Evening star., 1937-02-20
PRIZE CONTEST
BASED ON BOOK

A MASS of new material, important
as musical history and as per-
sonal revelation, was published for the
first time on February in the book
Beloved Friend"-the story of Tschai-
kowsky and Nadejda Won Meek, by
Catherine Drinker Bowen and Bar
bara Won Meek. Aware Of the interest
the book will have to the lay reader as
well as to the music lover, the pub
fishers of Beloved Friend" Random
House, Inc, are sponsoring a contest
for the best letters of not more than
800 words on any one of the following
three questions:
/. What is the psychological expla-
nation of Nine. Won Meck's abrupt
ending of her romantic relations with
Tschaikowsky, and Is there any clue to
her decision in the revelations given
as TO her personality?
2. Was Nine. Won Meck's infatuation
solely with Tschaikowsky's music. as
she thought. or was she really in love
with him, In spite of the fact that
she was careful never to speak to him
or meet him?
g. Did Nine. Won Meck'S patronage
Of Tschaikowsky have, on the whole. a
beneficial or a harmful effect upon
the quality Of his music?
AL entries must be submitted by
April IS, 1897, and should be addressed
to Contest Department. Random
House, Inc, 20 East Fifty-seventh
street, New York, N. Y. The COM
mittee of judges consists of four dis
tinguished figures in the musical
world-Jascha Heifetz, John Barbi-
folli, Lawrence Gilman and Deems
Taylor-and Robert K. Haas, vice
president of Random House.
The first prize for the best letter
on any of the three subjects will be
Steinway grand piano. The second
prize will be the recordings of Tschai-
kowsky's Fourth Symphony" under
the direction of Serge Koussevitzky;
his Fifth Symphony" under the di-
rection of Leopold StokowSki; his
Sixth 'Pathetique' Symphony" under
. the baton of Eugene Ormandy; the
"Andante Cantabile." played by the
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra,
under Eugene Ormandy, and the
"Nutcracker Suite" played by the
Philadelphia Orchestra, under Leopold
Stokowski. The third prize will be the
recordings Of the Tschaikowsky "Vio-
lin Concerto" played by Mischa El-
man, and of the Piano Concerto No.
/, in B Flat Minor" with Arthur Ru-
binstein as soloist and John BarbirolH
as conductor.
In addition to being eligible for any
Of the three main awards, accredited
students in high schools, colleges,
preparatory schools or registered music
schools in the United States may COM
pete for an extra students prize. This
prize will consist Of q collection of
pocket scores of Tschaikowsky's nine
best-known works, besides the COM
plete vocal score Of Eugene Onegin" !"
To be eligible for this extra prize con-
testants should give on their entries,
in addition to their own names, the
name Of the school in which they are
registered.
A happy collaboration between Cath
crime Drinker Bowen and Barbara Won
Neck has made it possible to reveal at
last the truth about the terrific emo
tional conflict which motivated Tschai-
kowsky's life and art. The former Is
the well-known author of Friends and
Fiddlers"; the latter is the grand
daughter of that Nadejda Won Meek
who founded the Moscow Conservatory
OF Music and befriended and inspired
the composer during the most creative
years OF his stormy life.