Conversation 043-124

Transcript (AI-Generated)

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Mr. Eugene Normandy.

Hello.

Mr. Normandy?

How are you, Mr. President?

How are you?

Thank you.

I'm a little sick, otherwise I'm fine.

Oh, you've been under the weather?

Yes, unfortunately.

Oh, I hope that it's nothing serious.

No, no, no.

It's a nasty cold.

Well, I'll tell you, I'm just sitting here talking to Dr. Kissinger.

He's just back from China.

I know.

And I thought you'd be interested to know that when he was talking to our friends in China, Mr. Zhou Enlai, and Dr. Kissinger, this has to be held till Thursday, but I thought you'd like to know that they're going to invite the Philadelphia Symphony to come to China.

That's wonderful.

So they indicated that.

So I just want you to know that my favorite symphony will be the first one to go to China.

Yeah.

And it'll be a great experience for all of your people.

It's a great honor.

And I think some of those, I think it must have embarrassed you a little when some of them didn't want to play at the inauguration.

Now that the war is over, they'll probably feel a little better, I think.

But you stood up for them.

It's a pleasure.

You honor me, honor the orchestra.

I'm terribly proud and happy.

Well, we're most appreciative.

I'll let Dr. Kissinger tell you about the conversation that brought this song.

Would you like to hear about it?

If I may.

Here he is.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Hello, Dr. Kissinger.

It's nice to talk to you.

I was talking to the Chinese leaders about exchanges and they said to me that the president had taken such a special interest in the Philadelphia Symphony that he had taken a trip to Philadelphia once and that you had agreed to play at the inauguration.

I thought the first Western Symphony Orchestra that should come to China should be the Philadelphia Symphony.

Yeah, that's wonderful.

And they want you to come there before October this year.

Before October?

Before October, and that would precede the London Symphony then.

That's wonderful.

It's extremely important, Mr. Ormandy, that you say, tell this to nobody, because the Chinese are very sensitive about it.

We're not going to say it until Thursday.

Not until this Thursday.

Uh-huh.

May I ask, Dr. Kissinger, how do we go about it?

Of course, I have a president whom I would have to call up.

Would I be permitted to call him?

Can you wait until Thursday?

Oh, yes.

I'll wait as long as you tell me.

Well, why don't you call him Thursday morning and say, I've just called you?

I see.

I will do that.

And this was just that the president wanted you personally to know.

how pleased he was by this, and that really that the Chinese have done this because they felt his close ties to your orchestra.

Wonderful.

I know how much you had to do with this, Dr. Kissinger.

We called, we met, New Year's Eve.

Oh, I remember very well.

I remember we talked about it.

You called me last year about it, too.

Yeah, it was wild.

You see, Walter Allenbach didn't tell me that you were coming.

I was a little bit tired, so I left, and we just met at the end.

No, I remember very well.

You were going out as I was coming in?

You were just coming in, yes.

It's marvelous, Mr. Dr. Kissinger.

I'm deeply honored.

So is the orchestra, I'm sure.

And after Thursday, what is the procedure?

Well, just the tide will work out some practical arrangements.

The Thursday that today is just two days, isn't it?

That's just two days.

Yes.

That's wonderful, because Friday we are supposed to go to Palm Springs again for a short vacation.

You know, the formal invitation is going to come a little later.

Yes.

But you can consider it settled.

And I would recommend not pressing on the Chinese.

Once they've given their word, you can absolutely count on it.

Oh, I'm quite sure.

Perfectly marvelous.

And we'll work out the arrangements through Paris Channel in any event, but it's really a special tribute to you and because of the president's interest in the orchestra that you're going to be the first symphony orchestra to be there.

It is marvelous.

I'm so happy.

I can't tell you how speechless, how happy I am.

It's very marvelous.

We will do our very best.

So from then on, who will call us, or who shall we call somebody?

We'll be in touch with you.

You will be.

Of course, I will be in Palm Springs beginning Friday.

Right.

Yes.

Dr. Kissinger, I'm grateful to you.

Thank you very, very much.

I think it will be marvelous for this country, and I think you will enjoy it.

It's much more marvelous for us, the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Well, it will be great for the Chinese, too.

I hope so.

Thank you so very much.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Dr. Kissinger.