Lettre autographe datée et signée à propos de l'Enfant et les Sortilèges et les Mélodies grecques

Autograph letter dated and signed by Maurice Ravel, 2 pages on a cardboard note with letterhead bearing his monogram and his address "Le Belvédère Montfort l'Amaury (S.& O.)"
The composer, preparing to leave for Switzerland, puts his affairs in order and addresses various directives to his correspondent. The year 1926 had seen the birth in Paris of l'Enfant et les Sortilèges, his celebrated lyrical fantasy on a text by Colette. Ravel receives "une lettre de Bochie" ("a letter from Bochie") - patriotism never being far away! - and recommends one of the airs from his work: "Je sais qu'on m'y demande des mélodies, pour une Koloratur soprano, l'air du Feu s'impose" ("I know that they are asking me for melodies, for a Koloratur soprano, the Fire's aria is essential") [...] "S'il y faut de la dédicace, on la remettra à mon retour" ("If a dedication is needed, it will be done upon my return"). He peppers his note with some humorous touches: "2 reçus que j'ai oublié de laisser hier au bureau (car je n'y étais pas passé uniquement pour l'apéro)" ("2 receipts that I forgot to leave yesterday at the office (since I hadn't gone there solely for the aperitif)"); "une lettre du Courrier Musical : s'il n'y avaient pas ajouté un timbre, je ne vous aurais même pas prié de leur répondre" ("a letter from Courrier Musical: if they hadn't added a stamp, I wouldn't even have asked you to reply to them"). His final lines are about the tenor Warnery, who performed the Clock and the Cat at the creation of l'Enfant et les Sortilèges in Monte-Carlo a year earlier: "Je crois que Warnery vient en novembre au bureau, et vous prierai de lui demander, à lui aussi, s'il est utile que j'envoie les directeurs de Genève. Priez-le de m'excuser (c'est effrayant, ce que j'ai à faire avant mon départ). Pas le temps de bien entendre les mélodies grecques, qu'il interprétera aussi bien sans mes indications, d'ailleurs" ("I believe that Warnery is coming to the office in November, and I will ask you to ask him, too, whether it is useful for me to send to the directors in Geneva. Please ask him to excuse me (it's frightening, what I have to do before my departure). No time to properly hear the Greek melodies, which he will interpret just as well without my indications, anyway").

Charming and aesthetic letter from the composer, featuring important compositions for voice and orchestra.