Eagle Minds: Selected Correspondence of Istvan Anhalt and George Rochberg (1961-2005)

1983

1983 79 10 march 1983 My dear George, [ … ] Winthrop is complete as of this past Monday. (Did the soundwaves of my big sigh of relief tinged with joy reach your soul’s ear in Newtown Square? It ought to have propagated itself that distance …) Its vital “statistics”: about 2½ hours of playing time, 741 pages of full score (of which 12 are double left/right pages); 6 solo voices (3 Winthrop’s, Margaret Winthrop his third and longest living wife, Ann Hutchinson, his great antagonist in early Boston, a “herauld” who assumes diverse roles while pronouncing this or that [but do not think of him as a narrator, which he is not]), a mixed chorus (S[oprano], Mezzo, A[lto] T[enor], Bar[itone], B[ass]) of at least 24 voices (they better be of solo quality), and a boys’ choir of about 12 voices. I wish I could describe the essence and spirit of the work, but I resist attempting it right now. It may suffice if I just say that it is a “full” yet often “stylized” statement. The objective evolved slowly into the strong wish to portray individuals in particular situations, and as far as Winthrop is concerned show him at a number of crucially important moments in his life, hoping that these will form a chain giving a sense of his personality from his youth to his day of death. All this is surrounded by the two choirs who sing, speak, declaim, shout, etc. across an appropriately diversified spectrum of expressions. The orchestra (of a minimum of 30 players , possibly more if the strings are multiplied) is made to support with strength/colour the vocal strata. If presented in concert the orchestra will| 133 have to be muted somewhat, if used in a pit, it should “speak” with enough body from the depth. [ … ] What next? Of course the selling job. The work was not commissioned (although it was supported by a generous foundation—The Floyd Chalmers Fund—award that secured extra time away from the University ) which had the advantage of letting the thing go the way it wanted to, without the constraints of agreed-to-conditions imposed extraneously. But now comes the hassle. There is a group in Toronto that could do it, one which has (for some reason) the right of first refusal. I’ll know soon enough what comes from that corner. If the answer is “no,” I’ll try whatever promises any hope. I feel very strongly about the piece. I want it to be heard. [ … ] Istvan [ … ] 80 2 july 1983 Dear George, [ … ] I think our last letters met somewhere above the Adirondacks. In mine, I wrote about the completion of Winthrop. Presently I am in the process of finding one, or more, organizations that would undertake the premiere. (Estimated cost of a scenic presentation: a cool $1/2 million, Canadian, I should add.) The role of a salesman/impresario is a novel one for me and I don’t particularly like it, but will persist with the exercise . [ … ] I just finished writing to Joseph Tal1 (I do hope that he is still around; I haven’t been in contact with him for about 10 years), as part of preparing our first visit to Israel in the fall of 1984. (Before that time, I hope we shall have the chance to hear you and Gene tell us about your latest impressions and opinions regarding the country and its people.) [ … ] Istvan [ … ] PS: I am enclosing a text telling about Winthrop. I wrote it, principally, for the purpose of promoting the work, especially in Canada.2 Part III: The Aesthetics of Survival and Alternative Voices (1981–1985) 134 | 81 19 july 1983 Dear Isty, [ … ] It’s been a packed spring & summer so far. The Oboe Concerto is finished & in the hands of the N[ew] Y[ork] Philharmonic though it probably won’t be scheduled until ’84–’85.3 I’m now “emeritus” (somehow I can never really relate to these academic honorifics); but as far as “life” goes, far from retired. The Aesthetics of Survival ms. is now edited & should be set in type by the end of the summer (isn’t it curious how we parallel each other with books etc.). Meanwhile I’m having my journals (dating back to early ’50s) typed with the idea of approaching a commercial publisher to bring them out. I’ll probably have to get...