H. Berlioz. Superb autograph letter signed, to [H. Ferrand] about "Les Troyens" and his son Louis, 28 July 1863

Hector Berlioz

Superb autograph letter signed ("H. Berlioz"), to an unnamed recipient [Humbert Ferrand], ABOUT HIS SON LOUIS AND LES TROYENS

commenting on what a beautiful thing the post is, and how it enables them to communicate across a long distance, announcing that his son [Louis] has arrived from Mexico on three weeks' leave, observing that he has never been in Paris when his music has been performed, and has only ever heard, when he was twelve, a performance of the Requiem, asking him to imagine his son's joy at being present at two performances of Béatrice et Bénédict, informing him that [Louis] will depart for Veracruz after Baden-Baden, though he will be back in November for the premiere of Les Troyens; in the second half of the letter Berlioz discusses various aspects of the preparations for the production of his opera, noting that he sold the rights to the score to Choudens for 15,000 francs, commenting that it is a good sign that it is being bought in advance, praising Mme Charton as a superb Dido, describing how in certain passages, such as "Esclave elle l'emporte en l'éternelle nuit", she is heart-rending, nevertheless pointing out a weakness of hers when singing pianissimo, observing that he has made two enemies of two friends ("Mme Viardot et Mme Stoltz"), mentioning Cuvillier-Fleury and other matters

...Mon fils est arrivé hier du Mexique, et comme il a obtenu un congé de trois semaines je l'emmène avec moi à Bade. Le pauvre garçon n'est jamais à Paris quand on y exécute quelque chose de mes ouvrages. Il n'a entendu en tout qu'une exécution de Requiem quand il avait 12 ans...M^me Charton sera une superbe Didon Elle dit admirablement tout le dernier acte; à certains passages...elle arrache le coeur...Je me suis fait deux ennemies de deux amies (M^me Viardot et M^me Stoltz)...

3 pages, 8vo (21 x 13.5cm), no place, 28 July 1863, vertical and horizontal folds

A SUPERB LETTER, ONE OF THE FINEST BY BERLIOZ TO BE OFFERED IN RECENT YEARS, full of revealing information concerning Berlioz's son Louis (whose death four years later of yellow fever at Havana was one of the bitterest blows ever suffered by the composer) and Berlioz's masterpiece Les Troyens, which received its first performance at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris on 4 November 1863.

LITERATURE

Correspondance générale, vi, p.483 (no.2759)