Charles KOECHLIN (1867-1950). L.A.S., Villers-sur-mer Januar - Lot 41

Charles KOECHLIN (1867-1950). L.A.S., Villers-sur-mer January 3 [1924, to flutist Louis Fleury]; 2pages oblong in-4. He recalls "my days at the Conservatoire, when I held the timpani in orchestra class (215 bars to count in a 2/4 Mozart finale, it was no picnic. But don't worry. If I'd been a tobacco engineer, I'd still have written music. [...] But as fate would have it, I became a musician more quickly, because I fell ill at X - I had to take a long leave of absence - and this happened in both years. As a result, I graduated about 125th, instead of 15th or 20th - and this determined me to resign immediately, to enter the Conservatoire shortly afterwards". While writing his Traité d'harmonie, during the summer he wrote a divertissement for 3 flutes, and a flute-clarinet-bass trio; but he wants to "let it rest [...] I see my works more clearly by rereading them a few months apart". He mentions other works for flute, his horn sonata...