| Content | Bohuslav Martinů informs Vladimír Vaňek that during his stay in Paris he did not attend a concert of [Igor] Starvinský's new composition, which he says is in the new "dodegagafonic" style. Instead of the concert, he spent the evening with Georges Neveux. Both [BM and Charlotte Martinu] still have the Asian flu and are still coughing and angry. The Harvest came to him and BM assumes that VV sent the message there. BM begs VV not to do that. Moreover, the information about the [GREEK PASSION] premiere in Zurich is not accurate. They want to show it in Zurich, but it depends on how they make the deal with Universal Edition, so there won't be a premiere yet. Also with [Jan] Brázda it's still "in the furrow". If BM wasn't sick, he would have gone to Zurich to arrange everything, but he couldn't. All he knows is that UE hasn't returned it yet. [Nikos] Kazantzakis did not see the premiere. It was a big shock for BM. He still hasn't heard from Kazantzakis' widow. If BM had known Kazantzakis was still in Freiburg, he would have gone to see him, he thought they were already back in Antibes. The Skliznia says that BM is writing a concerto to order [presumably he meant CLASSICAL CONCERT No.5], which is not true and will only confirm for all those who say that BM writes only to order. It is also not accurate that the Martins were invited to Switzerland by the Webers. They are staying with [Paul] Sacher, who is a conductor and lives in Basel. BM has had success with his massive trousers, several haunted gentlemen wanted the tailor's address and regret that he is only in Italy. A success that BM is not proud of as it distorts his natural slim figure. BM will travel to Zurich next week and will inform VV then. As far as [Jan] Brázda is concerned, BM won't stick his fingers in, the director in Zurich usually does the expeditions himself. HORA TŘI SVĚTEL was a success in Prague and they are supposedly going to Moscow with the Field Mass, which would surprise BM. Perhaps he would also get a commission from them for a symphonic poem "Dog in Space". BM had heard of [Arnold] Schoenberg's piece as an expression of horror, but that's not exactly in the Martinů line. BM doesn't think music is for making people afraid even when terrible things are happening in the world. Much less is music meant to help in the opposite direction. |