Eugène YSAŸE (1858–1931). Autograph letter, Brussels, Januar - Lot 320

Lot n° 320
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Result : 2 374EUR
Eugène YSAŸE (1858–1931). Autograph letter, Brussels, Januar - Lot 320
Eugène YSAŸE (1858–1931). Autograph letter, Brussels, January 4, 1910, to the violinist Jacques Thibaud; 8 pages, in-8. A magnificent and amusing letter from the great violinist to his pupil, on the art of playing the violin. He humorously discusses the state of concert societies in Brussels, regretting that Thibaud had ventured “into a drafty building!... That retreat for second-rate concerts has, incidentally, disappeared; it was swept away at its inception by an infectious deficit, a diarrhea of capital accompanied by acute Perronnithe; the unfortunate practitioner who treated this symphonic wreck is currently avoiding the ‘Damned Winds’ in state prisons; the third partner, also infected, hanged himself very recently with your chanterelle. Moreover, the owners of Patria flooded their hall with the most powerful disinfectants, and, thank heaven, we were able to escape the contagion; no echo remains of this epidemic music, and our Beethoven, convalescing but battered, will be able to fully recover from this misstep that nearly cost him his health and the high regard he enjoyed before his… error! My affection for you, my dearest Jacques, is unwavering […] For the year that has just begun, I wish the beloved quartet, first and foremost, the best of health; the rest is in your fingers, in your work as well, and in the satisfaction of feeling that you are making progress; The more I go on, the more I feel just how difficult the art of playing the violin is, how much thought, willpower, and tenacity are required for the hands and the mind to exist in perfect harmony, in stable balance: the mind, the spirit, of course, must dominate the physical; The mind must lead, but the ten warriors must be ready for the onslaught, for heroism, for lively, spontaneous action; the fingers command and determine the boldness, and it is a marvel when these two powers act in concert; – the mind is the earth, the fingers are the flowers, and I always remember the sweet scent of your bouquet. When I play, I overanalyze, and the pleasure turns to bitterness; when I listen to you—Cazals, Kreisler—it seems to me that my ears are nothing but heart; I enjoy a happiness without harshness, without admixture—how much I love the violin then! How well I understand that it has the power to move the soul, to captivate crowds!...“ He does not know when they will see each other again; Thibaud is in Brussels while Ysaÿe is on tour in Italy and Switzerland. “We’ll see each other again in Paris, where I’ll be happy to be at your disposal for anything that might be of use to you. If we can then reunite the members of the intimate quintet that left my hands and heart in tatters at your home last May, it will be a foretaste of our future paradise. If you see Casals, tell him how much I love him—both as a man and as an artist—and send my regards to Cortot as well. For you, my dear godson […] my most affectionate kisses.”
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