K31 Quatre Chants Russes
pour voix et piano – Vier russische Lieder für Singstimme und Klavier – Four Russian Songs for voice and piano – Четыре русские песни для голоса с фортепиано – Quattro canti russi per voce e pianoforte
Range of singing voice: f1 – a#2 (1st song a b 1 – a#2; 2nd b1 – f#; 3rd a1 - g2 ; 4th f1 – f#2).
Performance practice: It is true that the songs are written for soprano voice and piano, but their origin lies in the sound world of the cimbalom. This is supported not only by the fact that Strawinsky orchestrated two of these songs for a miniature orchestra aiming at imitating the cimbalom sound in the widest sense, but especially by analysis of the sketches Strawinsky left. In Strawinsky’s estate there was a version for voice, cimbalom and flute from which we may infer that possibly an original version for cimbalom preceded the piano versions.
Source: Strawinsky modelled the songs on the words of Russian folk songs he had come across in the course of his preliminary studies for ‘Les Noces’ and for which he had not yet found a use.
Summary: The first song tells the tale of a drake sent out to look for his seven little ducklings and of his beautiful young duck wife. She is on a diving trip, here, there and everywhere. – The second song is an untranslatable counting rhyme containing double meanings where phrase endings rhyme and a rhythmical flow is central. – The third song tells of a little sparrow sitting on a hedge calmly watching what is happening around him. There is the scratching hen who finds a ring; the story-teller himself, moving his ten fingers; the wolf lying asleep on a woodstack, his tail swishing to and fro who cannot see the story-teller. – The fourth song depicts heavy snowstorms which have closed off all the ways of the story-teller who later turns to God in prayer who is in heaven and chooses all people out of love and spirit. The poet honours the Almighty God for ever and ever, says Amen and ends with his thanks.
Translations: There is only one original translation from the Russian into French. It was made by Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz with the help of Strawinsky and published in the Russian-French edition of the Songs in 1920; later it was printed in the accompanying booklet of the CD edition. All other (anonymous) and in some cases extremely free renderings of the original did not rise to any importance during Strawinsky’s lifetime.
Construction and belonging to a genre: The Quatre Chants Russes are a collection of four original songs with strict metronome settings but without numbering for soprano voice and piano, which are unrelated in content or form. – The first song belongs to the Trois Histoires Pour Enfants and is meant for very small children. – The second song belongs to the untranslatable counting rhymes or ‘pribautki’ of which Strawinsky had his own four-part suite of piano songs published (1917, Henn Publishers Geneva). – The third song belongs to the Russian folk song tradition of prophetic songs of which Strawinsky composed one each for women’s voices a cappella in 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917, left unpublished by J & W Chester in London until Strecker discovered them there and had them published in 1930 as Unterschale by Schott Editors. Now he composed a fifth song of this kind which he completed, it is thought, in March 1919 at the latest. As the publishing dates varied greatly, the later song became known earlier than the ones actually composed earlier, and moreover there was no explanation of the origins of the song. – The fourth song: Neither the English (A Russian Spiritual) nor the German (Ein russisches Spiritual) translation have anything to do with the original title (Сектантска) which Ramuz rendered much more aptly as ‘Chant Dissident’ (Uneinigkeitslied / dissident song) is completely unconnected with the preceding, easy-going children’s songs in content, mood or poetic form: It is a very personal song by the exile Strawinsky against the atheistic Russian revolution. Wherever the original comes from - the way in which Strawinsky uses it thematically it becomes the protest of a Christian (here: Strawinsky) whose return home (and therefore to God) is blocked by snowstorms (here: The Russian Revolution) understood in Solovjev’s equation of Russiandom and Christendom. The protest song experiences a sudden transformation into a hymn of thanks with an ‘Amen’ in the second-last line, as if to confirm that these wild storms will not prevent belief in God and it ends with a Christian Thanksgiving. – The four songs are so vastly different both poetically and musically, that strictly speaking they do not fit together at all and the combination is really accidental with a very strongly impressive last song. Obviously Strawinsky used material he had collected but not found occasion to use in his earlier series. The more important or ‘greater’ songs I and IV he later orchestrated.
Structure
[1.]
Селезень (ХороводнАЯ)
Canard. ( Ronde)
[ Der Enterich]
[ The Drake]
Cелезень, селезень . . .
Vieux canard, vieux canard, . . .
[ Enterich, lieber Enterich . . .]
[ Old drake, old drake . . .]
Crotchet = 116 (42 bars)
[2.]
Запђвная
Chanson pour compter
[ Abzähllied]
На комомнђ, на воломнђ, . . .
Un, moi qui l'ai, deux, toi qui l'as, . . .
[ Eins, ich habe, zwei, du hast . . .]
Crotchet = 168 (not divided into bars = 88 Quaver beats )
Più mosso (nine 4/4-bars + three 5/8-bars)
L'istesso tempo ( not divided into bars 31 Crotchet = 62 Quaver beats )
[3.]
Подблюдная
Le moineau est assis . . .
[ Der Spatz]
Cидитъ варабей на чужой гарадьбђ.
Le moineau est assis sur la haie d'autrui, . . .
[ Der Spatz sitzt auf der nahen Hecke . . .]
Crotchet = 112 (190 crotchet beats = 6 bars without a key signature [111] + 18
bars of changing meter [79])
[4.]
Cектантска.
Chant dissident
[ Ein russisches Spiritual]
[ A Russian Spiritual]
Ялица, мятелица, . . .
Vient, neige, obscurité, . . .
Quaver = 168 (45 bars + 59 quaver beats without a key signature)
Corrections / Errata
Edition 31-2
[1st page = p. 3]
1.) p. 3, 1st bar, Piano: only ¦ instead of m ¦ [*].
2.) p. 3, 3rd bar, Piano Bass: two-note chord quaver C-G should be three-note chord C-G-e.
3.) p. 3, 3rd System, 3rd bar, above Piano: it should be added >pSub< [*].
4.) p. 5, 16th bar, Piano, Bass written in treble clef: at the end of the bar should be added semiquaver triplet a-b-a1.
5.) p. 9, 4th system, 4th bar, Piano discant, right hand: 4th (last but one) quaver g#2 instead of g2.
6.) p. 11, 4th system, 2nd bar, Piano. bass written in treble clef: 1st quaver rest has to be replaced by quaver d2.
7.) p. 11, 4th system, 4th bar, Piano. bass written in treble clef: 1st quaver rest has to be replaced by quaver c#2.
Edition 31-3
[1st page = p. 1]
1.) p. 1, 3rd bar, Piano bass: two-note-chord quaver C-G has to be read as three-note-chord quaver C-G-e.
2.) p. 1, 3rd System, voice: crotchet b b 1 has to be dotted [**].
3.) p. 3, 2nd bar, voice: the 2nd note should be read dotted crotchet instead of crotchet d2 [**].
4.) p. 3, 3rd bar, voice: 3rd note crotchet f2 instead of crotchet g2 [**].
5.) p. 3, 17th bar (4th system, last bar): metre 6/8 has to be added [**].
5.) p. 8, 5th bar (2nd system, 2. bar ): Correct assignation is demanded in the relationship Voice- Piano with two lines for orientation. The respective first notes of the second and third chains of semiquaver sextuplets should come to be positioned exactly over the second and third quaver notes in the bass respectively [**].
7.) p. 9, 2nd system, 2nd bar, Voice: 6th semiquaver c#2 instead of c2.
8.) p. 9, 4th system, 4th bar, Piano discant, right hand: 4th (last but one) quaver g#2 instead of g2.
* in 31-2 not corrected by Strawinsky.
** In 31-3 not corrected by Strawinsky.
Style: The first three songs belong to the genre of popular Russian declamatory music of the kind of Les Noces with their clear and formal structure. The fourth song represents the break with the formalised diatonic scale derived from the text and by formal tightening of structure allowing personal sensations to come through. –
The quaver = 116 ‘Duck Song’ is in form and type a Russian ‘chorovod’; a roundel similar to the ‘Dance of the Princesses’ from his ‘ Firebird’. The song displays a clear metrical structure with only few changes of rhythm with the result that the 42 bars in all do not require any additional free metrical structures as is the case with the other songs. Both form and regular metrical flow are due to the words of the song. The realistic image of the duck dabbling here and there, serenely circling the pond, forbids excited declamatory musical language, aiming more at variations on a recurring theme. Thus the melodic line at its widest range includes a ninth (a b1 - a#2) starting from various central notes with the piano accompaniment formally repeating various typical runs. The ‘Duck Song’ is the only one of the series with instrumental prelude and interludes, general structural principles in an otherwise not easily determinable form. The first three bars introduce two of these figures, a lightly repeated two-tone interval underlying the entire prelude c1 - d2 and an upward movement of broken chords in calmly guided quavers. Both figures continue underneath the line of the singing voice, who is not given a single note to assist its entry (d2) in the final chord of the prelude (C-G-a1-d#2 - b2). The circular movement of the singing voice, leading from the minor key (no signature) through b flat minor to a flat major is taken over by the piano in bar 9 but imitated at the same time at a distance of a quarter tone. In the transition from bars 14 to 15 the enharmonic change from e flat to d sharp indicates the return to the polarity of the sharp scales. After an interlude of two bars (17 - 18) the piano starts on the second rondo. The chords of the introduction remain in place, the melodic movement of the singing voice is transferred to the piano descant. In the following 14 bars (19 to 32) it steadily increases in range as far as e#2. The accordic piano accompaniment suddenly shifts from introductory descant figures to broken three tone chords and into the bass register, like in an invention. The second rondo ends with a rapid passage of a one-bar piano interlude, finishing on a chord. The last 9 bars (34 - 42) form a kind of coda. The singing voice is led through increasing intervals, the melodic runs in the descant replace chord sequences and only the bass accompaniment is retained until 2 bars before the end. The composition ends with a chord of six tones, the uppermost this time also forming the final note for the singing voice, though in a different register and finally sounded for the sixth time as an ordering element: In five tones at the end of the piano introduction in bar three and finally in the six notes at the end of the material introduction in bar five before the piece enters the world of the b keys and before the extensive use of intervals begins near the end of the first interlude in bar nine at the end of the double chord accompaniment and before the inventionesque exchange of descant and bass in bar 27, at the end of the second interlude prior to the transition leading to the coda in bar 33 and now at the end of bar 42 as the final chord. –
The counting rhyme is given the metrical value quaver = 168 and is in two parts with a ternary interior structure, finishing with a piano postlude. Typical of the form, the structure answers to the pattern A1 -A2 - A3 - B1 - B2 - B3 - C of which only the B parts have bar lines and signatures thus making exact bar numbering impossible, moreover as the notation is ambiguous in places. Expressed in quaver values a range of 88 quavers for A, 87 for B and 62 for C, therefore 29 or 30 4/4 bars for the entire piece. The circling melody of the A parts stays within the narrow range of a major third between b1 and e flat 2. The only minimally changed formula in true Strawinsky manner is accompanied by precursing tone repetitions initiating the sounding of the full chord in d1. The chord with a termination on a single tone in the double sub-octave is sounded together with the tonal repetitions. After a sequence of 8 (9) quavers the voice sets in above the repetitions with the first stanza and develops the motif for a duration of 20 quaver beats (A 1). The sung text is divided by 2 crotchet rests, while the tone repetitions lead into the full chord altered by just one note, restarting immediately. The line motif is now extended, following the sung text by repeating parts thereof until 30 quaver values have been reached. Into the held final note (b1) and the last tone repetitions the piano plays a double glissando a2 - a and g - a2 of a total of 31 tones (A2). A3 begins with a chordal stab followed by another one like in A2. The vocal formula consisting of part of A1 and A2 begins in unison with the tone repetitions after a two crotchet rest, this time encompassing 18 quaver values. The identical double glissando is heard contemporaneously with the central part of the sung motif. Section A3 closes with the full chord and termination after the singing has stopped. As for part B, Strawinsky constructs a vocal motif in two parts of three bars each. It is sung three times with metrical shifts between bars and with crotchet rests between each motif. A single note is altered in the final clause. The piano repetitions are extended to two-tone chords alternating and extending both in the right and left hands, the range of the singing voice is raised by a semitone and at the same time extended by a whole tone to a tritone interval c2 to f#2. Part B3 closes with a 21 tone piano glissando h1 to g 4 and three 5/8 bars following, during which the voice recites its nonsense rhymes accompanied by piano glissandi in a free tone range. The piano postlude or C part is again written without bar divisions in time sequences of 31 crotchets. The pianist plays in the descant; both hands are in G-clef. The accelerando, at times ritardando descant run with its motoric insistence is repeated several times and moves within three octaves above middle C. It is derived from the melody line of the voice in part B. It is sounded above a three-tone chord repeated 16 times in ostinato form a1 – f#2 - a 2 in crotchets. The sixteenth repetition is the final chord with an extra c3 in the descant without the crotchet rest. –
For the ‘Sparrow’s Song’ given the metronome values crotchet = 112 and consisting of six verses each ending with ‘hail’calls (Славна) Strawinsky developed a double formula with a main part (A) and an after-call formula (B) that is repeated 6 times with each verse, so that the ensuing structure is A1 - B1 - A2 - B2 - A3 - B3 - A4 - B4 - A5 - B5 - A6 - B6. The main musical form closes with a chord and is expressed by the piano by way of almost identical passages is drawn up without bar lines, the after-call formula being two to five bars long and is echoed by chords on the piano, consists of a metrical scheme that changes from bar to bar (with just one exception) making use of all interim steps from 3/8 to 5/8 time. In the first five main formulas the vocal range does not extend beyond the fourth interval a1 - d2, the last, higher intonation reduces it even to a major third d2 - f sharp 2. The call formula remains on d2 - e2 in the first two call sequences, in the extended, third call f2 and g2 are added and the range of a fourth is reached which remains till the end. - The piece begins with a full chord, the same that ends the main formula. Intonation alters very little throughout each repetition, between A1 and A2 there is no change at all, with the exception that A2 is not surrounded as it were by the chord, but ends with it. The structural reason for this lies in the fact that the call formula ends in a full chord with a single note termination. Accompaniment in the descant consists of a diatonic sequence of semiquavers rolling up and down between a1 and d 2, juxtaposed by a stereotype downward movement in the bass in the comparable range d2 – c#2 - b1 - a1 in quavers which remains unchanging and is prolonged or shortened by a quaver value or two. The crossing of hands does not permit legato playing, the legato being articulated ‘marcato’ by Strawinsky requiring a smoothly repetitive mechanism of the instrument. The note value of A1 is 18 quavers. The subsequent mainly accordic accompaniment of the after-call B1 follows the metrical pattern of 3/3 and 6/8 time and encompasses a measure of 12 quavers, so that A1 and A2 together make a compass of 30 quavers values. A 2 equals A1 without appoggiatura (17 quavers), B2 with 3/4 and 3/8 metronome settings shortens B1 by three quaver values (9 quavers). B3 extends the sung formula recombined using identical material so that the similarly extended accompaniment now beginning in the descant on c2 with downward movement does not experience any changes and likewise begins without an appoggiatura, thus reaching a measure of 20 quavers. The call formula is doubled mediant-fashion with 5/8, 3/8, 6/8 and 2/4 time signatures and is extended by variation in bar 3. The time value corresponds to 18 quavers. A 4 corresponds A2 (17 quavers) both in the accompaniment and the vocal line. B4 this time commences with the extension by variation of the previously heard call in bar 3 and closes in the same way, except for the accompanying chords (9 quavers). A5 and B5 are quasi verbatim reprises of A4 and B4. A6 and B6 finally introduce the strongest change to this miniature imagery. The singing voice alternates between d2, e2 and f sharp 2 only. The descant accompaniment relinquishes its diatonic six-tone run and instead takes up a repeating accordic five-tone run f sharp 2 - d2 - a1 - c2 - e2; creating the auditive sensation of a retrograde stress pattern in the cadences; merely the accompaniment in the bass remains unchanged. The time value corresponds to 22 quavers. B6 concludes the piece with a respective build-up of chords and moreover receives a hitherto absent dynamic increase from piano to fortissimo over 5 bars (22 quavers with final fermata). The range is like that of B5 but is topped by a single g2. –
The metronome setting crotchet = 168 of the ‘Dissident Song’ with a vocal range of something more than an octave (f1 – f#2), differs strongly from the preceding songs in both style and content. Its structure is less formal, the mostly diatonic aspect of the composition retreats, the melodic line is no longer dependent merely on the meaning of individual words or contexts. The modus becomes more intense, strong personal emotions become discernible. The world of children’s songs and nonsense rhymes is left behind. The central section of the piece does not depend on declamatory elements as much as on the meaning of the words combined with alternating rhythms. The 45 bars in 2/8, 3/8, 4/8, 5/8, 6/8 and 7/8 time are extended by a free coda without time signature and without bar lines over a length of 59 quavers. There is no formal structuring of exchangeable patterns or figures in accordance with a lettered scheme. The only formal ordering element discernible is to be found in the sequences of textual extensions of range and melodic patterns and in the barless coda. The complaint of snowstorms and barred roads is depicted as a circular lamentation with triplets torn apart, first of all within the ambitus of a whole tone a1 - b1. This is juxtaposed by dampened, single, pedalled notes in the piano played staccato. During the last two bars of this imaginary first section the tonal range extends to a fourth g1 - c2, while the piano ceases its single note accompaniment in the descant and instead develops finely-wrought patterns in broken fifths and sevenths. This way Strawinsky succeeds in transiting from the hitherto calmly restrained 6/8 and 7/8 time sequences to the constantly changing rhythmical forms in the 29 bars to follow, thus metrically reconstructing the excitement that has overcome the story-teller at the thought of reaching the realm of the Almighty Father. The tonal range has now extended to a major sixth (a1 – f#2). The excitement is taken over by the accompanying piano. Expression thereof is the move away from the bass register and towards great punctual jumps extending further than an octave with chords of two tones at most. Calm returns the moment the story-teller starts praying and intones God’s praise. The metrical alternations lead into a regular 2/4 time pattern which after bar 45 does not even require an ordering system of bars, because in singing hymns of praise and thanking God, peace has returned. Lines of trills in the descant piano accompaniment with delayed ornamental melodic figures reminiscent of bells ringing speak of joy and hope. The piano fundament is again in the bass register with regular unbroken quaver figures in a wide, spatial movement. The vocal part reaches its lowest tone, an f sharp 1 and its widest range with a major seventh (e sharp 2) which is reduced again by degrees. The piece closes with a perfect third in major E - e1 – g#1 and an end trill from the piano on e1.
Dedication: >DÉDIÉ À / PAR MADAME ET MONSIEUR / MAJA ET BELA STROZZI-PEČIČ [Dedicated to Mrs. and Mr. Maja and Bela Strozzi-Pečič].
Dedicatees: see Remarks.
Duration: 4' 45".
Date of origin: Morges, according to the dating, between December 1918 and October 1919 (I: 28th December 1918; II: 16th March 1919; III: 23th October 1919; IV: March 1919).
First performance: 17th March 1919 in the Geneva Conservatory with Tatjana Tatjanow (Soprano) and (probably) José Iturbi (Piano).
Remarks: No more is known about the history of the songs than what Strawinsky himself has told us, namely that in the Winter of 1919 (really the Winter of 1918/19) a Croatian soprano with an unusually beautiful voice asked him to compose something for her. Strawinsky agreed, and the Quatre Chants Russes came into being, most surely from materials collected earlier but not put to use. Why he agreed to this - probably well-paid - order, while working on other music is to be explained from the financial distress of those years, when eleven people were dependent on his income who himself had no regular proceeds. During this time he accepted several commissions which he normally would not have considered, among them the ballet music for Pulcinella, a situation that recurred when he decided not to return from the United States. When the songs were premièred in Geneva, Maja de Strozzi-Pečič was no longer residing there. Her sudden departure is much regretted in contemporary letters. Ernest Ansermet indirectly confirmed the high esteem in which he too held this singer, when he wrote to Strawinsky on 17th March 1919 stating that Madame Pecic was no longer present (s’en aille = in vernacular turn of phrase, she made off), and commented it with ‘mais quel dommage’ (what a pity, or verbatim: what a misfortune). His regret possibly referred both to the loss of a good vocal artist and the ensuing disorder in the Ansermet concert plan. The comment reads as if another, unspoken but intuited situation were referred to. It is surprising indeed that the soprano with an apparently excellent voice ordered a composition for herself (and most likely paid for it, otherwise Strawinsky would not have had the dedication printed) but did not herself première it, which she could easily have done. Ansermet and Strawinsky had evidently not been informed of the fact that Mrs. Strozzi-Pečič, who was in fact an above-average singer, had accepted an offer to perform opera in Germany and furthermore had achieved some great successes. She was born on 19th December 1882 in Zagreb, made her debut in 1901 and continued, via Wiesbaden and Graz, to a temporary period at Geneva, which she left in 1919. She died on 2nd February 1962 in Rijeka. While this is only speculation, she probably, as a singer accustomed to success, had imagined that the fruits of her and her husband’s commission would amount to more than a couple of short songs for children from Strawinsky and therefore left Genf disappointed and without saying good-bye.
* For background information, my thanks go to Mr Stefan P. L. Romansky † (Bonn).
Versions: The Quatre Chants Russes appeared in the second half of the year 1920 at J. & W. Chesters in London in a Russian-French edition and were most probably not edited later to include a German or English translation. Only 35 years later Strawinsky separated the first and fourth song from the group, orchestrated them with the cimbalom in mind for voice, flute, harp and guitar and combined them as nos. I and II with two songs from an original series of three entitled Trois Histoires pour Enfants to make Four Songs in 1953 and 1954, premièred in 1955, re-edited in the same year in an English version for the singer and a Russian phonetical line for English-speaking people at J & W Chester’s in London and Strawinsky made two model recordings in 1955 and 1965. Characteristically, the Russian Songbook reprint of 1968 included only the first three songs. The religious fourth song containing an accusation against the hateful enmity of anything religious in communism was not included in the illegal print. The version of the fourth song for voice, flute and cimbalom remained unpublished during Strawinsky’s lifetime. A facsimile may be found in Robert Craft’s First Volume of Selected Correspondence of 1982 on pp 427-429.
Historical recording: Not traceable as a series of songs with piano; pieces 1 and 4 are only in the instrumental version of the Four Songs.
CD edition: Not taken on as a series of songs with piano; pieces 1 and 4 are only in the instrumental version of the Four Songs.
Autograph: The manuscript passed from the ownership of Chester into the British Library in London. Some scattered sketches, which above all suggest Strawinsky’s early intentions in terms of orchestration, passed from his estate to the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel. There is also the corrected printed version for pianola.
Copyright: 1920 by J. & W. Chester in London.
Editions
a) Overview
31-1 1919 Voice-Piano; preprint 3rd and 4th song; La Revue Romande 15th September 1919.
31-2 1920 Voice-Piano; R-F; Chester London; 13 pp.; J. W. C. 3831.
31-2Straw [1920] ibd. [with annotations].
31-3 [1920] Voice-Piano; R-F; Chester London; 11 pp.; J.W.C. 3831.
31-3Straw [1920] ibd. [with annotations].
31-4 [+1945] Voice-Piano ; R-F; Chester; 11 pp.; J.W.C. 3831 .
b) Characteristic features
31-2 IGOR STRAWINSKY/ QUATRE/ CHANTS RUSSES/ POUR VOIX ET PIANO/ MIS EN FRANÇAIS [#] DÉDIÉ À / PAR [#] MADAME ET MONSIEUR / [#] MAJA ET BELA STROZZI-PEČIČ / C. F. RAMUZ/ PRIX NET FR. 4.50 (3/_) / °J. & W. CHESTER, LTD. [#] °°SEULS DEPOSITAIRES POUR LA FRANCE / [#] °°ROUART, LEROLLE & C ie / °LONDON: [#] °°29 Rue D'ASTORG, PARIS. / 11, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, W,-1. [#] / [#] °°SEULS DEPOSITAIRES POUR LA BELGIQUE / °GENÈVE: [#] °°MAISON CHESTER / °9-11 PLACE DE LA FUSTERIE [#] °°86 RUE DE LA MONTAGNE, BRUXELLES. / °DÉPOSÉ SELON LES TRAITÉS INTERNATIONAUX. / °PROPRIÉTÉ POUR TOUS LES PAYS. / °TOUS DROITS DE TRADUCTION, DE REPRODUCTION ET / °D'ARRANGEMENTS RÉSERVÉS. // IGOR STRAWINSKY/ QUATRE/ CHANTS RUSSES/ POUR VOIX ET PIANO/ MIS EN FRANÇAIS [#] DÉDIÉ À / PAR [#] MADAME ET MONSIEUR / [#] MAJA ET BELA STROZZI-PEČIČ / C. F. RAMUZ/ PRIX NET FR. 4.50 (3/_) / J. & W. CHESTER, LTD. [#] SEULS DEPOSITAIRES POUR LA FRANCE / [#] ROUART, LEROLLE & C ie / LONDON: [#] 29 RUE D'ASTORG, PARIS. / 11, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, W,-1. [#] / [#] SEULS DEPOSITAIRES POUR LA BELGIQUE / GENÈVE: [#] MAISON CHESTER / 9-11 PLACE DE LA FUSTERIE [#] 86 RUE DE LA MONTAGNE, BRUXELLES, / DÉPOSÉ SELON LES TRAITÉS INTERNATIONAUX. / PROPRIÉTÉ POUR TOUS LES PAYS. / TOUS DROITS DE TRADUCTION, DE REPRODUCTION ET / D'ARRANGEMENTS RÉSERVÉS. / °°°ENGRAVED & PRINTED BY C. G. RÖDER, LEIPZIG // (Edition for chant and piano stapled 22.5 x 30.2 (4° [4°]); sung texts Russian-French; 13 [11] pages + 4 cover pages black on beige brown [front cover title, 3 empty pages] + 2 pages front matter [title page, empty page] + 1 page back matter [empty page]; song title Russian-French as title head; author specified flush right centred below translator specified 1st page of the score paginated p. 3 >Igor Strawinsky. / 1918<, p. 8 >Igor Strawinsky. / 1919< next to und below translator specified p. 6, 10 >Igor Strawinsky. / 1919<; translator specified 1st page of the score p. 3, p. 6, 8, 10 below title head flush left centred >Mis en français / par C. F. Ramuz<; legal reservation 1st page of the score p. 3, pp. 6, 8, 10 below type area flush left >Copyright 1920 by J. & W. Chester Ltd.< flush right partly in italics p. 3 centred >Tous droits réservés. / All rights reserved.<, p. 6 no centred >Tous droits réservés. / All rights reserved.<, p. 8 centred >Tous droits réservés. / All rights reserved<, p. 10 centred >Tous droits réservés / All rights reserved<; plate number >J.W.C. 3831<; without production indication; without end marks) // (1920)
° On the left side, the text is justified to the left with indents; this is also the case for the title page.
°° On the right side, the text is justified to the left with indents; this is also the case for the title page.
°°° Only the inner title page flush right between the last two lines flush left.
31-2Straw
The original edition served Strawinsky as the basis of his Pleyela version, which he noted on a separate sheet and dated as 1922. Strawinsky’s copy also contains corrections and many notes on performance. The outer title page is missing.
31-3 CHESTER / LIBRARY / IGOR STRAWINSKY / QUATRE CHANTS RUSSES / [°] / VOICE & PIANO / [°] / PRICE 3/- NET / REVISED PRICE / J. & W. CHESTER L TD// (Edition chant and piano stapled 24.1 x 30.8 (4° [4°]); sung texts Russian-French; 11 [11] pages+ 4 cover pages black on creme white [ a full-page Chester Lyre surrounded by a coat of arms black on white with (presumably) the artist’s signature >H J M< # >1914< entered left and flush right at the bottom of the frame, index >CONTENTS<, empty page, page with publisher’s advertisements >EDUCATIONAL SERIES / OF / RUSSIAN MUSIC<* without production data] without front matter + 1 page back matter [empty page]; song title Russian-French as title head; author specified below song title flush right centred 1st page of the score paginated p. 1 >Igor Strawinsky. / 1918<, pp. 4, 6, 8 >Igor Strawinsky. / 1919<; translator specified pp. 1, 4, 6, 8 below song title flush left centred >Mis en français / par C. F. Ramuz.<; legal reservations below type area pp. 1, 4, 6, 8 flush left >Copyright 1920 by J. & W. Chester Ltd.< partly in italics flush right centred pp. 1, 6, 8 >Tous droits réservés. / All rights reserved.< not centred p. 4 >Tous droits réservés. / All rights reserved<; plate number >J.W.C. 3831<; production indication 1st page of the score flush left below legal reservation >Printed in England <; without end mark) // [1920])
° Dividing horizontal line of 1.4 cm.
* The advert lists contains compositions by increasing difficulty in two columns from >BOOK 1 — Easy Pieces< to >BOOK 7 — Concert Pieces<; Strawinsky not mentioned.
31-3Straw
The copy in Strawinsky’s estate contains corrections, but is neither signed nor dated.
K Catalog: Annotated Catalog of Works and Work Editions of Igor Strawinsky till 1971, revised version 2014 and ongoing, by Helmut Kirchmeyer.
© Helmut Kirchmeyer. All rights reserved.
http://www.kcatalog.org and http://www.kcatalog.net