Lot n° 192
Estimation :
5000 - 6000
EUR
Result with fees
Result
: 16 640EUR
Marcel PROUST. L.A.S. "Marcel", [June 1919], to Jean COCTEAU - Lot 192
Marcel PROUST. L.A.S. "Marcel", [June 1919], to Jean COCTEAU; 7 pages in-8 (slight yellowing on the first page).
Very beautiful literary and musical letter.
. "I read, I reread the Coq et l'Arlequin with wonder. There is not a thought that is not profound, nor an expression of an incredible happiness ". He quotes and comments on several sentences of Cocteau... "That we think the same all the time about the art of the period, if you have really read Swann and only what you have read of À l'Ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs, proves it. But that (which you have found on your side) you express better. I envy your striking formulas. The whole contribution to the history of Parade interests me to a point! Nijinsky's exit from the stage is amazing. There are contradictions between some of the thoughts (e.g., We must shout down Wagner with St. Saëns and How not to defend Strauss against those who attack him in favor of Puccini). And that pleases me because I like to be shown the different sides. I contradict myself all the time.
On Saint-Saëns: "I must say that never has a musician annoyed me so much (Gounod in Faust even more) and that I was confused to hear Stravinsky say that his Symphony in C minor was a masterpiece superior to all Franck. Still, I find it hard to lump him in with Charpentier or Bruneau. The only thing I might disagree with you on is the music of the day, at least considered as the only music for ever. There are times (after "le Temple qui fut" [in Debussy's Images]! what nonsense in the preciousness) when it is necessary to prefer the even, but that does not prevent (and I am not an admirer of Verlaine) that in other times it becomes necessary to prefer the odd. Personally I prefer the even number. If I do not go to the "liter", it is because it would be an affectation on my part [...], because I did not have the chance, except at the time of my military service done too young, to see "liters". You know that I am very realistic in my life. I have never tried "artist" furnishings, I have had cork when I had noise etc.. But for me to talk about "liters" would be romanticism. [...] I hate Wilde (or rather I don't know him) and I try not to indulge Strauss. But had he taken a light joke as the theme of a serious work, it would not be a condemnation. This has happened a hundred times in the history of literature. In painting the opposite often happens. [...] What a joy to hear you say Chardin, Ingres, Manet. Unfortunately I have never seen a Cézanne. Where can we see some?
An autograph envelope from Proust to Jean Cocteau (postmarked 11.XI.1919) is enclosed.
Correspondence (t. XVIII, p. 267).
Former collection Claude Bénédick (18 April 1991, n° 105).
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