The CONCERTS DU JOURNAL were named after a newspaper which, at the time (1927), was called ‘Le Journal’. One of the directors had the idea of organising weekly concerts for his audience. With a fairly small orchestra, they even performed Beethoven symphonies, and as you know, famous artists made their debuts there, such as Lily Pons, Zino Francescatti, who was a friend of my husband’s, and the Tzipine brothers.
– What was your husband’s relationship with all these artists?
“Always the same simplicity, the same camaraderie, even though, naturally, he was very strict when it came to work.”
– When did Henri TOMASI compose the opera Don Juan de Mañara?
“Mañara was initially, in 1935, just a series of symphonic tableaux accompanying MILOSZ’s play. He was an extraordinary person, one of those rare individuals that one is lucky to meet in a lifetime. My husband was so enthusiastic and captivated by the work that he asked MILOSZ for permission to turn it into an opera. This work took a very long time, and I would like to emphasise that the opera Don Juan de Mañara bears no resemblance to the short Suite Miguel Mañara, even though some of the themes have of course been reused.”
“HENRI TOMASI by himself”
Programme by Edouard Exerjean and Robert Ytier
France-Musique, 29 March 1972