Natalya Konstantinovna [Koussevitzky] has come to New York bringing her material for a 'Carmen Suite'. The Moscow Art Theatre has chopped up Carmen and redone Bizet's music. The result is a heightened dramatic intensity, with some of the recitatives replaced by dialogue. It revived in me thoughts of a piece to be constructed on the basis of rhythmic melodic declamation. But for that I would be in Russia, because anything of that ilk would be intimately bound up with the language, and if I were to compose something of the kind it could only be in Russian. Not only that, but for a first attempt it would be essential to find an appropriate subject.

After the performance, which I found uncommonly interesting, Salzédo,* upset at the manipulation of Bizet's score, flew at me and was even rude to me.