pellias, Ravel, Fauré et tout le répertoire français. Pour les créations, La Monnaie depuis plusieurs années représente le 1er théâtre lyrique de langue française". Dumesnil did indeed write an article that ran on 10 October 1958, mostly following Tansman's argument and some of his examples, including Tansman's own opera "Le Serment" that had premiered on 11 March 1955. The campaign for La Monnaie was ultimately successful.
Well preserved.
