Showing 9 results

Hotel des Iles Britanniques, Aix-les-Bains. - Is sorry to be missing 'all the Röntgenialities' and sends them his love. Dionysus's exclamation [in Act III of "The Bride of Dionysus", see 7/67] disappears easily; blames his own 'characteristic Heath-Robinson contraptions' for its awkward placement. Has discovered another place for improvement: the excision of seven bars of music in the passage before the Investiture; illustrates this with musical notation. Originally enclosing a slip which Trevelyan can 'stick over the new joint'. The 'footballet' has come out slightly differently in the scoring; will send a new copy soon.

10 Prinsegr[acht]; addressed to Bob at the Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Thanks Bob for his letter. Is afraid her aunt is not as well as she first thought on her return. Has had several morning callers, including 'the old lady who used to have the snow in her head'. whose daughter would very much like to come and be their maid, and a little girl for whom Bessie once arranged a stay in the country when she was ill, bringing a wedding present she had made. The farmer from Leiden also came; her uncle is advising her to sell all her landed property before she becomes 'a foreigner' on her marriage, or she will have to pay a heavy tax to do so. Her husband has suggested that the money she gets for it should be invested in the house which her sister wants to buy. Asks if Bob has finished "Arne" [by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson?]; she has not, as she is finishing [Charlotte Bronte's] "Villette" which 'however silly & absurd in parts interests [her] immensely'. Had some bad dreams last night 'about bombs & suicides & fires in a great hall', after reading about the bombs and the fire at the Théatre Français in Paris, and the fire at the theatre in "Villette". Glad Bob saw [Thomas Sturge] Moore and had a good talk, and that he feels up to more work; he should tell her how he gets on and if her gets any more German done. Discussions of furniture and decoration for their house; asks Bob to send a sample of the green colour [Roger] Fry recommends for the drawing room. Thinks they must give up the idea of buying a new violin for the moment until she knows she can practise and get some lessons; she can always sell some shares if a valuable instrument becomes available as it would be a kind of investment, and probably more than their yearly allowance.

Her uncle and aunt have no objection to them marrying Whit week, and agree 'wonderfully' on most things about the wedding. She and Bob need two male witnesses of age settled in the Netherlands: she can have her uncle and [Julius Engelbert] Röntgen and Bob can have Ambro [Hubrecht], but she cannot think of another near kinsman she would like to be present so they may need to ask [Abraham?] Bredius or another neutral. To the wedding breakfast, would like to invite on her side her uncle and aunt, the Grandmonts, Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht], all the Röntgens, the four Hubrechts [Ambro's family], Louise, and her eldest sister Marie. Asks whether any of Bob's friends would like to come, perhaps combining it with a 'little tour through Holland'. Has been cycling in the woods every afternoon, enjoying the sun but getting stiff legs; is reading a few pages of Bob's "Pilgrim's Progress" every night before going to sleep. Knows the painter [Dirk?] Jansen by name, a good teacher at the Hague Academy but she does not care for his paintings either. The Luzacs called to see her uncle and aunt when she was out; he seemed to like Bob. Likes the letter from Frank Holland which Bob sends and the present he is going to give them, as well as the lines by [Laurence] Binyon.

1917 Club, 4 Gerrard Street, W.1. - Has just arrived from Welcombe, and is waiting for Bob. They will have two 'most momentous meetings' this afternoon at [Sir John] Withers': first, with Kenneth Cross present, deciding on the 'future of the Shiffolds'; then with Mr Whitlock, Mr Place, and Mr Watson to sign the sale contract of Welcombe, and also if possible to settle details of 'preferential treatment to tenants etc etc'. Hopes all goes well; had quite a time in Welcombe on Wednesday going through the inventory with Whitlock, and deciding what to keep; whenever she goes there she finds something new, this time some 'really fine old pewter plates' which she did not however reserve. As soon as Whitlock left Engelbert and Helen [Röntgen] arrived, and 'had to be shown round & everything explained. Engelbert had 'the greatest difficulty in grasping the situation' and thought the Trevelyans were 'mad to sell such beauty!'. She then had to go and 'sooth anxious minds' of Tinson, Hall [?], Florence and everyone else [staff at Welcombe?] who are of course all worrying about what will happen; it is 'very sad for the Tinsons', and she almost feels most for them. Expects Julian had a good time at Oare yesterday [visiting Mary Fletcher], since the weather 'suddenly cleared'; hopes he got onto the Downs. Asks him to let her know how he is getting on, and his address at Bath; tells him to 'look out for [Jane Austen's] Anne Elliot & her relations'.

San Juan, Puerto Rico. - Thanks her for writing to him on his birthday; he has received messages from all over the world, which proves he has 'not done too many bad things in [his] life'. Puerto Rico is an ideal country. Will be back in Europe in May, and very busy; in October or November he will return for the winter. The Festival will be the most important 'musical manifestation' ever in Puerto Rico: there is great enthusiasm for it. Hopes everything will go well; he has to conduct and play in all twelve concerts. Sends his love to all the Röntgens.

Prades. - Has been very busy, but now thanks her for her letters; is pleased to hear about her nephews [the Röntgens], and also that she appreciated the ideas in Corredor's book. He criticises the important cuts and errors in the English edition, and supposes the translator, his friend Mangeot, was influenced too much by the publisher. Is currently very busy preparing for another voyage to Puerto Rico, where another Festival will take place next April. Is sorry to hear about Engelbert, who seemed very robust last time he saw him, and sends his love to him and his brothers.

100 Weston Rd, Gloucester. - He and Teetee have been ill for a week: apologises for not replying sooner. It is a great honour to have Trevelyan's "Oedipus Coloneus" inscribed to him and Teetee: she deserves it, having started Greek at age fifty and gone from Mark's Gospel to Acts to Book IV of the "Odyssey"; he himself has not, unless buying Dioscorides' "De Materia Medica" and Müller's "Geographi Graeci Minores" counts. When Teetee comes to visit, Trevelyan should start her on Sophocles: she may find the "Antigone" easier than the "Coloneus". John has left for a round of visits, including to the Trevelyans and Joan Allen. He seems much matured and kindlier; is beginning to think of the future and re-read Horace; may be free of the army by summer. Sorry to hear of Miss Simpkins' heart strain. Is delighted to hear the news of the Röntgens: are they warm enough for the winter? Warmth is 'Angela Lavelli's desideratum in Paris'.

University of Edinburgh. - Thanks Bessie, and asks her to thank [her sister] Mrs Röntgen for taking that trouble. Thinks everything is clear, except for 'two little places' which will wait until he gets back to Holland. The Röntgens seemed very well; Franz [Frants] was ill when he arrived, but was soon recovered. The Trio [Julius Sr, Julius Jn and Englebert Röntgen] has been having real success, received enthusiastically by 'audiences of 1500'. Englebert has developed 'most strikingly' in style and tone; Tovey felt 'as if something like the Joachim Quartet was still alive & young'. 'Der Papaselbst' [Julius Englebert Röntgen] is well, although sad about the state of the world, and has been writing some 'most beautiful unaccompanied choral music: Psalms against war'. He took Tovey to a beautiful neighbouring swimming bath and proved himself a good swimmer.

Will send Bessie a letter for G.B. [Grete Busch?] soon, though would be 'ashamed' to make much of his news since she 'so thoroughly sees how unenviable is the [position of a man who is out of it all'. Dreads Miss Weisse breaking bad news to him so is very glad he knows from Grete that she wants to get bad news before it reaches Tovey. Miss Weisse is in 'a very nasty state of mind... peculiarly inhuman pro-Germanism' which he would mind less if she were still in Germany or 'didn't do her duty to England with the savage energy of a District Visitor of the most ruthless kind'. He himself cannot hate anything as she does everything English. However, he is with his 'saintly & dear old aunt', who has much of his mother's wit, and returns to Edinburgh on the 2nd. Is concerned that Miss Weisse may accede to Lady Lewis [Elizabeth, Lady Lewis?]'s request to give Guil[hermina] Suggia an engagement at Northlands. Also, in a letter she sent enclosing Bessie's 'which she thinks contains Dutch criticisms', Miss Weisse urges Tovey 'to join some military organisation' which will benefit him 'both morally & physically'. Will not do so until he has finished his work in Edinburgh, in March, when he will probably join something in Surrey or Berkshire. Thinks Miss Weisse wishes to make his position in Edinburgh 'untenable', as she wants him to do more concerts in Holland as soon as Augustin offers, and knows he could not manage all three. Says in a postscript that he saw the Hubrechts at Utrecht: Mrs Hubrecht [Maria? or Johanna Maria?] took him to tea and he met Paul, and saw photographs of Jan dressed as a yound lady 'so exquisite' that he had to 'strike a Tamino attitude'. Professor [Ambrosius] Hubrecht was better than he expected, and joined fully in the conversation.

Prades. - Was very happy to see Engelbert [Röntgen] again after so many years: he is just the same as always. Hopes that Lugano will be a good place for Engelbert and his wife; the surroundings are very beautiful, and there is decent music there, which he could influence, perhaps he could direct an orchestra. Has been busy with the organisation of the 1955 [Prades] Festival; the programme is not totally fixed yet but he thinks half will be Bach, with the cantatas played by the Bach Group of New York, the violin sonatas by Menuhin, the cello suites by himself and the concertos for piano by Serkin, Horszowski and Istomin. Thinks of dedicating the other half of the festival to chamber music by Schubert and Brahms. All this promised joy, though, is obscured by the sad things in life, particularly the grave state of health of Madame Capdevila.

Prades. - Has heard from Joachim [Röntgen] that Engelbert has arrived and intends to remain in Europe for good. Hopes that he has seen that America has many resources for art, and a people who are 'young, sympathetic, eager to learn'; all the same, for a European artist the time comes when the call of Europe is irresistible. He hopes very much to see Engelbert again. The next [Prades] Festival will be, like that of 1952, devoted to chamber music. Organisation is under way; 'things purely of the spirit seem very strange to the customs and the spirit of our times', but it is important to 'feed the flame'.