NADIA BOULANGER hand drawn/written Christmas Card to DICK HAMMOND, Am composer

Description

NADIA BOULANGER (1887-1979) HAND WRITTEN CHRISTMAS CARD TO AMERICAN COMPOSER, DICK HAMMOND (1896-1980) from Nadia and her mother Raissa (1854(8)-1935). (3-3/4" x 6") 11-1/2" x 6" (open)
No date, (sent at some point before Raissa's death in 1935).
Date unknown.
Dick Hammond was a New York musician and colleague of Leopold Stokowski, Stravinsky and others; a scion of a diplomatic family, an aficionado of ballet and aspiring composer who spent half a year in Paris taking private lessons from Nadia.
"When Richard Hammond brought his houseguest Stokowski to meet Nadia, the conductor spoke with Raissa for a while. On leaving he remarked to Hammond, "Now I know where Nadia Boulanger gets her personality and her charm!"
The front of card has a hand drawn brown tree; and a musical excerpt with Latin text from the fifteenth century in Nadia's hand-drawn staff liner. (black staff and red Latin text)
"Better late than never- but the fact is that I have received the beautiful little bag- that I just needed just one,that I love it---- and have said not a word. Had I been happy with this silent, good- but not a second of peace; remorse, shame, all a varied troup of disturbed! Truly, when I consider your true genius for giving gifts, I can find a whole system of philosophy; if you forget yourself in the others, you find everything; so you chose me as an example: I go out in the morning, scarf gray, or black and white, warm, soft, pleasant in the evening this wonderful necklace I adore, always the powder box in my bag, the watch on my table-and so forth. It seems to be a joke - it is only the start of a long letter I shall probably never write- as I shall never have our long talk-but, at least you must know that these letters and talks exist and after all would render me very happy if no more kept in me. Dear Dick what an affection we both, mother and I, have for you! And how worthy you are of all the confidence, the relief of leaning on you.
Don't let me become weak- and "sentimental."
Receive our wishes and believe me to be your faithful friend.
(signed) with initials "N.B." Slight smearing to signature, otherwise very good.