Dear Dorothy: Letters from Nicolas Slonimsky to Dorothy Adlow (Eastman Studies in Music)
Nicolas Slonimsky
Language: English
Pages: 339
ISBN: B00C4GUAG2
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In the mid-twentieth century renowned musicologist, conductor, and lexicographer Nicolas Slonimsky traveled to cities throughout the world to play and conduct music of the American avant-garde. From trips to Paris, Berlin, Havana, New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Moscow, Slonimsky wrote letters to his wife, the art critic Dorothy Adlow, vividly and humorously describing hisadventures. Dear Dorothy: Letters from Nicolas Slonimsky to Dorothy Adlow is a collection of these missives. Though personal, they chronicle Slonimsky's work as an ambassador of modern music who introduced twentieth-century composers, particularly American composers, to audiences worldwide. Full of his admired wit and energy, the letters recount his performances, rehearsals, lectures, day-to-day activities in foreign cities and concert halls, and the anxieties of stretching limited funds to cover an ever-expanding itinerary. They also reveal a side of Slonimsky not seen from his other published writings: a man with deep devotion to his wife and family. Annotated and with an introduction by Slonimsky's daughter, Electra Slonimsky Yourke, this collection documents the meeting of historic musical cultures-Old World Europe, the Soviet Union, and the vibrant countries of Latin America-with the modernist music of the United States. Written in a lively, humorous style, these letters will be of interest to scholars and students of American music and social historians as well as musicians, music lovers, and concertgoers. Electra Slonimsky Yourke is the daughter of Nicolas Slonimsky and Dorothy Adlow, and editor of several collections of her father's work, including The Listener's Companion and the four-volume Writings on Music.Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995) was a Renaissance man in the modern-music world of the mid-twentieth century. Composer, conductor, critic, and lexicographer, he authored many books including Lexicon of Musical Invective: Critical Assaults on Composers since Beethoven's Time and a memoir, Perfect Pitch.
relatives on the other side. With an American passport, I got through in two minutes, and was given a lot of literature in three languages with all kinds of denunciations of West German officials as former Nazis. I must admit that the case against Lübke, the Secretary of State in Adenauer’s cabinet, is pretty strong, though he seemed to be no more than a functionary in Hitler’s government apparatus. Still his signature appears in documents judging cases of racial pollution, as when a half-Jewish
my satisfaction that they gave me a generous amount of space, spilling over to the next page so that I made the running head. Talked shop and told them all about errors in other encyclopedias, trying not to lapse into Spanish which I do the moment I get excited. … There is another point to your quite pertinent observation that my letters from Russia were anticipatory of this new line—and it is that nothing really changes if Khrushchev says something. Some artists are momentarily affected, but in
with Prague and Budapest. Then also we won’t have to pay out quite so much. However, the Paris bill (four hundred dollars extra) and my own expenses and my mother’s during the crazy days from February 5 to February 27, will have to be taken care of out of the eight hundred dollars. I am beginning to feel how exhausted I am. And tomorrow at 11 clock my first rehearsal with the Philharmonisher Orchester! Not a day of respite. Write me 65 Nurnbergerstrasse. My room is reserved there, and I will
103 Emile Haraszti (1885–1958) was a music critic and teacher in Budapest. 104 Ernest Schelling (1876–1939), American-born pianist, student of Paderewski. 105 On November 4, NS conducted a concert that Henry Cowell had arranged with the Pan American Chamber Orchestra at The New School. The program was: Silvestre Revueltas (Colorines); Cowell (Polyphonica); Villa-Lobos (Choros no. 7); Ives (“Washington’s Birthday”); Jerome Moross (Cantata, “Those Everlasting Blues”); Alejandro Caturla (Primera
unfortunately I will get only $150, because I did not buy any instruments. Seeger told me that, according to the rules, he could only refund me for the actual sums I spent, and that I would have to present a bill of goods for each purchase. This would amount to my advancing money to the Pan American Union, which is not my idea of sound finances. But Seeger is extremely friendly and thoughtful. He wrote to Santa Cruz extolling my importance, and I believe that his letter has caused Santa Cruz to