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Slonimsky, Nicholas (1894 – 1995)

A typed letter signed by composer Nicholas Slonimsky, January 5th 1956, to Mr. Abraham.

He opens, ‘Gretchaninov died day before yesterday… I enclose his obituary in the New York Times. He woul dhave been gratified by the extensive coverage and the picture. During the last few weeks of his life, he could hardly recognize people and was not coherent. He died of old age, without ascertainable terminal illness. Incidentally, he was not married to Maria Grigorievna. His first wife lived on till about 1937, and would not give him a divordce. So while everyone thought he was divorced and was married for the second time, this was not the fact. The quotation in the New York Times from his “memoir” is in reality an extract from my translation of his foreword to his autobiography.’

Signed in fountain pen ink, and sold together with the newspaper clipping that is mentioned. Two paper-clip stains, and some patches of staining, otherwise fine.