Ru
EnK. Zhabinsky
An epistolary source as a “defense witness” (On the unpublished N. Boulanger’s letter to S. Rachmaninov)
The article is devoted to a greatly actual problem of contemporary musical biography studies – a thorough study and correct research interpretation of various epistolary sources used by scholars in the process of recreating essential details of a composer’s or musician-performer’s life and work. A wittingly extensive “problem field” in this aspect is the epistolary part of S. Rachmaninov’s archive stored in the USA. A clear example of this is a little-known letter received by Rachmaninov in 1933 from the authoritative French musician N. Boulanger, which has not attracted the attention of specialists until now. The “officially congratulatory” nature of this letter, connected with Rachmaninov’s 60th birthday, predetermines the minimal “information content” of the corresponding text. In addition, Rachmaninov and Boulanger (as a long-time admirer of I. Stravinsky’s work) obviously belonged to different “artistic-stylistic spaces” of the musical world, which actually reduced to a minimum the prospects for their personal or epistolary communication. However, in recent years, some source scholars have suggested a deliberate “ignoring” of Rachmaninov, allegedly characteristic of N. Boulanger, who demonstratively refused to communicate with the great Russian musician and even mention his name. The reason for this was allegedly Rachmaninov’s “offense” before R. Pugno, N. Boulanger’s composition mentor, which was not forgiven by the latter until her death. Unfortunately, this hypothesis, which has no real basis, was sympathetically received by a number of Russian experts and was reflected in the latest “Chronicle of S. Rachmaninov’s Life and Work”. Based on this, the real congratulatory letter deserves special consideration as an alternative “testimony in defense” of our great compatriot.
Key words
musical biography studies, composers’ archives, epistolary sources, S. Rachmaninov, N. Boulanger.
For citation
Zhabinsky K. An epistolary source as a “defense witness” (оn the unpublished N. Boulanger’s letter to S. Rachmaninov). In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2024. No. 3. Pp. 126–131.
