Depuis Toujours (Cantate) pour chant et piano sur un sonnet de Jean Cassou. Couverture dessinée par Georges Braque. From the song cycle Les Chants du Silence
Paris: Heugel et Cie. [PN H.31642], [©1953].
Folio. Original publisher's ivory wrappers with stylized lithograph by Braque to upper, signed in the stone. 1f. (recto title, verso limitation statement), 12 pp., 1f. (blank).
Very slightly worn and browned; small Theodore Presser handstamp to blank lower margin of upper wrapper and small Heugel handstamp to blank lower margin of title.
First Edition. Fuld: Harmonizing the Arts: Original Graphic Designs for Printed Music by World-Famous Artists, p. 9. Not in CPM.
"Between 1942 and 1945 Arma composed his set of eleven songs, Les chants du silence (Songs of Silence). He used texts by contemporary French authors that reflect on the ravages and mindlessness of war, on justice and man’s destiny. ... In 1953, the brothers Heugel wanted to publish the complete song cycle. For Paul Arma it became a prestigious project in which he wanted to combine poetry, music and fine arts through the work of eleven painters, eleven writers and one musician. He chose amongst France’s finest painters. The first artist he approached was who-else-but Picasso. In his memoirs Arma recounts how he went to Picasso’s studio with his song and the text by Rolland. A few days later he got a phone call that his drawing was ready. On arrival at the studio Arma saw thirteen drawings lined up against the wall. Picasso warned him: “Do not look at the first twelve, they are bad. Only the last one is good. I believe it will suit you, mon vieux“. Paul Arma obtained ten more drawings, from Henri Matisse, Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy, André Beaudin, Maurice Estève, Antoni Clavé, Edouard Pignon, Léon Gischia and Marc Chagall. He dedicated the songs ‘A la mémoire de ceux qui ne sont jamais revenus’ (To those who never came back)." imagesmusicales.be.
Item #39360
Price: $200.00 other currencies