Marcel Proust's Musical Friend

Reynaldo Hahn, about 1909

Early in 1894, at the age of 19, the young Venezuelan-French tenor and budding composer Reynaldo Hahn met an aspiring author, Marcel Proust, at an artsy salon in Paris. For two years the writer and composer were almost inseparable, and even after the early passion of their friendship cooled they remained close friends until Proust's death.

Hahn studied at the Conservatory in Paris with Massenet, Saint-Saëns, Dubois, and others. During a career that encompassed military service in World War One and virtual exile during World War Two Hahn produced numerous works for the stage as well as instrumental and vocal compositions, some of which are still in the general repertory. In December the library was fortunate in being able to secure a collection of almost 250 autograph letters and postcards sent by Hahn to a number of recipients between 1909 and his death in 1947; in addition, the collection includes some related letters by others close to Hahn and a group of nearly 50 photographs, mostly from the last two decades of Hahn's life. The purchase was made with funds provided by the Leon Robbin Endowment.