81 - D'INDY (Vincent) (1851–1931)

D'INDY (Vincent) (1851–1931) French composer and educator, a student of César Franck and co-founder of the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Autograph letter signed “Vincent d’Indy,” addressed to a friend. No place, March 17, 1907. 1 p. 1/4 in-12, in black ink, on mourning paper with a black border. An interesting letter in which Vincent d’Indy strongly denounces certain abusive practices in the music world and defends the dignity of artists. The composer states that he has made no secret of his opposition to the practice of imposing excessive financial demands on artists: “Rest assured that I am not so naive as to have failed to discern the tip of the ear amidst the shimmering golden fleece intended to hide it.” He explains that he accepted certain positions solely to prevent the abuses that had been brought to his attention: “If I accepted the positions offered to me, it was precisely to prevent the abuses you have pointed out to me, or at least to resign with a statement of reasons if they try to force me to restore a state of affairs that no Christian or artist could approve of. ” A remarkable testimony to Vincent d’Indy’s moral and artistic convictions, as well as to his opposition to practices he deemed contrary to ethics and the dignity of musicians. An old horizontal crease, some slight foxing, and signs of handling. A beautiful signature, heavily underlined.