Sergei Prokofiev

Prokofiev, Sergei

Russian composer, pianist and conductor (1891-1953). Autograph Musical Quotation signed. No place; circa 1933. Oblong 32mo. 1 p.
3.500 € (81493)

Nice quotation inscribed "3rd Concerto" along with a handwritten bar of music. Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Some of his famous works include the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", "Peter and the Wolf", and "The Love for Three Oranges". Light wear to the edges and corners. Mounting residue on verso.

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Prokofiev, Sergei

Autograph letter signed.
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Highly interesting letter to a friend addressed as Grigorovich from Prokofiev's final voyage to New York on board the famous ocean liner Normandie, concerning the comfort on board, famous passengers, and difficulties with corrections. Prokofiev was impressed with the size and comfort of the Normandie, also adding that him and his wife Lina were "delightfully fed and entertained in a thousand ways," which was a welcome rest "from the continental hustle and bustle". As a result, he "hardly corrected anything" and "just made a general overview". The prominent passengers that he mentions are the Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the Austrian conductor Fritz Stiedry, and the Polish bass Adamo Didur. Prokofiev's doubts that he will be "able to finish" as the "ship is going too fast". In closing, he mentions that he won 290 francs playing bridge. - With much difficulty Prokofiev got the permission for a US-tour from the Stalinist authorities. The Normandie reached New York on 3 February 1938 where Prokofiev's highly successful tour started. Until his departure on 16 April, Prokofiev would give concerts in Boston, Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Denver. A meeting with Walt Disney on 28 February led to a lucrative offer for film compositions and a trip to Hollywood for negotiations. Nevertheless, the Prokofiev's returned to their children in Moscow and the 1938 tour would be his last outside the Soviet Union. - The Normandie was the largest and fastest ocean liner from its launch in 1935 until the arrival of the Queen Elisabeth on 27 September 1938. Her voyage to New York with Sergei Prokofiev on board wasn't only fateful for the Russian composer but also for his fellow passengers Korngold and Stiedry. Erich Wolfgang Korngold had been invited to Hollywood by Warner Brothers to compose a score for The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn. On 13 March 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany and Korngold decided to remain in exile. The trip to the US alongside Prokofiev possibly saved his live. Fritz Stiedry had already been forced to give up his career as an opera conductor in Germany following Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933. From 1934-1937 he was chief conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1937 he accepted an invitation to become chief conductor of the New Friends of Music Orchestra in New York. Stiedry was an important popularizer of Bach, Haydn, and Mozart in his new home. - On stationery of the "S.S. Normandie". With punched holes slightly affecting the text. Traces of former mounting to the upper margin and lower corners.