Debussy's Letters to Inghelbrecht the Story of a Musical Friendship

Debussys Letters to Inghelbrecht

Eastman Studies in Music

Ralph P. Locke, Senior EditorEastman School of Music

(ISSN 10719989)

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A complete list of titles in the Eastman Studies in Music Series,in order of publication, may be found at the end of this book.

Additional titles in Music of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Debussys letter to Inghelbrecht, 17 November 1913.

Debussys Letters toInghelbrecht

The Story of a Musical Friendship

Annotated by

MARGARET G. COBB

Translations by

RICHARD MILLER

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER PRESS

Copyright 2005 Margaret G. CobbTranslations Copyright 2005 Richard Miller

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation, no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,

published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted, recorded, or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright owner

First published 2005

University of Rochester Press668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA

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ISBN: 1580461743

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Debussy, Claude, 18621918.[Correspondence. Selections]Debussys letters to Inghelbrecht : the story of a musical friendship /

annotated by Margaret G. Cobb ; translations by Richard Miller.p. cm. (Eastman studies in music, ISSN 10719989 ; v. 30)

Includes bibliographical references and index.Discography: p.ISBN 1580461743 (hardcover : alk. paper)1. Debussy, Claude, 18621918Correspondence. 2. Inghelbrecht, D. E.

(Dsir Emile), 18801965Correspondence. 3. ComposersFranceCorrespondence. 4. Conductors(Music)FranceCorrespondence. I. Inghelbrecht, D. E. (Dsir Emile),18801965. II. Cobb, Margaret G. III. Title. IV. Series.ML410.D28A42 2005780'.92dc22

2004029315

A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

This publication is printed on acid-free paperPrinted in the United States of America

rhText BoxDisclaimer:Some images in the printed version of this book are not available for inclusion in the eBook.To view these images please refer to the printed version of this book.

In memory ofMme D. E. Inghelbrecht

Contents

List of Letters xi

List of Illustrations xiii

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xxi

D. E. Inghelbrecht: A Biography 1

Letters from Debussy to Inghelbrecht 9

Appendix A: Letter from Inghelbrecht to Debussy 93

Appendix B: Letters from Inghelbrecht to dAnnunzio 101

Appendix C: Letters from Chouchou Debussy to Inghelbrecht 109

Biographies 115

Bibliography 121

Discography 125

Index 129

Letters

Letters from Debussy to Inghelbrecht

Letter I Paris, 22 May 1912 10Letter II Paris, 2 June 1912 14Letter III Paris, 5 June 1912 16Letter IV Paris, 12 June 1912 Pneumatique 18Letter V Paris, 12 June 1912 Pneumatique 20Letter VI Paris, 15 June 1912 22Letter VII Paris, 15 June 1913 24Letter VIII Paris, 15 September 1913 28Letter IX Paris, 30 September 1913 32Letter X Paris, 10 October 1913 Pneumatique 34Letter XI Paris, 9 November 1913 36Letter XII Paris, 17 November 1913 40Letter XIII Paris, 19 November 1913 42Postcard I Hannover, 16 December 1913 44Letter XIV Paris, 18 January 1914 46Letter XV Paris, 24 February 1914 Pneumatique 48Letter XVI Paris, 18 August 1914 50Letter XVII Paris, 10 January 1914 Pneumatique 54Letter XVIII Paris, 26 March 1915 Pneumatique 58Letter XIX Paris, 3 June 1915 60Letter XX Paris, 23 June 1915 64Letter XXI Pourville, 28 July 1915 68Postcard II Pourville, 26 August 1915 72Letter XXII Pourville, 20 September 1915 74Letter XXIII Pourville, 9 October 1915 78Letter XXIV Paris, 1 February 1916 80Letter XXV Paris, 27 July 1916 82Letter XXVI Paris, 10 September 1916 84Postcard III Arcachon, 15 September 1916 86Postcard IV Arcachon, 21 September 1916 88Letter XXVII St Jean de Luz [July 1917] 90

xii LETTERS

Appendix A

Letter from Inghelbrecht to Debussy

Paris, 30 August 1917 96

Appendix B

Letters from Inghelbrecht to dAnnunzio

Letter I [Paris], 2 June 1912 104Letter II [Paris], 11 June 1912 106

Appendix C

Letters from Chouchou Debussy to Inghelbrecht

Letter I Paris, 26 May 1913 110Letter II Paris, 19 January 1914 112

Illustrations

Debussys letter to Inghelbrecht, 17 November 1913Frontispiece

After page 92:

Figure1. Claude Debussy in 19092. D. E. Inghelbrecht, ca. 19083. Program for Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien, 21 May 19114. Inghelbrecht rehearsing with Ninon Vallin for her role in

Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien5. Inghelbrecht conducts in 19136. Debussys letter to Inghelbrecht, 24 February 19147. The artist Thophile Alexandre Steinlen, ca. 19208. Steinlens drawing of Debussy for Inghelbrechts concert

of 31 January 19139. Emmanuel Chabrier, 1882

10. Opening bars of Chabriers La Sulamite and Debussys La Damoiselle lue

11. Modest Musorgsky, ca. 187512. Title page of Musorgskys Nursery13. Title page of Debussys Childrens Corner14. Title page of Inghelbrechts La Nursery15. Inghelbrecht conducts the Orchestre Nationale 1939

Preface

The story of how I came to write this book and own these let-ters from Debussy to Inghelbrecht is the result of three chanceencounters I had in Paris. The first came in 1925, when I spentthe winter in school in Paris. There I had piano lessons withHenri Etlin, who, I later learned, had won a Premier Prix atthe Conservatoire in 1907. He began my lessons with theusual Czerny et al. compositions and then started me on someof the Debussy Prludes. I liked these so much that I asked tostudy only Debussy that whole winter. He agreed and seemedquite happy at my request.

On returning home, I continued my piano lessons with aRussian teacher who encouraged me to work on Debussy.Then came marriage, two children, and a job as freelancecopy-editor for a large publishing house, a position I held forthirty-two years. There was then no longer time for piano les-sons. During my last five years of copy-editing, while workingon a medical dictionary, I began to think that I would like towrite a book myself. As my interest in Debussy had neverwaned, and I had learned about him and his music, especiallyhis songs, I thought that this was an area that I could explore.I had always been interested in French poetry, so here was mylink to Debussy. Therefore, I decided that I would go to Parisfor my annual vacations and do some work on Debussy and hissongs.

My first trip to Paris for this project was in 1967. I startedmy work in the Music Department of the Bibliothquenationale de France, 2 rue Louvois. There I met FranoisLesure, who was the head of that department and was soon tobecome well known as a Debussy specialist. He helped me inmy work and also encouraged me in my project of a possiblebook. I was also able to work in the beautiful reading room ofthe Bibliothque nationale de France, 58 rue de Richelieu.There I found the editions of the books of poems that Debussy

would have used and noted the changes he sometimes made inthe texts of his early songs.

One day in late October 1968, when leaving the MusicDepartment, I walked out with a woman who had also beenworking there. Paris was cold and damp that day, and I had along way to go to my hotel on the rue Cambon. As we bothstarted along the rue des Petits-Champs, I asked her if shewould like to join me and have some tea at a nearby littlebistro. She agreed, and over tea we each talked about the workwe were doing. She told me that she was hoping to revive theweekly radio talks Entretiens autour dun piano that she and herlate husband, D. E. Inghelbrecht, and three musician friendshad given over the last several years. I was familiar with thename Inghelbrecht because of his many Debussy recordingsthat I owned. It soon became evident that we had a real inter-est in common, and I continued to see Mme Inghelbrecht onmy subsequent visits to Paris.

Soon after I came home from a trip to Paris in 1971,I received a telephone call from Franois Lesure saying that hewas in New York and wanted to see me. When we met, heasked me if I would like to go to Paris and stay there for fouryears in order to establish a Centre de Documentation ClaudeDebussy in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Debussys birthplace.I was truly taken aback by such a proposal. Thinking quickly,I realized that my present job would soon be finished andmaybe this was the time to do something different and take onthe interesting challenge that was being offered me. We agreedthat I would leave for Paris in late January 1972 and wouldthen return to New York in June 1976.

During that first year in Paris, my initial task was toacquire material for the Centre. First, I wrote to publishers ofbooks, music, and recordings in Europe, the United States,Canada, and Japan, asking them to contribute their Debussypublications. Then came the search for the location of knownDebussy manuscripts and the request for copies. The responseI got was very encouraging, and material in all fields sooncame in. Then I sent out the first issue of the Cahiers Debussyof 1974, which was to become the annual publication of theCentre. This first issue of the Cahiers was sent to forty period-icals. All this was certainly responsible for the visitors fromforty countries that I welcomed at the Centre during my fouryears there.

xvi PREFACE

PREFACE xvii

While working at the Centre, I still had enough time toaccept Lesures offer that I complete a Debussy discographythat Henri Borgeaud, a Debussy scholar, had been unable tofinish. I was very glad to have such a job. First, I would learna lot about Debussys early recordings, and second, it wouldbecome my first Debussy publication. Thus in 1975, mydiscography was published: Discographie de loeuvre de ClaudeDebussy, 19021950.

Needless to say, I was glad to see my friend MmeInghelbrecht and tell her all about the job that I had taken.With her I met musicians who had worked with her husband.Right away one felt the loyalty and affection they had for theirleader and for his faithful companion. Over the years, Ilearned that Mme Inghelbrecht was born in Ouchy, part ofLausanne on the Lake of Geneva. As a child she had alwayswanted to cross that lake and go to France. Finally, the timecame in 1919 when she left for Paris with her friendMarguerite Steinlen, the artists niece, to make her livingthere.

When I knew Mme Inghelbrecht, she had no close rela-tives; on her husbands side there were only some nieces whomshe saw rarely, if ever. As the years went by, she seemed anx-ious to find a home for some of the treasures that she hadinherited from her husband. She first told me that she wouldlike to sell the manuscript of Chabriers La Sulamite. It was thefirst version of this work, dated 1884, and in very good condi-tion. I had no trouble finding a home for it. When I spoke toRigbie Turner at The Morgan Library in New York, he said thelibrary would be only too glad to buy it. Mme Inghelbrechtnext told me that she had inherited from her friend ColetteSteinlen, the artists daughter, a small oil painting of rosesby Renoir, which bears the dedication: petit souvenir / /Mlle Steinlen / Renoir. She kept it in a safe and never hungit up. Now she wanted to sell it. I was only too happy to buyit. Besides being a beautiful painting, it has an interestingprovenance. Next she gave me her husbands bound score ofLa Mer that is full of his notations and bears the dedication:pour D. E. Inghelbrecht (solo) son dvou Claude Debussy /Octobre 1913.

Lastly, as my four years in Paris were coming to an end,Mme Inghelbrecht handed me a small bundle tied up with asilk ribbon: here were twenty-four letters and four postcards

xviii PREFACE

from Debussy to Inghelbrecht, dating from 1912 to 1917! I wastruly overwhelmed and hardly knew how to thank her. Theseletters tell the story of Debussys friendship with Inghelbrecht,the young conductor twenty-two years his junior, with whomhe first worked in 1911 for the first performance of Le Martyrede Saint Sbastien.

In addition to these letters from Debussy to Inghelbrecht,three letters by Inghelbrecht have been included in this book.In Appendix A is Inghelbrechts long letter of 30 August 1917in answer to Debussys last letter to him of July 1917. InAppendix B are two letters by Inghelbrecht to GabrieledAnnunzio inviting him to the rehearsals and performances ofhis short form of Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien for orchestraalone. These letters are dated 2 and 11 June 1912. In AppendixC are two letters from Chouchou Debussy to Inghelbrecht.These letters are dated 26 May 1913 and 19 January 1914.

When I returned home in 1976 after those four years inParis, I continued to go back each year and always visitedMme Inghelbrecht. In 1978, she gave me a copy of the bookthat she had just published, D. E. Inghelbrecht et son temps, andalso a small plaster-of-Paris head of her husband that had beendone by Carina Ari, Inghelbrechts former wife, with whommy friend had always been on friendly terms. The last time Isaw her was in 1982, when she was in a retirement home inNeuilly, where she died peacefully in 1984.

Now my first job was to finish the book that I had beenworking on for so long, Finally, The Poetic Debussy waspublished in 1982. Then came A Portrait of Claude Debussy, abook that William Ashbrook and I had translated and editedfrom La Passion de Claude Debussy by Marcel Dietschy. Thiswas published in 1990. The revised second edition of ThePoetic Debussy appeared in 1994.

During the years 1977 to 2001, I contributed an annualdiscography to the Cahiers Debussy. While doing this work, Inoticed that reissues of Inghelbrechts recordings were begin-ning to appear. As well as his Debussy recordings were thosehe made of works of other composers and also even older onesof his own compositions.

This renewed interest in Inghelbrecht seemed like theideal time to publish the letters to Inghelbrecht that his wifehad given me. Little had been written about Debussys friend-ship with Inghelbrecht, a friendship that was truly vital to the

PREFACE xix

young conductor and would influence his performances asconductor for the rest of his life. We know that it was theirmutual love of music that first brought them together. As aBritish music critic wrote of Inghelbrecht: As a friend andlifelong champion of Debussy, he probably brings us nearer tothe composer than any other conductor.1

No one has written better about Inghelbrechts relation-ship with Debussy than his wife Germaine:

For Inghel, Debussy was the great artist to whom hehad the rare chance of being close, with whom he felta true communion of tastes. From the letters hereceived from him, we get a keen sense of affection.Debussy, a solitary figure . . . needed friendship.. . . His letters to Inghel, most of which were writtenduring the vacations that took him away from Paris,reveal the spontaneous and lively enthusiasm withwhich he addressed all the things that he enjoyed. Hewas fond of the young musician who understood hispersonality and his great works.

Throughout his life, Inghel was to feel the influ-ence of Steinlen, his good beloved father, and ofDebussy. For him, they were beacons, guideposts. Andhe had the deep joy of being able, up until his lastdays, to bring to lifewith passion, with all his tal-entthe works of a man who had been for a few yearshis friend.2

1 Alan Sanders, Liner notes in CD Testament SBT 1212.2 Germaine Inghelbrecht, D. E. Inghelbrecht et son temps (Neuchtel: ditions

de la Baconnire, 1978), 81.

Pour Inghel, Debussy fut le grand artiste quil eut la chance trs rare dap-procher, avec qui il se sentait un vritable rapport de gots. Dans les lettresquil reut de lui, on sent une vive effusion daffection. Debussy, le soli-taire . . . avait besoin damiti. . . . Dans ses lettres Inghel, crites pendantles vacances qui lloignaient de Paris, on sent un lan spontan et vrai,comme pour tout ce quil aimait. Il tait attach au jeune musicien qui com-prenait sa personnalit et [sa] grande oeuvre. . . .

Toute sa vie, Inghel garda lempreinte de son bon pre aim Steinlen,et celle de Claude Debussy. Pour lui, ils furent des phares, des guides. Et ilprouva la joie mouvante de pouvoir, jusqu ses derniers moments, donnerla vie avec passion, avec tout son talent, aux oeuvres de celui qui fut son amipendant quelques annes.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, my gratitude goes to Ralph Locke, Professorof Musicology at the Eastman School of Music and SeniorEditor of the Eastman Studies in Music, for his unfailingencouragement and advice at every step of the way. To DenisHerlin, I owe untold thanks for making available to me hith-erto unknown documents of great importance that he alonehad discovered. I also want to express my appreciation to RoyHowat for his helpful suggestions. And my heartfelt thanks goto Richard Miller for his incomparable translations.

I am grateful to Catherine Massip of the Dpartement dela Musique of the Bibliothque nationale de France, to LindaAshton of Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center ofthe University of Texas at Austin, to Rigbie Turner at TheMorgan Library, to Mme Mariagela Calubini of the Archiviodel Vittoriale, and to Madeleine Nichols and Charles Perrierat the New York Library for the Performing Arts, all of whommade important letters and other materials available to me.Thanks to Monsieur Henri Thieullent I was given permission toinclude letters held in the above institutions in my book.

I wish to thank friends who showed interest in my workand encouraged me along the way, namely, Carolyn Abbate,David Grayson, Marie Rolf, and Charles Timbrell.

Finally, my family deserves special mention for theirunfailing support and patience, especially my daughter, JeanG. Crocker, whose invaluable advice was always available.

Margaret G. CobbNew YorkOctober 2004

D. E. Inghelbrecht: A Biography

D. E. Inghelbrecht:A Biography

Here is Inghelbrecht: will of iron in a fragile body,leader feared by his soldiers, noble servant of hismasters, adored by Debussy.1

Dsir Emile Inghelbrecht was born in Paris on 17 September1880 and died there on 14 February 1965. His father was aviola player with the Paris Opra. His mother, a piano teacher,gave him his first piano lessons at the age of four, when he hadalready started to play the violin. His parents soon discoveredthat he had perfect pitch.

When he was seven, he entered the Conservatoire, wherehe studied solfge and harmony and also audited a violin class.At the age of sixteen, he was expelled, allegedly because ofmusical incompetence. In fact, the real reason was that hewas caught playing the violin in local cafsa violation of therules of the Conservatoire.

In 1896, Inghel, as he was known to his friends, wasappointed second violinist at the Concerts de lOpra. Therehe was exposed to a large repertory, which would serve himwell later on. At this time, his friend Pierre Monteux, thenconductor of the Concerts Berlioz, occasionally askedInghelbrecht to replace him, the pianist, the violinist, or thetimpanist in his orchestraall useful experiences. He alreadyhad dreams of being a conductor.

In 1902, Inghelbrecht first heard a work by Debussy. Itwas Pellas et Mlisande, a work that was to leave a lastingimpression on him. He was to conduct it throughout his life.

1Gabriel Astruc, Le Pavillon des fantmes (Paris: Grasset, 1929), 299. VoiciInghelbrecht, volont de fer dans un corps fragile, chef redout de ses soldats, grand serviteurde la pense des matres, ador de Debussy.

About 1905, he moved into a studio at 73 rueCaulaincourt. Colette Steinlen, the daughter of the artistThophile Steinlen, lived in that same building with herfather. She and Inghelbrecht soon met. They were married in1910 and lived in the family apartment with her father, towhom Inghel became very much attached. Their marriageended in a divorce in 1920.

In 1906, Inghelbrechts first collaboration with GabrielAstruc took place when he was asked to conduct the first andgala performance of the opera Le Clown, written by Astrucsfriend Isaac de Camondo. It was a special evening, with AlbertCarr, Jusseaume, and Geraldine Farrar participating. Le Tout-Paris was in the enthusiastic audience at the ThtreNouveau.

In 1908, we next hear of Inghelbrecht when he was askedby his friend Florent Schmitt to conduct the first performanceof his ballet La Tragdie de Salom at the Thtre des Arts. Itwas a great success.

On 20 April 1910, excerpts of Schmitts Psaume XLVIIwere to be conducted by a pupil of Gabriel Faur. However, hebecame ill just before the last rehearsal, and Inghelbrecht,who was to have been chorus master, was asked to replace him.A member of the orchestra later said that Inghelbrecht arrivedat the rehearsal in his pajama top; having been called up sounexpectedly, he had forgotten to get fully dressed. Oncearrived, he quickly opened the score and conducted thePsaume with ease. Once again, he achieved a real success.

In 1911, Inghelbrecht was appointed chorus master for theperformance of Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien. This was the firsttime that he worked on a composition by and with Debussy.Soon afterward, his piano-vocal score would bear theinscription: pour D. E. Inghelbrecht, Affectueux remercie-ments. Claude Debussy Juin 1911.

The following year, Inghelbrecht conducted Le Martyre inan arrangement for orchestra alone that he had made in closecollaboration with Debussy. It was given on 14 and 17 June ata concert of the Socit Indpendante Musicale (S.I.M.) inthe Salle Gaveau, and was very well received.

In 1912, Inghelbrecht received his first letters fromDebussy, a correspondence that would continue until 1917, theyear before Debussys death. The letters were rather formal atfirst, but soon became more personal, clearly showing the

4 D. E. INGHELBRECHT: A BIOGRAPHY

attachment that Debussy felt for this young musician withwhom he had a real rapport and whom he cherished as a friend.

Although Debussy could be cold and distant, avoidingstrangers in order to maintain his privacy, he did enjoy a fewclose friends whose intimacy he needed and cherished. Hisrelationship with Inghelbrecht was based not only on themutual respect they had for each other as musicians, but alsoas Debussy wrote: because you love music. They also enjoyeda shared admiration for the works of Musorgsky and ofChabrier, about both of whom Debussy wrote in glowingterms. Inghelbrecht, in turn, often opened his concerts withChabriers ode la Musique and conducted not only the firstperformance of Boris Godunov in French, but also the firstperformance of the original version of this work. He gaveannual concert performances of Boris whenever possible.

The year 1913 was a busy one for Inghelbrecht. He wasappointed director of the new Thtre des Champs-lyses,where the Inaugural Concert took place on 2 April. Theopening number was Chabriers la Musique, which heconducted. On 19 April, he gave the first performance of theMarche cossaise. Debussy was not present at the concert, butwhen he heard it later, he wrote to Inghelbrecht: I think thatyou are the only one to have the true feeling of this piece.On 5 May, Inghelbrecht conducted Nuages and Ftes for LoeFuller and her dancers. It is no wonder that Debussy wrote thefollowing dedication: pour D. E. Inghelbrechten souvenirdheures dtudes tumultueuses et charmantesson jeune amiClaude DebussyMai 1913. This same year, Inghelbrechtfounded the Socit des Nouveaux Concerts. At their firstconcert, Debussy conducted Ibria; Inghelbrecht then tookover for the rest of the program.

In 1914, the first concert of the new Association ChoraleProfessionnelle de Paris (the A.C.P.) took place. Inghelbrecht,their founder, presented solely works a cappella. In the revue ofthe S.I.M. for 1 March, Debussy wrote: From all points ofview, this revival of our choral traditions must be encouraged.

In 19171918, during Debussys last years, Inghelbrechtvisited him faithfully. When Debussy could no longer listento music, he enjoyed reading scores. Among those he askedfor were the a-cappella works that Inghelbrecht was planningto conduct, and one of his last wishes was for the score ofMusorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. Inghelbrechts last visit to

D. E. INGHELBRECHT: A BIOGRAPHY 5

his friend and mentor was just two days before Debussys deathon 25 March 1918.

In 1919, Inghelbrecht conducted the first performance ofthe ballet La Bote joujoux as completed and orchestratedby Andr Caplet. That same year, he founded the ConcertsPleyel. These concerts were devoted to music of the sixteenth,seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries and were given in theSalle Pleyel, which was famous for its acoustics.

Inghelbrecht was next appointed to conduct the BalletsSudois, a post he held from 1920 to 1923 while traveling allover Europe with them. It was at this time that he met CarinaAri, a gifted ballerina and a remarkable sculptress. They weremarried in 1928. Their subsequent divorce was amicable.

In 1924, Inghelbrecht was appointed music director of theOpra-Comique, a post he was given again in 1929. He alsoconducted the Concerts Pasdeloup from 1928 to 1932.

In 1929, the Opra dAlger invited him to become theirdirector. In order to take on this work, he needed a secretary.He asked Germaine Perrin to come to Algiers with him andtake on the job. She needed the work and, after somehesitation, agreed to go. She soon proved to be his idealpartner and worked tirelessly for him. However, the Algeriansdid not appreciate the work their new director was doing, andInghelbrecht soon returned to Paris. While in Algiers, Ingheland Germaine had formed a bondthe real partnership theyboth needed. Inghel insisted that there could be no marriageuntil Carina, who was still his wife, had found happinesselsewhere. Germaine and Inghelbrecht were married not longafter and, as she told me, had thirty ideal years together.

The year 1934 brought Inghelbrecht that which he hadlonged foran orchestra of his own. He was asked to form anational radio orchestrathis was to be the OrchestreNational de la Radiodiffusion Franaise (the O.N.). He nowhad his own orchestra, which he led for the first nine years andcarefully selected its members. The story is told, however, thatwhen it came time to choose a bassoonist, the jury presidedover by Inghelbrecht chose one of the seven candidates. A fewdays later, a certain senator ordered that another candidatebe chosen. Inghelbrecht refused. The senator insisted. Thecandidate then became a member of the orchestra; Inghel-brecht always addressed him as Monsieur, and, when askedhow many members there were in his orchestra, answered


ninety-six plus one. Germaine was Inghelbrechts idealpartner. She attended his concerts and wrote liner notes forhis recordings and program notes for his concerts. Togetherthey wrote a biography of Debussy in 1953.

On 3 December 1935, Inghelbrecht was finally able toaccomplish his long-held dream when he conducted theOrchestre National in the first Paris performance of the 1874edition of Boris Godunov.

At the time of the war in 1939, the O.N. was evacuated,first to Rennes, in Brittany, and then to Marseilles; it finallyreturned to Paris in 1943. There, Inghelbrecht proposed aconcert to celebrate the thousandth performance of theorchestra and twenty-fifth anniversary of Debussys death. Theprogram was to include excerpts from Pellas et Mlisande andLe Martyre de Saint Sbastien. The occupying forces proposedanother program, which Inghelbrecht refused to conduct. Thenext day18 July 1943Inghel received a note from Vichyannouncing that his functions as director of the orchestrawere suspended by order of President Laval.

Finally, after two winters without work, Inghelbrecht wasappointed conductor of the Paris Opra for the years 1945to 1950. In 1947, he returned to his former post as director ofthe Orchestre National. In November of that year, Chabriersode la Musique was on his program, followed by Pellaset Mlisande in December and Chabriers Ltoile in January1948. Boris Godunov was soon to follow.

In 1958, Inghelbrecht organized a small group ofmusicians, five in all. They gave weekly radio programs calledEntretiens autour dun piano, in which his wife also took part.At these sessions, the group discussed Inghelbrechts favoritecomposers, illustrating their music by one of the membersplaying the piano or singing an aria. These broadcasts lasteduntil Inghelbrechts death in 1965. Although Mme Inghel-brecht tried to revive them, the audience missed their leader,and the Entretiens ended.

During his entire career as a conductor, Inghelbrechtremained an ardent champion of French music and neverceased to promote the works of Debussy, Chabrier, Faur,Ravel, and Florent Schmitt. He made more than onerecording of Debussys orchestral compositions as well as ofPellas et Mlisande. Sometimes these were from liveperformances, other times from radio broadcasts. A private

D. E. INGHELBRECHT: A BIOGRAPHY 7

limited issue of this opera was made by the OrchestreNational at the Thtre des Champs-lyses on 12 March1963; Inghelbrecht called it probably the best one of mylife.

Inghelbrecht remained director of the Orchestre Nationaluntil 1960, when he relinquished the post and became guestconductor.

Although Inghelbrecht was entirely self-taught, havingleft school at the age of eleven, and never having had anytraining in composition at the Conservatoire, he neverthelessleft some sixty compositions, ranging in date from 1902 to1954. The best known of these may be La Nursery, thirty-sixshort pieces for piano four-hands, some of which he laterorchestrated. These were composed between 1905 and 1932.

Of his own compositions, he recorded only the following:the 1930 Sinfonia breve for small orchestra, the 1932 LaLgende du grand Saint-Nicholas for voice and orchestra, the1932 Quatre Fanfares for brass instruments, and a selectionfrom La Nursery for small orchestra in that same year. In 1937,he arranged Musorgskys Enfantines for voice and smallorchestra. Although it was published, he never recorded it.2

A complete list of his compositions is found in GermaineInghelbrecht, D. E. Inghelbrecht, 18590.

In addition to composing, Inghelbrecht found time to writethe following books:

Comment on ne doit pas interpreter Carmen, Faust et Pellas.Paris: Heugel, 1923.

Diabolus in musica: Essais sur la musique et ses interprtes. Paris:Chiron, 1933.

Mouvement contraire: Souvenirs dun musicien. Paris: ditions Domat, 1947.

Le Chef dorchestre et son quipe. Paris: Julliard, 1949. Translated asThe Conductors World by G. Prerauer and T. Malcolm Kirk.London: Peter Neville, 1953; New York: University Books, 1957.

Le Chef dorchestre parle au public. Paris: Julliard, 1957.

and with his wife:

Germaine and D. E. Inghelbrecht. Claude Debussy. Paris: Julliard, 1953.


2 See the Discography for a list of Inghelbrechts recordings and recorded works.

Letters from Debussy to Inghelbrecht

Letter I

80, Avenue du Bois de Boulogne

[22 mai 1912]

Mon cher Inghelbrecht,

Il me semble plus agrablement pratique que vous veniezJeudi prochain vers 11h du matin. tant donn quedAnnunzio ne veut rien savoir pour un argument, cause,dit-il, de Mme I. Rubinstein, a ne sera pas trs facile detrouver une rdaction claire!

en toute sympathieClaude Debussy

10 LETTERS FROM DEBUSSY TO INGHELBRECHT


[22 May 1912]

My dear Inghelbrecht,

It seems to me more pleasantly practical were you to comenext Thursday about 11 oclock. Since dAnnunzio does notwant to hear anything about a plot, becausehe saysofMme I. Rubinstein, it will not be very easy to come up with aclear version!

Most sympatheticallyClaude Debussy

LETTERS FROM DEBUSSY TO INGHELBRECHT 11

Notes

Gabriele dAnnunzio had long been interested in the subject of SaintSebastian. On 25 November 1910, he wrote to Debussy asking him tocompose music for the work he was writing, namely, Le Martyre de SaintSbastien. Debussy agreed to the proposal. Although he had not seen aword of the text, the subject interested him. While working together onLe Martyre, both artists benefited from a mutual understanding and anadmiration they had for each other.

DAnnunzio next asked Ida Rubinstein to undertake the role of SaintSbastien, having been impressed by her performance in DiaghilevsBallets Russes productions of Cloptre and Shhrazade. She quicklyagreed. Debussy soon found her difficult to deal with. More than once shemade demands of changes from him, none of which he granted.

The first performance of Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien, a mystery playin five acts, took place on 22 May 1911. Debussy asked his friend AndrCaplet to conduct, Gabriel Astruc chose Inghelbrecht as chorus master,and he in turn appointed his friends Andr Vuillermoz and MarcelChadeigne as coaches.

Now, a year later, Debussy wants to discuss Inghelbrechtsarrangement of Le Martyre in the form of an oratorio.

The following undated letter (probably February 1911) was writtenby Emma Debussy to Gabriel Astruc:

Notes, continued


Samedi

Cher Monsieur

Vous tes mille fois aimable, mais mon mari pense que vous ne lui envoudrez pas de ne rien pouvoir accepter dans un moment o lesminutes sont comptes.

Attendons que son double martyre soit fini et ce sera vous alorsqui nous ferez le trs grand plaisir, ainsi que Madame Astruc, de venirdner tout simplement, ici avec nous.

Tous mes regrets et mes souvenirs les meilleurs,

Emma Claude Debussy

Lu et approuv lunanimit. Et tous mescompliments pour le choix dInghelbrechtCommedans les vaudevillesjallais vous le proposer!

AmicalementClaude Debussy


Notes, continued


Saturday

Dear Sir,

You are extremely kind, but my husband hopes that you will not beupset with him if he finds himself unable to accept any invitations atthis time when every minute must be accounted for.

Let us wait until this two-fold martyrdom is over, at which timeyou, as well as Madame Astruc, will do us the great pleasure ofcoming to us for a simple evening.

With great regret and my very best wishes,

Emma Claude Debussy

Read and agreed to completely. And felicitations forhaving chosen InghelbrechtAs they say in comedysketchesyou read my mind!

Cordially,Claude Debussy1

This letter was obviously written in early 1911 when Debussy wasworking on Le Martyre de Saint Sbastien.


1 This letter is in the Papers of Gabriel Astruc, Dance Division, The New York PublicLibrary for the Performing Arts.

Letter II


2 Juin - 12

Mon cher Inghelbrecht

Voulez-vous tre assez aimable pour laisser vos choristes(femmes) rpter les Sirnes Mardi matin. Nous navons gureque cette rptition l pour mettre les choses au point . . . ! Ilparat que cette anne, le choriste est hors de prix et trsdemand et le Concert Domergue a lieu Mercredi.

Comptant sur votre habituelle gentillesse je vous remercie lavance et suis en affectueuse cordialit votre

Claude Debussy



2 June - 12


Would you be so good as to let your choristers (women)rehearse Sirnes on Tuesday morning. That is almost the onlyrehearsal we have to get things right . . . ! It seems that thisyear a chorister is extremely expensive and much in demand,and the Domergue concert is on Wednesday.

Relying on your usual kindness, I thank you in advanceand am, with affectionate cordiality, your

Claude Debussy


Notes

Debussy asks Inghelbrecht, the chorus master for Sirnes, for arehearsal the day before the concert.

Letter III

Mercredi soir 5 juin 1912


Les destines du Concert Domergue sont accomplies puisquilnaura pas lieu. Excusez-moi davoir troubl lordre de vosrptitions et, avec mes remerciements tout de mme, croyez mon affectueuse cordialit.

Claude Debussy


Wednesday evening 5 June 1912


The destinies of the Domergue concert have beenaccomplished, as it will not take place. Excuse me for havingtroubled the order of your rehearsals and, with many thanksnevertheless, believe in my affectionate cordiality.

Claude Debussy


Notes

The Domergue concert, which was to have taken place the day thisletter was written, had been canceled.1

1 The current location of this letter is unknown. The text was kindly communicated byDenis Herlin.

Letter IV

Pneumatique

[12 Juin 1912]

[Mercredi]


Voulez-vous avoir la complaisance de venir chez moi demainmatin Jeudi, avec St. Sbastien. Il y a des mouvements qui nesont pas exacts, et nous serons plus notre aise pour ce petittravail.

Mon affectueuse cordialitClaude Debussy


Pneumatique

[12 June 1912]

[Wednesday]


Would you be so good as to come to see me tomorrowmorning, Thursday, with St. Sbastien. There are some tempithat are not exactly quite correct, and we will be morecomfortable to do this little work.

My affectionate cordialityClaude Debussy


Notes

In 1912, Debussy discussed with Inghelbrecht the idea of performingLe Martyre de Saint Sbastien in the form of an oratorio. Inghelbrechtmade such an arrangement under Debussys supervision. This abridgedversion was performed on Friday 14 June and on Monday 17 June by theConcert Orchestra of the Socit Musicale Indpendante in the SalleGaveau. This Socit specialized in giving first performances.

Debussy, working with Inghelbrechts oratorio, wants to rehearse itwith him, as it is to be given two days later.

Letter V

Pneumatique

[12 Juin 1912]

Mercredi soir


Entendu pour demain soir 6h

votreClaude Debussy


Pneumatique

[12 june 1912]

Wednesday evening


All right for tomorrow evening at 6 oclock.

Yours,Claude Debussy


Notes

Debussy confirms the time of the rehearsal of Le Martyre for theevening of the day of the concert.1

1 This letter is in The Morgan Library, New York.

Letter VI


Samedi matin

[15 Juin 1912]


Excusez-moi dtre parti sans vous remercier, mais,dcidment, la figure des gens du concert nest pas assezmusicale! Croyez bien que je vous suis sincrementreconnaissant de votre effort mettre sur pied, en aussi peude temps, une uvre comme Le Martyre de St. Sbastien. Il yfallait plus que du talent. Encore merci et affectueusementvotre

Claude Debussy



Saturday morning[15 June 1912]


Excuse me for having left without thanking you, but,honestly, the look of the concertgoers is not musical enough!Please believe that I am sincerely grateful to you for youreffort to put together, in such a short time, a work like LeMartyre de St. Sbastien. It took more than talent. Thank youagain, and affectionately yours,

Claude Debussy


Notes

Debussy was worried that Inghelbrechts version of Le Martyre mightnot be a success and chose not to attend its performance.

Letter VII


15 Juin 1913^

a sera excellent . . . mon cher Inghelbrecht! et je vousremercie pour la, je-ne-sais-plus-combien-de-fois, de votregentil dvouement.

Faites chauffer les cinquantes choristes feu douxjeserai l Mercredi 4h.

Mes bons souvenirs aux vtres et amicalement votre

Claude Debussy




15 June 1913^

That will be excellent . . . my dear Inghelbrecht! And Ithank you for the I-no-longer-know-how-many-instances ofyour kind devotion.

Warm up the fifty choristersover a low flameI will bethere on Wednesday at 4 oclock

With my kind regards to your family, your friend

Claude Debussy

Notes

The choristers belonged to the Association Chorale Professionnellede Paris (A.C.P.). Debussy wants to rehearse them the day before theconcert when he is to conduct the Trois Chansons de Charles dOrlans.

In 1912, a number of Parisian choral singers realized that for theGrandes Saisons Gabriel Astruc had to import foreign groups. Several of thesingers, therefore, sent a telegram to him saying that they wanted toparticipate in such performances. Astruc replied that they were notorganized and had no conductor. The group then appointed Inghelbrecht astheir conductor, and, with his friend, Fernand Lamy, the A.C.P. was formed.

Astruc played an important role in Inghelbrechts early career. In1911, in addition to appointing him chorus master in Le Martyre, henamed him music director at the Thtre du Chtelet. In 1912, as justmentioned, it was he who suggested that Inghelbrecht organize the groupthat became the A.C.P. In 1913, he named him music director andconductor at the Thtre des Champs-lyses.

The Inaugural Concert of the Thtre des Champs-lyses tookplace on 2 April 1913 with a program that consisted of a group of well-known composers conducting their own works. To open the concert,Ingehlbrecht conducted Emmanuel Chabriers ode la Musique; this wasfollowed by Camille Saint-Sans with Phaton, Gabriel Faur with LaNaissance de Vnus, Debussy with Prlude LAprs-midi dun faune,Vincent dIndy with Le Camp de Wallenstein, Paul Dukas with LApprentisorcier, Inghelbrecht with douard Lalos Scherzo, and finally Saint-Sanswith La Lyre et la Harpe.

Concerning Saint-Sanss participation in this concert, Astruc tellsthe following story: I had telegraphed Saint-Sans in the Balearic Islandsto ask him to lead the illustrious cortege. He replied: There must be two


concerts, One for me alone, including La Lyre et la Harpe, complete, andanother for the others. My reply was Impossible. His was: It will be thator nothing. I sent a cable: All right then, nothing. Two hours later, themaestro agreed to conduct Phaton alongside his comrades. 1

Chabriers ode la Musique was a favorite work of both Debussy andInghelbrecht, who referred to it as the musicians creed (le Crdo dumusicien). At the last rehearsal for the Inaugural Concert, Debussy, whowas present, asked Inghelbrecht to repeat the ode just because he was sofond of it that he wanted to hear it again. Chabrier was truly one of thecontemporary composers whom Debussy genuinely admired. According toMadame de Tinan, he often played and sang Chabriers comic operaLtoile from beginning to end, and she often saw the score of his operaGwendoline on his piano. Debussys large Chinese porcelain frog, which hekept in the salon, was named Gwendoline.

Paul Dukas was one of the few composers with whom Debussy hada lifelong friendship. This began when they met at the Conservatoire. Theirmutual interest in subjects other than music can be seen on the score of thePrlude LAprs-midi dun faune, which bears the inscription: Amitis,Esthtique . . . Toute la lyre (Friendship, Aesthetics . . . the whole gamut).Dukas was to remain a staunch supporter of Debussys music all his life.

1 Gabriel Astruc, Le Pavillon des fantmes (Paris: Grasset, 1929), 285.

Notes, continued

Letter VIII


15 Septembre - 13


Vous avez d recevoir un manuscrit de Raoul Bardac, pourlequel je viens vous demander une sympathique attention.Sans parler de mon affection pour Raoul Bardac, il mesemble, moins que je nai perdu tout sens critique, que sonuvre mrite la faveur dune excution. . . . Vous tcherez defaire cela, Inghelbrecht, parce que vous aimez la musique etque vous ferez plaisir votre vieil ami

Claude Debussy

Pouvez-vous passer chez moi pour un supplmentdinformations, et au sujet de La Sulamite quon a tortdabondonner!

[addressed to:]Monsieur D. E. Inghelbrechtaux soins obligeants de M. G. Astruc32, rue Louis-Le-Grand



15 September - 13


You should have received a manuscript from Raoul Bardac, towhich I am asking you to give sympathetic attention.Without speaking of my affection for Raoul Bardac, I do feel,unless I have lost all critical sense, that this work deserves tobe favored with a performance. . . . You will undertake to dothat, Inghelbrecht, because you love music and because youwill be giving pleasure to your old friend

Claude Debussy

Could you drop by to see me for some additionalinformation and about La Sulamite, which they are wrong toabandon!

[Addressed to:]Monsieur D. E. InghelbrechtBy the kindness of Mr. G. Astruc32, rue Louis-Le-Grand


Notes

Raoul Bardac was a sensitive, modest, and reticent man who was anintelligent musician. He began taking lessons from Debussy in 1899.These, however, were more in the form of advicethose of a master tohis disciple, as can be seen in Debussys letter to Bardac of 27 August1901: I believe that you should not hurry to write. . . . One can neverspend too much time constructing that special atmosphere in which awork of art should move.1

Bardacs work mentioned in Debussys letter2 must be hiscomposition entitled Heures (Hours), which was published in 1913. Hisother compositions include a number of songs written between 1903 and1914 and works for piano published between 1914 and 1943.

1 Edward Lockspeiser, Debussy, Master Musicians Series, 5th ed., rev. (London:J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1980), 28586.

2 This letter is in the Bibliothque nationale de France, Dpartement de la Musique.


3 Gustave Samazeuilh, Musiciens de mon temps (Paris: ditions Marcel Daubin, 1947), 47.

Debussys interest in La Sulamite, Chabriers scne lyrique, is wellknown. He told Gustave Samazeuilh that he was greatly influenced by theopening bars of this piece when he wrote the opening bars of La Damoisellelue.3 Inghelbrecht, also an admirer of Chabrier, gave frequent performancesof La Sulamite; the last one was in 1964, the year before his death.

Notes, continued

Letter IX

Mon cher ami

Vous pouvez compter sur moi demain Mercredi 2 heures . . .trs heureux que lascenseur fonctionne, seulement jaicompltement oubli de lui rserver une partie dans Ibria,si vous le voulez bien a sera pour la prochaine fois.

Continuez mtre bien respectueusement dvou.Vous ne saurez jamais assez combien cela me fait plaisir,venant dun artiste tel que vous, parmi cette bande de jeunespaltoquets dont vous connaissez, encore plus que moi, lesqualits de cynisme.

Tout de mme, changer respectueusement pouraffectueusement. Voulez-vous?

votre vieux dvouClaude Debussy

30 Sept - 13


My dear friend,

You can count on me tomorrow, Wednesday, at 2 oclock . . .very glad that the elevator is working, except that I hadcompletely forgotten to reserve a part for it in Ibria; if youwish, that will be for the next time.

Please keep being most respectfully devoted to me. Youwill never fully known how much pleasure that gives me,coming from an artist like yourself, among that gang of youngupstarts whose cynical qualities you know better than I do.

Nevertheless, do change respectfully to affectionately.Will you?

Your old devotedClaude Debussy

30 Sept. - 13


Notes

In order to attract the public to his new Thtre des Champs-lyses,Astruc asked Debussy to conduct Ibria at the first concert to be giventhere by the Socit des Nouveaux Concerts on 15 October 1913.Inghelbrecht was to conduct the orchestra and the chorus for the rest ofthe program. Debussy now reminds Inghelbrecht of the rehearsal.

At one of the rehearsals, of which there would be twenty, thepercussionist in charge of the bells in Part III of the score failed to executehis part to Debussys satisfaction, and Inghelbrecht went up to help him.On the day of the concert, Inghelbrecht had hoped to be able to listen toIbria from the concert hall. However, Debussy in an anguished voiceasked him to go back to the bells, saying that he was used to seeing hislittle head up there. As requested, Inghelbrecht again rang the bells for LeMatin dun jour de fte.

Letter X

Pneumatique


10 Oct / 13


Comptez sur moi demain 9 1/2Si nous avions le temps,on pourrait chanter La Damoiselle lue en espagnol, ettransformer la Marche cossaise en Estudiantina, pour resterdans la couleur

AffectueusementClaude Debussy


Pneumatique


10 Oct. / 1913


Expect me tomorrow at 9:30If we had time, we could singLa Damoiselle lue in Spanish and transform the Marchecossaise into Estudiantina, to preserve the same spirit.

AffectionatelyClaude Debussy


Notes

Debussy is making fun of the Spanish tinge in the program of the15 October concert and proposes using Estudiantina, a popular waltz byWaldteufel based on a Spanish song by Paul Lacome.

Letter XI

Pneumatique

80, Avenue du Bois du Boulogne

Dimanche

9 Nov / 13

Cher Inghelbrecht, depuis la reprsentation unique, maisadmirable, de Boris, je voulais vous dire ma reconnaissancepour ce que vous avez fait. . . . Mener bien une troupe degens o, la meilleure bonne volont tait combattue par laplus dtestable des lchets, cest vraiment trs bien!Naturellement, nos bons critiques ont voulu lignorer, et cest peine si lon a parl de vous, de vos efforts, de votre russite!Cest un peu curant, et le dieu qui juge les Franais doit enavoir une fichue opinion pour le moment! Avez-vous quelquechose de nouveau? Il est impossible que tant de beaut soitpitine par les pieds indiffrents des dilettantes. (Quels som-bres idiots!) Si vous avez besoin de moi, nhsitez pas, et croyezmoi toujours votre vieux dvou

Claude Debussy



Pneumatique


Dimanche

9 Nov. / 13

Dear Inghelbrecht, ever since the sole, but admirable, perform-ance of Boris, I have wanted to express my gratitude for whatyou have done. . . . To succeed with a group of people wherethe best goodwill was up against utterly despicable behavior isreally great! Of course, our fine critics tried to ignore it, andthere has been barely a mention of you and your efforts andyour success! It is a bit disheartening, and the god that sits injudgment of the French must have a pretty sorry opinion ofthem at the moment! Do you have anything new? It is impossi-ble that so much beauty should be trampled under the indiffer-ent feet of dilettantes. (What prize idiots!) If you need me, donot hesitate, and believe me always your old devoted

Claude Debussy

Notes

The performance of Musorgskys opera Boris Godunov given on12 October at the Thtre des Champs-lyses was special, not onlybecause it was the first time it was sung in French, but also because it wasthe last performance to be given in that theater with Astruc as directorhe was then bankrupt.

The idea of producing Boris, if only for one performance, had comefrom Inghelbrecht and Robert Brussel. Knowing that Astruc had the setsand the costumes, Inghelbrecht arranged that the entire personnel(singers, musicians, electricians, dressers, ushers, etc.) would give theirservices without pay. This performance was to be their ultimate tribute toAstruc, their director, by the personnel of the theater.

Debussy attended all the rehearsals of the opera and often madehelpful suggestions to Inghelbrecht, whom he joined during theintermissions. According to Astruc: Musorgskys tragedy took place in anatmosphere of extreme anguish which seemed to add to its beauty.1

1 Astruc, Le Pavillion des fantmes, 289.


Musorgsky was a favorite composer of both Debussy andInghelbrecht, each of whom wrote of him in glowing terms. Debussycalled the song cycle Nursery a masterpiece and wrote: No one else hasspoken to our better natures in tones of such tenderness and depth.2 Inturn, Inghelbrecht described Boris as one of the greatest masterpieces oflyric art,3 and included it regularly in his programming.

Notes, continued

2 Claude Debussy, Monsieur Croche et autres crits, introduction and notes by FranoisLesure, rev. and enlarged ed. (Paris: Gallimard, 1987), 29.

3 D. E. Inghelbrecht, Le Chef dorchestre parle au public (Paris: Julliard, 1957), 81.

Letter XII


17 Novembre / 13

Cher Inghelbrecht,

Voulez-vous me rendre le service de me prter votre partitionde la Marche cossaise? Je crois que vous tes seul avoir lavraie tradition de ce morceau, et en tout cas cela me porterabonheur de diriger sur votre partition.

Merci et affectueusement votre

Claude Debussy



17 November / 13

Dear Inghelbrecht,

Would you do me the favor of lending me your score of theMarche cossaise? I think that you are the only one to havethe true feeling of this piece and, in any event, conductingfrom your score will bring me luck.

Thank you, and yours affectionately,

Claude Debussy


Notes

At the invitation of Koussevitzky, Debussy was preparing to give twoconcerts of his works in Russia. The first concert took place at SaintPetersburg on 9 December, the second at Moscow on 12 December. Theprograms were identical and included the first two Nocturnes, La Mer, thePrlude LAprs-midi dun faune, the Marche cossaise, and the Rapsodiefor clarinet and orchestra.

Debussy heard the Marche cossaise for the first time when hehappened to walk in on a rehearsal of the Nocturnes that Inghelbrecht wasto conduct at a concert on 5 May 1913. Debussy asked why he had notbeen asked to attend the rehearsal and added that Inghelbrecht hadearlier conducted a work of his without inviting him to hear that oneeither. Inghelbrecht explained that he did not want to expose Debussy tothe other works on the program that were to be played by an acrobaticviolinist. That concert took place on 19 April, when Inghelbrechtconducted the first performance of the Marche cossaise. Going back tothe rehearsal, Inghelbrecht then led the orchestra in a performance of theMarche cossaise for the composers benefit. Thus in 1913, Debussy heardfor the first time the 1908 orchestral version of the work which he hadcomposed in 1891; he exclaimed, Mais cest jolie! (But its very pretty!)

Letter XIII

Pneumatique


19 Novembre / 13

Cher Inghelbrecht,

Hier, je nai pas os vous demander si votre beau-prevoudrait bien nous faire le plaisir de nous accompagnerVendredi, par crainte que cela ne lennuie!

Soyez notre ambassadeur et faites comme pour nous!



Pneumatique


19 November / 13

Dear Inghelbrecht,

Yesterday, I didnt venture to ask you if your father-in-lawwould do us the pleasure of accompanying us on Friday, forfear that it might bore him!

Be our ambassador and do so on our behalf!



Notes

Following Inghelbrechts marriage, in 1910, to Colette Steinlen,daughter of the artist Thophile Steinlen, he moved into the Steinlensapartment, which the artist called La Maison des Arts Runis (the Houseof United Arts). A close relationship soon developed between the olderartist and the young musician, of which Debussy was well aware. Steinlenmade a pen-and-ink drawing of Debussy for the program of the InauguralConcert of the A.C.P. that Inghelbrecht conducted on 31 January 1914.

Debussy mentioned Steinlen in several of his letters to Inghelbrechtand evidently enjoyed his company. In a letter from Debussy dated12 May 1916, addressing Steinlen Monsieur et ami (Dear Sir andfriend), Debussy invites him to accompany the Inghelbrechts the next dayto the Square de Bois de Boulogne.

Postcard I

[Hannover, 16 Dec. 1913]

Si vous ne les trouvez pas beaux, cest que vous tes biendifficile!

bienttCl D


[Hannover, 16 Dec. 1913]

If you dont think that they are handsome, its because youare hard to please.

See you soonCl D


Notes

This card shows a picture in color of four pompous Germans(Prussian generals) in full dress with their decorations.

Debussy sent this card while on his way back from Russia, where hehad given two concerts: the first in Saint Petersburg on 9 December, thesecond in Moscow on 12 December.

Letter XIV

Dimanche18 Janvier / 14

Cher Inghel,

Malgr de longues et patientes recherches je nai pas trouv leDebussy de face que rclamait votre beau-pre! Y compris leportrait de Monsieur Jacques-mile Blanche, o je prendslapparence dun fromage blanc fatigu par les veilles. . . .

De plus, en rflchissant, il me semble que, les tantillustres auteurs inscrits sur votre programme pourraient seblesser de se voir reprsent par le seul Debussy! Laissez-noustous sous le patronnage de Charles dOrlans, doux princeaim des muses, et si gentil franais!

Affectueuses penses du vieuxClaude Debussy


Sunday18 January 1914

Dear Inghel,

Despite long and painstaking searching I have not found thefull-face Debussy your father-in-law was asking for! As well asthe portrait by Monsieur Jacques-mile Blanche, in which Iresemble a cream cheese that has had too many late nights.

Furthermore, on reflection, I feel that the mostillustrious composers listed on your program might be hurt tosee themselves represented by Debussy alone! Leave us allunder the patronage of Charles dOrlans, sweet princebeloved of the Muses, and most noble Frenchman!

Affectionate regards from oldClaude Debussy


Notes

Steinlen had obviously asked Debussy to let him see a portrait ofhimself but he could not find it. Nor could he find the larger of the twoportraits of himself that Jacques-mile Blanche had painted.

The program of the concert Debussy mentions in this letter is that ofthe Inaugural Concert of the A.C.P. at the Salle Gaveau on 31 January1914. It was made up solely of a-cappella choral works: a motet by Bachwas followed by madrigals and chorales by Roland de Lassus, Josquin desPrs, Monteverdi, and Palestrina, then various works by Mendelssohn,Borodin, Musorgsky, Grieg, Reynaldo Hahn, Florent Schmitt, andDebussys Trois Chansons de Charles dOrlans.

In his review of the concert, Debussy wrote: One ought to single outeverything that was performed at this first concert. There even may havebeen too many beautiful things one after the otherwe are unused tosuch generosity. . . . It was all the work of D. E. Inghelbrechtas slenderas his batonwhose enthusiastic spirit brought together all theseperformers and whose scrupulous authority unfailingly controls thewhole.1

We note that this is the first letter in which Debussy uses theaffectionate form Inghel in writing to his friend.

1 Debussy, Monsieur Croche et autres crits, 263.

Letter XV

Pneumatique

24 Fev / 1914

Cher Inghel,

Revenu de Rome cet aprs-midi je repars pourAmsterdam. . . .

Jaime beaucoup cette existence de placier en doublescroches!Mais voil que lon a oubli mes baguettes . . . enavez-vous une me prter pendant quelques jours? . . . mareconnaissance ne peut tenir dans un aussi petit format.


Le chauffeur Jules passera chez vous vers 10 1/2 (ne dites quiconque que je suis Paris)


Pneumatique

24 Feb. / 1914

Dear Inghel,

Back from Rome this afternoon I leave again forAmsterdam. . . .

I very much like this life of a traveling salesman insixteenth notes! And now, someone has forgotten my batons . . . do you have one you could lend me for a fewdays? . . . my gratitude cannot be expressed in such a smallformat.


Jules, the chauffeur, will come by your place about 10:30(dont tell anyone I am in Paris)


Notes

Debussy had just returned from Rome where he had conducted theorchestra of the Augusteo on 22 February. The program at that concertconsisted of La Mer, Rondes de printemps, Prlude LAprs-midi dun faune,and the Marche cossaise. He next left for Holland, where he led theConcertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam on 28 February and The Hagueon 1 March. The program at each concert consisted of the Nocturnes:Nuages and Ftes, the Prlude LAprs-midi dun faune, the Marchecossaise, and three Prludes for piano (Danseuses de Delphes, La Fille auxcheveux de lin, and La Puerta del Vio).

Debussy did not enjoy these trips abroad, which he made in order tomeet the demands of the luxurious lifestyle of his wife Emma. This isevident in a letter he wrote to Jacques Durand on 4 January 1914: MayI confide in you that this voyage to Rome, as well as those to Amsterdamand The Hague, make me profoundly unhappy (mattriste infiniment).1

Debussy asked to borrow one of Inghelbrechts batons so that hewould not have to go out in order to buy his own, as he did not wantanyone to know that he was in Paris in that short time before hisdeparture for Holland. When Debussy returned the batons, Inghelbrechtmarked them with Debussys initials and kept them as precious souvenirs.

The chauffeur, Jules, waited daily at the garden gate should Debussywant to go out. According to Madame de Tinan, he rarely did so. Attimes, he would visit his publisher, go to a bookseller, or maybe to a dealerin Chinese antiques, objets dart of which he was particularly fond.

1 Claude Debussy, Lettres son diteur (Paris: Durand et Cie, 1927), 11920.

Letter XVI

18 Aot - 1914

Cher D. E.

Nous navons pas boug . . .La guerre a nettoy Paris de tous ses mtques, soit en les

fusillant, soit en les expulsant. Cest devenu instantanmentun endroit charmant.

Raoul Bardac, pour linstant, est Versaillesserviceautomobile

Le Caporal Satie dfend Arcueil.Erl . . . r [Erlanger] est la disposition du Ministre de la

Guerrepeut-tre pour nettoyer les encriers?Si lon tient ce que je me fasse casser la figure, jespre

pouvoir le faire aussi bien quun autre. Sans cela, mon ge,mes aptitudes militaires me rendent tout au plus bon garderune palissade! Ne doutez pas que nous nayons beaucoup pens vous! Tous les jours, ma femme, ou Chouchou demandait:O sont les Inghel? Ainsi, quoique lAvenue des Cerisierssoit une bien jolie adresse, tchez de revenir le plus vitepossible, votre prsence est doublement indispensable:ami citoyen joie! (selon Marinetti)

Toutes nos affectueuses penses pour vous deux, aveclamiti de votre vieux dvou

Claude Debussy

P.S.En 70, ils avaient Richard Wagner.En 1914, ils nont plus que Richard Strauss.


18 August1914

Dear D. E.

We havent budged.The war has cleansed Paris of all its foreigners, they have

either been shot or deported. It has instantly become acharming place.

Raoul Bardac, for the moment, is in Versaillesin theautomobile corps.

Corporal Satie is defending Arcueil.Erl . . . r [Erlanger] is attached to the War Ministry

cleaning inkwells perhaps?If they insist on my getting banged up, I hope to be able to

do it as well as anyone else. Otherwise my age, my militaryaptitudes make me at best fit for a barricade watch. You can beassured that we have thought about you a lot! Daily, my wife,or Chouchou, asks Where are the Inghels? So, even thoughthe Avenue des Cerisiers is a pretty address, try to return asquickly as possible, your presence is doubly indispensable:Friend citizen joy! (according to Marinetti)!

All our affectionate thoughts to you both, with thefriendship of your old devoted

Claude Debussy

P.S.In the 70s, they had Richard Wagner.In 1914, they have only Richard Strauss.


Notes

Satie was living in his apartment in Arceuil.Camille Erlanger was a prominent opera composer.Debussy is said to have first met Satie at the Auberge du Clou in 1890.

It was probably there that Satie described their first meeting: The very firsttime I saw him I felt drawn to him, and wished to live forever at his side1

In 1892, Debussy orchestrated Saties Gymnopdies nos. 1 and 3, theonly orchestration he ever did of a contemporary composers work (save

1 Satie, Erik, crits runis par Ornella Volta (Paris: ditions Champs Libre, 1977), 6768.


Saint-Sans in 1890). For many years Debussy and Satie were very goodfriends and saw each other often. However, a rupture came in 1917 whenSaties feelings were hurt because he felt that Debussy showed a lack ofenthusiasm for his ballet Parade. Later, Satie deeply regretted the rift.His lgie, composed in 1920 for Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy isdedicated to Debussy and bears the inscription: In memory of anadmiring and happy thirty-year-long friendship.2

Debussy was devoted to his daughter Chouchou, who played animportant role in his life. To Robert Godet, he wrote on 18 December1911: Chouchous smile helps me through certain dark hours.3 On hisnumerous trips abroad to conduct his works, he never forgot to sendChouchou letters and postcards.

It was while Inghelbrecht was on vacation in Lausanne, staying on theAvenue des Cerisiers, that he received notice that he had been drafted.

2 La Revue Musicale, December 1920, Supplment Musical: Le Tombeau de ClaudeDebussy, 32.

3 Claude Debussy, Correspondance, 18841917, collected and annotated by FranoisLesure (Paris: Hermann, 1993), 298.

Notes, continued

Letter XVII

Pneumatique

10 Janvier 1915 - (soire)

Cher Inghel,

Pour ne pas dsobliger Chouchou nous avons remplac lesNouveaux Concerts par le Cinma des Champs-lyses . . .Ctait trs beau.

Nous avons vu: le roi Albert comme je vous vois; LeCalvaire dune Reine, o lmotion na pas une minute perdre; Monsieur Max Linder qui a beaucoup plus de talentque MM. Chevilliern et Piernard runis. Malgr tant dattractions empresses me plaire, jai constammentpens vous, votre pneu mayant parfaitement navr. . . .

Vous voyez bien quil ne faut pas trop aimer la musique,et quen la traitant plus dur que Boches, on russit embarrasser les meilleures bonnes volonts!

Tout de mme, les gens sont de tristes gaufres. Commentne saperoivent-ils pas quon leur fait payer trs cher le plaisirdentendre, dans une sorte de piscine, des excutions de fortune?

Dieu finira bien par reconnatre les siens, comme ditlvangile.

Croyez-moi toujours avec vous . . . (Cest toujours a!)Mes affectueux souvenirs votre femme, votre cher

beau-pre.



Pneumatique

10 January 1915 - (evening)

Dear Inghel,

In order not to upset Chouchou, we replaced the NouveauxConcerts with the Cinma des Champs-lyses. . . . It wasvery fine.

We saw King Albert as plain as I see you; Le Calvairedune Reine, in which emotions come fast and furious;Monsieur Max Linder, who has a lot more talent than Messrs.Chevilliern and Piernard put together. Despite so manyattractions that were aimed to please me, I thought of youconstantly, your pneu having upset me a great deal. . . .

You see that one must not love music too much, and thatdealing with it more harshly than the Boches, one succeedsin contravening the best of intentions.

All the same, people are poor dopes. How can one fail tosee that they are being asked to pay a very high price for thepleasure of listening to some makeshift performance in a sortof swimming pool?

God will recognize His own one day, as the Gospel says.Believe that I am always with you . . . (theres always that!)My affectionate regards to your wife and your dear father-

in-law.your old devotedClaude Debussy

Notes

The Nouveaux Concerts, founded in 1913 by Inghelbrecht at therequest of Gabriel Astruc, took place at the Thtre des Champs-lyseswith Inghelbrecht as conductor.

Albert I was King of the Belgians.Max Linder was the owner of the Cin Max Linder, whose programs

were advertised as the ideal cinema for the whole family.Debussy jokingly interchanged syllables in the names of the

conductors Chevillard and Piern. He was at first full of praise for theconductor Camille Chevillard: marvelous understanding of Beethovens



Ninth in 1901. However, on 10 October 1905, he had found him unableto understand the score of La Mer and wrote to Jacques Durand: That manshould have been a wild-animal trainer . . . he really has very littleartistry.1 Chevillard conducted the first performances of the first twoNocturnes: Nuages and Ftes, in 1900, the complete Nocturnes in 1901, LaMer in 1905, the Petite Suite in 1907, and the Berceuse hroque in 1915.

Debussy also had mixed feelings about the conductor GabrielPierns interpretations of his works. In a letter to Andr Caplet dated22 December 1911, he wrote: For my sins, I heard La Mer conducted byGabriel Piern, it was deplorable and embarrassing.2 On the otherhand, following the conductors performance of Beethovens Pastoralesymphony, Debussy remarked that he had conducted it very well.Piern conducted the first performances of two Images: Ibria in 1910 andGigues in 1913, and the first concert performance of Jeux in 1914.

The pneu (the short form of pneumatique, an express letter) probablyannounced that Inghelbrecht had been drafted.

Boches was the slang term for the Germans during World War I.

1 Debussy, Correspondance, 18841917, 2067.2 Ibid., 300.

Letter XVIII

Pneumatique

26 Mars 1915

Mon cher Inghel,

Ma pauvre vieille maman est morte hier dans laprs-midi 1 h 1/2.

Pour elle cest une dlivrance! Pour moi un dur chagrin.

Bien tristement vtreClaude Debussy

Mes affectueuses penses aux vtres.


[Pneumatique]

26 March 1915

My dear Inghel,

My poor mother died yesterday afternoon at 1:30.For her, it was a release! For me, a great sorrow.

Very sadly yours,Claude Debussy

My affectionate regards to your family.


Notes

Debussys mother Victorine (ne Manoury, 18361915) had fivechildren, of which Claude was the eldest and her favorite. She never senthim to school, but educated him herself at home. He long rememberedher as a strict disciplinarian and the times she used to box his ears.Although there are few references to her in his letters, he did not neglecther. Following his move to the house on the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne,he arranged for better lodgings for his parents nearby.

Letter XIX


3 Juin 1915

Cher Inghel,

Vous avez bien raison . . . on ne se voit pas! Sans trop savoirpourquoi il est vrai, et cest peut-tre la seule excuse?

Pendant de longs jours encore, nous serons ballots pardes vnements mal connus, nous en subirons secrtement lecontrecoup, avec limpression dsobligeante, mais sre, quenous ny pouvons rien changer.

Astruc ma parl dun projet qui, en effet, nous estparticulirement cher. Il semble que dhabituels btons sontvenus se mettre dans nos roues, le mme Astruc mcrivantquil y renonce! On aime dcidment la musique Paris.

Il y a aussi le projet dune reprsentation de Pellaset Mlisande au profit des blesss, avec ce quil reste descrateurs,Messager conduirait lorchestre.

On cherche ramener: les dcors, les lumires au plusstrict, les machinistes tant rares, la fleur des lectriciensemploys aux fils barbels . . .

Vous voyez ce que lon peut attendre dune pareilleprparation?

Nos sants ne sont pas ce quil y a de mieux, exceptChouchou qui a lair dune pivoine. Si jamais vous avezquelque libert (?) noubliez pas le chemin dune maison olon pense constamment et affectueusement vous deux.

votre vieux devouClaude Debussy



3 June 1915

Dear Inghel,

You are quite right . . . we do not see each other! Withoutreally knowing why, and maybe that is the sole excuse?

For many long days to come, we are going to be shakenup by poorly understood events, we will secretly put up withthe effects, with the unpleasant, but certain, impression thatwe can do nothing to change things.

Astruc has spoken to me about a plan that is, indeed,especially precious to us. It appears that the usual spokeshave been put in our wheels, the same Astruc writing to methat he is abandoning it! They certainly do like music in Paris.

There is also a plan for one performance of Pellas etMlisande for the benefit of the wounded with what remainsof the original castMessager would conduct the orchestra.

They are trying to pull things together: the scenery,minimum lighting, stagehands being hard to find, the best ofthe electricians are with the barbed wire.. . .

Can you picture what one might expect from such apreparation?

Our health is not all it might be, save for Chouchou, wholooks like a peony. If you ever get any leave (?) dont forgetthe road of a certain house in which you both are thought ofconstantly and affectionately.



Notes

A possible reference to Astrucs plan for a staged version of LeMartyre de Saint Sbastien is found in a letter Debussy sent to P.-B. Gheusion 24 November 1915: I should like to talk to you not about Pellas, butabout a future revival of this interesting work. On 2 December, Debussyagain wrote to Gheusi, this time in reference to the plan to put on justone performance of Pellas: Do you know Cousinos? He is now with theOpra. I think that you were on the jury when he won the first prize at

the Opra-Comique. . . . He has a very beautiful voice that would suit therole of Golaud.1

Inghelbrecht had been called up for military duty while on vacationin Lausanne and was now assigned to the laboratory of the militaryHpital du Val-de-Grce in Paris.

This letter is written on mourning paper, bordered in black.


1 These letters are in The Morgan Library, New York.

Letter XX

23 Juin - 1915

Cher Inghel,

Mademoiselle Garden a lappendicite; tout porte croire quece lapin ne sera pas tu avant la fin de la guerre? Je ne puisdonc vous envoyer que des regretssi vous voulez je les feraisnumrots?

Il faut mieux coucher chez le bon dieu que chez sessaintsa dit lEcclsiaste, ainsi, je vous flicite.

Nos affectueuses penses aux Inghels au pre des Inghels,et toujours votre vieux dvou

Claude Debussy


23 June-1915

Dear Inghel,

Miss Garden has appendicitis; everything seems to indicatethat this rabbit wont be hatched before the war is over? ThusI can send you only regretsif you like I will have themnumbered?

It is better to lie down in the house of the Lord than inthat of His saintsas Ecclesiastes has it, so I congratulate you.

Our affectionate thoughts to the Inghels, to the Inghelsfather, and as ever your old devoted

Claude Debussy


Notes

The soprano Mary Garden was the rare singer for whom Debussynever had anything but praise. On her copy of the 1902 vocal score ofPellas et Mlisande, he wrote: To Mary Gardenyou alone will foreverremain the woman and the artist that I had hardly dared ask for.

His further appreciation of her is found in an article entirely devotedto her which appeared in Musica, January 1908. Debussy was to pay such atribute to only three other artists: Charles Gounod in 1905, JulesMassenet in 1912, and Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1912.

In order to verify the rumors that Mary Garden had appendicitis,Debussy wrote the following letter:

Notes, continued

Monsieur Raymond GeigerInterne lhpital Lariboisire Paris

Pourville 13 Juillet 1915

Monsieur,

Vous avez constat comme moi que lon na pas jou Pellas etMlisande. . . . Faut-il croire lappendicite de MademoiselleGarden? Ne me sentant aucun pouvoir de rsoudre cette question, jeme suis permis de men aller vers des endroits o ne fleurit aucunthtrepar contre on y rencontre beaucoup de blesss. Hlas, cesttoujours le thtre de la guerre qui fait les plus grosses recettes.

Croyez-moi sensible a votre sympathie et celle de vos amis(impossible demployer lpithte camarades).

Mes cordiales salutationsClaude Debussy


Notes, continued

Monsieur Raymond GeigerIntern, Hpital Lariboisire, Paris

Pourville 13 July 1915

Dear Sir,

Like myself, you will have noticed that Pellas et Mlisande has notbeen performed. . . . Should we or should we not believe inMademoiselle Gardens appendicitis? Since I feel unqualified toanswer the question, I have taken it upon myself to address thoseplaces where no theater is flourishingwhere, rather, oneencounters many wounded. Alas, the theater of war always seems toplay to full houses.

Please believe that I am aware of your compassion, and of thatof your friends (impossible to employ the term comrades).

My cordial greetings,Claude Debussy1

- - - - -

In a long interview later that year, Mary Garden would admit that shehad recovered sufficiently from her recent attack of appendicitis and wasable to sing again and that by the end of the year she was planning to givesix charity performances at the Opra-Comique, singing two nights each inPuccinis Tosca, Gustave Charpentiers Louise, and Pellas et Mlisande.


1 This letter is in The Carlton Lake Collection, Harry Ransom Humanities ResearchCenter, the University of Texas at Austin.

Letter XXI

Mon CoinPourville par Dieppe. S.I.

Mercredi 28 Juillet 1915

Cher Inghel,

Nous sommes partis le 12, et, je ne vous ai pas prvenu, rienntant plus ennuyeux que de dire ceux qui restent: Ah!vous savez, nous allons la mer, respirer un air nettoy decommuniqus trop brefs et de rencontres fcheuses. Quant vous, continuez!

Nous connaissions, et aimions Pourville, y tant venusil y a quelques annes. . . .a na pas chang. La mer esttoujours la mme place, le calme est extraordinaire, ainsique laffirme Mr. M. Maeterlinck, ce qui donne penser quilne connat rien la qualit du silence? Les gens sont laidsavec assurance; voleurs assurment, mais le pain de mnagey est excellent.

Dieppe est devenue une ville toute anglaise, et, voir lafaon dont sy organisent nos allis on doit penser que laguerre durera cent ans! . . . Je ne sais si vous tes comme moi,qui ne prends jamais de bains de mer? Cest trop grand! puisje ne sais pas nager. . . . On se baigne peu ici! La mer enprofite pour tre admirable: bleue comme une valse; grisecomme une plaque de tle inutilisable; le plus souvent: vertecomme la pure dont se prive le vieux capitaine. Cest toutde mme beau, plus beau que La Mer dun certain C.D., je ledis moi-mme. Je dis aussi que lon pense souvent vous etquavec mes affectueux souvenirs, vous pouvez me croiretoujours

votre vieux dvouCl Debussy


Mon CoinPourville par Dieppe. S.I.

Wednesday 28 July 1915

Dear Inghel,

We left on the 12th, and I didnt let you know beforehandsince nothing is more tiresome than telling those who remainbehind: Ah! You know, we are going to the seaside tobreathe air cleansed of unduly terse communiqus andboring meetings. As for you, go on.

We already knew and loved Pourville, having been there afew years ago. . . . It hasnt changed. The sea is still in thesame place, it is extraordinarily quiet, as Mr. M. Maeterlinckaffirms, which leads one to believe that he knows nothingabout the quality of silence? The people are confident in theirugliness; thieves, naturally, but the local bread is excellent.

Dieppe has become a completely English town, andfrom the manner in which our allies have establishedthemselves here, they seem to think that the war will last ahundred years! . . . I dont know if you are like me, whonever goes bathing in the ocean? It is too big! And then, Idont know how to swim. . . . People swim very little here.The sea thrives on that and is admirable: blue as a waltz, grayas a useless piece of sheet metal; most often green as thepure the old captain does without. All the same, it isbeautiful, more beautiful than La Mer of a certain C. D., I sayso myself. I also say that we think of you often and with myaffectionate regards you can believe me always

your old devotedCl Debussy


Notes

Debussy had gone to Pourville in July 1904 and again in July 1907.When Debussy asked Maeterlinck for permission to set his play to

music, Maeterlinck admitted that he knew nothing about music. Later,

a serious misunderstanding arose between them when Maeterlinck insistedthat his mistress, the singer Georgette Leblanc, create the role of Mlisanderather than Mary Garden, whom Debussy had chosen. Debussys wishesprevailed, but relations between them were thereafter strained. It was notuntil 27 January 1920, in New York City, where Mary Garden was thensinging with the Chicago Opera Company, that after the performance shereceived a long letter of congratulations from Maeterlinck.

The term pure is slang for absinthe.


Postcard II

[26 Aot 1915]

Mon CoinPourville, par Dieppe. - S. Inf. -

Pourquoi pas de rponse ma rponse?Quest-il arriv?

Serait-ce la faute du petit-fils de Mercure ail, Directeur desP.T.T.?a fait trois points dinterrogation de trop pour votreaffectueux

Cl DRespects autour de vous.


[26 August 1915]

Mon CoinPourville, par Dieppe S. Inf.

Why no reply to my reply?What has happened?

Could it be the fault of winged Mercurys grandson, theDirector of the P.T.T.?That makes three questions too many for your affectionate

Cl DRegards to all.


Notes

This card, which is in color, shows the vocal score of La Brabanonne,the national anthem of Belgium.

Inghelbrecht had not answered Debussys letter until 20 September.He had been working at the Hpital Militaire du Val-de-Grce and wasjust slow in writing to Debussy.

The letters P.T.T. stand for Postes, Tlgraphes et Tlphones.

Letter XXII

Pourville. 20 Sept 1915

Mon cher Inghel,

Bien reu votre lettre du 25 courant, comme dit monmarchand de vin. Jy ai pris un extrme plaisir, cause de cejardin du Luxembourg que vous dcrivez avec une exacteironie . . . je laime tout de mme! Il reprsente une bellepoque franaise, et, si ses promeneurs sont un peu spciaux,cela vaut mieux, tout prendre, que llgance, tropcocktail, des habitus de lavenue du Bois de Boulogne!Remarquez que ce pauvre Luxembourg nest pas responsibledes affreux monuments dont une dilit artistique sest plue lorner! Mais comme lalle des Reines est attendrissante?

Mon retard vient de ce que [je] rapprends lamusique . . . cest beau, tout de mme! Cest mme plus beauquon ne le pense dans diverses Socits: Nationale,Internationale, et autres mauvais lieux. . . . Le totaldmotions que peut donner une mise en place harmonique,est introuvable en quelque art que ce soit! Excusez-moi! Jailair de dcouvrir la musique, mais, trs humblement: cest unpeu mon cas.

Nous reviendrons avec regret, et par la gare St Lazare,vers le 12 Octobre! Il va retomber: des trains, des pianistes,dans mes penses, adieu le beau silence! adieu le bruitinnombrable de la mer, qui conseille imprieusement de nepas perdre son temps!

Ne nous plaignons pas; on ne peut toujours tre le petitchri des Dieux! Pensons aux pauvres bougres qui se fontcasser la figure dans des tranches o ne rgne nul confortmoderne.

votre vieil amiCl Debussy

. . . Affections autour de vous.


Pourville. 20 September 1915

My dear Inghel,

Received your letter of t

Documents

Debussy's Letters to Inghelbrecht the Story of a Musical Friendship