135 North Broad Street
Trenton, N. J.

December 29th, 1931.

Dear Bill,

When I came to America in April of this year, I had hope to
finish in a liesurely fashion, my opera with John Erskine, called
"Helen Retires". But Erskine seemed to think that there were
chances that the Philadelphia Grand Opera Co. under Stokowski and
Reiner, were very likely to do it, if I could finish everything
until Christmas. So I worked day and night, throughout the hot
summer and autumn, until four o'clock of most mornings, and a week
ago I finished both the orchestral and the piano score, both equalling
some 800 pages! Now Mrs. Hammer, President of the Philadelphia Opera,
says that they will do it, so that is off my mind. But I have had
to keep my nose down to the grindstone to finish an opera in just a
year's time. But it has been a grand time, just the same, even though
most of it was spent right here in Trenton. I have not been three
consecutive days in New York since I landed. Except for a month during
the hot spell, spent up at Woodstock, I have spent every moment of
my time in Trenton and immediate vicinity. It has been a grand
adventure. I have been dying to see you, but if I had switched my
attention away from the work at hand, I certainly would never have
finished it. I hope that you will forgive me, for dozens of times I
was about to get into the family bus and drive up...only I was
afraid that I might get too excited about the new idea, and let the
old ride for the moment....and that would not have been so good.
John Erskine wants to start a new operatic school in New York, which
will give the finished and finest productions of modern and ultra
modern experiments in modern opera. I hope to be in on it, for it
was me who first brought up the idea. That is what America needs most
for a development of a national music. The eye must first help the
ear, as it has done in every modern music movement in Europe during
the past twenty years....Diagelhiew, Strawinsky, Schönberg, and the
great modern German operatic Renaissance. I am getting tired of small
little chamber concerts, which only work towards the ill of the
new movements.

Meanwhile we wish you the happiest New Year. I am
finished with my work now.

Yours

23 Barrow Street
New York City.

Dear Bill,

I have always been thinking back on the Washington opera we once speculated upon. I know that it has been entirely my fault that we have not gotten together upon this, but I can only plea that I have been so darned scared in Paris, in 1927-28, when we were penniless and had nothing to eat, that I determined that someday when I had the chance I would salt away a little money, so that I could work for several years in ease, without thinking of money. This has been my main concern since I came back to America, and now it looks as if this purpose has been accomplished. But it has meant every single bit of my time until now....long days and nights of work. I have just finished all my work (including a new Chamber Concert which I wrote during the past two weeks, which is for the March 6th concert of the League of Composers....I wish that you would come....I would get you tickets....you can see what my music sounds like upon 8 instruments....nowdays.)

We moved over to N.Y.C. yesterday to above address which will be permanent for several months to come, at least. I wonder if both of you would not consider coming over some night soon, and having music and dinner and talk with us? Meanwhile, if you should have the time and inclination I would very very much appreciate if you could jot down about two typewritten pages of notes, ideas, and outlines, and sketch of acts, and what happens, etc. and send it to me, so I can meditate upon it before you come, and be prepared to discuss it... that is, of course, if you are still interested. I might say, Bill, that I have been discussing the idea with some very powerful people, and they have indicated that the funds for this work might be immediately available, and that I would be taken care of, as well, during the long writing of the score. It takes a whole year out of one's life to write such a score, so I hope, Bill, you will not think me mercenary, or mondaine to take such precautions....but it has taken a lot of working up, at that. If I had your sketches and notes it would help me considerably to clinch the matter, for I could then show them the actual idea upon paper, even if crude. If you do do this, please don't put in any cuss words, for the paper must go before a lady.

You may no longer be interested in the idea....and in any case we are very very anxious to see you again. We would also like to see Bob McAlmon, who, in my opinion, is a very great artist, greater perhaps than we realize today. Please do come to dinner and remember old times.

Much love to you both from us both

March 18th, 1932.

Dear Bill,

You're swell, Bill, for writing such a swell outline for me. I am useing it now with the hope that I can have a performance garanteeven before we start writing it. I still have a number of people to see but I will be free about the middle of next week. Then I'd like to go over the whole thing with you in detail. Meanwhile the outline you have sent to me serves two purposes, first to try to get a certain performance, upon the strength of three things (1) you, (3) me, (3) the marvelous idea. Secondly it lets me have a weeks perculation or so, before we get together to haggled this thing out.

We have discovered a lot of marvelous old American music, classic stuff, but full of stuff, just the same. I'd like you to hear some of it. John Tasker Howard, lecturer, critic, and great authority upon American Colonial music, is going to give a lecture recital called "The Music of George Washington's Time" at 3 o'clock, Tuesday, March 22, 1932, at Auditorium Education Building, 35-41 West Fourth Street, N.Y.C. I wonder whether, in your busy duties as a physician, you could find time to come (among the works to be played is a "Battle of Trenton" sonata, written by James Hewitt in 1790) in which case I hope that you would have tea and dinner with us afterwards....you and Florence ....isn't it possible, somehow?

Böski and I are busy reading Contact which is swell, for many reasons which I will explain latet. I'd love to do something for it. Have been terribly busy, though, until now.

Our best...and million thanks

George

May 20, 1932

Dear Bill:

I have been terribly busy finishing the music and script of Candide for Arthur Hopkins and haven't been able to work on George Washington. This doesn't mean anything, however, it simply means that I would like to get the actual business that I had to finish here over with and out of my mind so that I could begin with a clear slate with George just as soon as I get back to Europe. I think you are going to do a very great and poetic work and I am sure that we will be able to work comfortably even though a whole ocean separates us. Meanwhile, here in America, I am too "gaga" to really have many important conferences on the libretto. My condition of mind at present is such that it would discourage you to work with me but I will be all right as soon as I hit Europe. I have been staying up for the last week working on the rewriting of Candide with Brewster Morgan. He did most of the rewriting and production of the Warrior's Husband. He is an old friend of mine from Europe and married one of my former pupils. Candide seems to be turning out very well. I played it last night for Robert Edmund Jones and he was ultra enthusiastic about it. He is going to do the decor.

Now I want to confess to you that I did something that you might not have approved of but I was very careful to specify when I did so that it was a rough draft. I submitted your sketches and first scene to Mary Louise Bok (she is the financier of the Philadelphia opera) and also another copy to Mr. Moe of the Guggenheim Foundation, because these are the two people who are interested in the Washington opera and who will finance it. Mrs. Bok's letter and Mr. Moe's letter are enclosed. I interpret Mrs. Bok's letter as distinctly favorable. It is very seldom that she says such a thing as this "it is possible of working out extremely well and we all hope that it may" and you can see your yourself that Mr. Moe's is very enthusiastic. Please forgive this short letter at this time. I just want to keep you up to date and I hope that you will come over to New York and have dinner with me at the Lafayette before I sail so that we can have a good long talk about everything. Could you let me know when you are free? I expect to be going sometime around June 1st.

LE PLANASTEL
CAGNES-SUR-MER
(à-m)

July 27th, 1932.

Dear Bill,

The last days in New York were so very terribly filled up; Brewster Morgan and I rewrote "Candide" three times, and even then Hopkins was not satisfied with it, and we must work upon it this summer. However, the worst is over; I got out of New York with my skin still on, which I count a blessing. I meant to write and I meant to telephone, but somehow or another I thought that I would wait until I got down here in my little house in the south of France, where I could compose my mind... especially when I missed your request to telephone at a certain hour by sleeping. Sleep was the thing I fought for the last month. You really must forgive me for this last year, Bill and Florence. I wrote two large works, "Helen Retires" and "Candide" and that is more than most composers do in two or three years... I speak of bulk and the sheer time element called into question in the composing of a stage work which often must be rewritten and rewritten... and when managers and producers are called in as well, one never does know when the hell it is finished. Brewster Morgan and I literally worked on 36 hour stretches during the last month in New York, May-June. It was cruel, but interesting, because one never left down on the concentrated "Spannung".

Well here I am now, and writing you, as I planned. Only I am, as usual, several weeks later, for I was held up in Germany by a great number of important affairs; important for me... for my publishers are there, and a number of things are about to appear, including "Helen Retires".

Ever since you consented to do George Washington, I have been working away, clearing away the rubbish, and making a time-space where I can begin work upon the opera. That time will be, I think and hope, the end of August. I want to take several weeks rest now, for I am all in, but perhaps by the time I take it, I will have had an answer to this letter. Bill, how have you worked? I am so anxious to get that first act into my hands. Your idea of tight, dramatic scenes is excellent and splendid, and I think that we can do most of this, this year, by correspondence. We both knew what we wanted, and what each other wanted, and were perfectly agreed, so I can't possibly see any hitch... can you? I wish you were here, of course, but we will be seeing one another sooner than we believe... with the finished score under our arms. Really, life goes on very happily when one works. Jean Cocteau sent me his new poems with a dedication. Picabia lives near here, and we see a great deal of one another.

Devotedly your friend,