Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

150. Memorandum From the Director, Office of Cultural Presentation, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State (Lewis) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (Richardson)¹

Washington, December 1, 1971

SUBJECT

• Performing Arts and the President’s Moscow Trip

You will recall from my memorandum of November 19 to you on performing arts groups for the U.S.S.R.² that CP was committed to Embassy Moscow to nominate a fifth, and last, attraction under the current 1970–71 agreement. We indicated in this connection we were negotiating with the Composers’ Quartet/New York Woodwind Quintet for a four-week tour during the late April–early June, 1972 period. We have arrived at satisfactory terms with the Quartet/Quintet, have so informed Embassy Moscow, and all indications are that the contract can be signed in Moscow on December 3.

The background of negotiations for a fifth attraction has been long and complicated. It is related directly to Moscow’s footdragging in connection with their displeasure over JDL activities against Soviet performing arts attractions here. Embassy Moscow and the Department have held firmly to the principle that, regardless of what Moscow may decide about sending its performing arts groups here, the U.S. is entitled, under the exchanges agreement, to send a fifth attraction to the U.S.S.R. We sought to send the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on a tour in December 1971–January 1972, but negotiations with Moscow broke down over terms of a possible contract. The Composers’ Quartet/Woodwind Quintet, highly recommended by our Music Panel, became available but only for late Spring, 1972. We had no other suitable nomination.

If our negotiations with Moscow on the Quartet/Quintet are successful, their tour will overlap with the President’s visit to the U.S.S.R.³ The Department had indicated in an October 20 Secretary Rogers to President memorandum (Tab A) that we were exploring the feasibility of sending an outstanding performing arts group to the U.S.S.R. to coincide with the President’s visit. We were subsequently informed by a November 9 Kissinger-Rogers memorandum (Tab B) that it would be “perhaps a bit early to take any decision . . . (on) sending a performing arts group . . . to coincide with the President’s planned visit.”

In view of the foregoing, we believe it would be desirable to inform the White House of current developments regarding the Quartet/Quintet tour. We think the following points should be made:

a) past Soviet obstinacy has prevented the Department from mounting a fifth American performing arts attraction in the U.S.S.R. during the 1970–71 period of the current exchanges agreement;

b) as a result of our insistence on the right to present a fifth attraction under the terms of the current agreement, the difficulty in finding an appropriate attraction, scheduling on such short notice by outstanding performers, the only time available for a group suggested by our Music Panel will overlap with the President’s visit;

c) we think scheduling of the Quartet/Quintet within the U.S.S.R. can be accomplished to accommodate to whatever indications we may receive from the White House.

Recommendation:

We recommend that you approve the incorporation of the above points in a memorandum either

a) from you to Mr. Garment

or

b) the Secretary to Dr. Kissinger

Tab A

Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon⁴

Washington, October 20, 1971

SUBJECT

• U.S.–U.S.S.R. Relations: Communications Success of Duke Ellington in U.S.S.R.

The just-completed tour of the U.S.S.R. by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, under the sponsorship of our Cultural Presentations Program, has been an unqualified communications success. His impact on the Soviet public and officials during a 35-day tour is reflected in the following results, including several “firsts”:

A. The day Ellington departed the U.S.S.R., Pravda published a remarkable, highly favorable article, citing the success of the tour and praising the American musicians as professionals and as individuals. This is the first time in recent years that Pravda has acknowledged the existence in the U.S.S.R. of a U.S. performing arts group.

B. Soviet authorities requested two additional concerts in Moscow to meet public demand for tickets. This is the first time in recent years such a request has been made. We agreed, on the condition that the additional concerts would be held in Moscow’s Palace of Sports, seating 10,000.

C. Thus for the first time, a U.S. performing arts group under our auspices was allowed to perform in the Palace of Sports, which had already been set up for ice hockey.

D. Approximately 114,000 persons attended Ellington’s 22 concerts in five cities.⁵ Audiences consisted of all age groups and included high Government officials in Moscow, at least one Soviet cosmonaut (Feoktistov) and poet Yevtushenko.⁶ Hundreds of travelers from distant places arrived in Moscow for concerts. One traveler said: “This only happens once in a lifetime. You cannot imagine the impression that Ellington makes on a Soviet audience.” Tickets in Moscow were being scalped for $50 each.

E. Off-stage, Ellington and his men met informally with many Soviet citizens, including leading Ukrainian composers, local musicians and students. Ellington and Soviet musicians conducted three jam sessions together.

F. U.S. press coverage of Soviet reaction was overwhelmingly favorable. The New York Times of September 14, in a review of the opening Leningrad concert said: “The applause began before the curtain went up and kept on after 45 minutes of encores.”⁷ At the end of the tour, the Washington Post said in part: “Tickets for the concerts have been the hen’s teeth of the Soviet Union for a month . . . ‘We’ve been waiting for you for centuries!’ a young Moscow fan yelled at Ellington when he arrived here last month, and so it seemed.”⁸

John Chancellor of NBC News featured a Moscow concert on the October 14 network Nightly News, saying: “Duke Ellington has been on a State Department tour of Russia and it’s been a great success.”

Life covered the tour and plans to publish its article soon.

Comment:

While the Ellington communications, cultural and psychological success was anticipated, it exceeded our expectations.

We are exploring the feasibility of sending another outstanding performing arts group to the U.S.S.R. to coincide with your planned visit to Moscow.

William P. Rogers

Tab B

Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers⁹

Washington, November 9, 1971

SUBJECT

• Performing Arts Tour of the Soviet Union (S/S–7116533)

The President appreciated your report on Duke Ellington’s recent, very successful tour of the Soviet Union.

It is perhaps a bit early to take any decision concerning the desirability of sending a performing arts group to the USSR to coincide with the President’s planned visit. The President has indicated that he will wish to weigh the pros and cons of such a proposal closer to the time of the Moscow visit.

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Subject Files of Assistant Secretary John Richardson, 1968–1976, Lots 76D186 and 78D184, Entry P–242, Box 2, Cultural Presentation Program CU/CP 1971. Confidential. Sent through Irving. Next to Richardson’s name in the addressee line, Irving wrote: “for info—no action now required. FI.” In the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, Irving wrote: “JR Jr. . . I took action. . . Ted Eliot phoned NSC. . . OK to sign contract but not have them appear in Moscow when President there. . . but Pres may possibly call them in from [unclear] to play if he so desires. FI 12/1.” Richardson wrote “OK JR 12/2” to the left of Irving’s notation.
2. Not found.
3. During an October 12 press conference, held in the White House Briefing Room, the President announced that a meeting between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union would take place in Moscow during May 1972. The text of the announcement and the press conference are printed in Public Papers: Nixon, 1971, pp. 1030–1037. Kissinger also read the text of the announcement to the White House staff prior to the press conference; the memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XIV, Soviet Union, October 1971–May 1972, Document 1.
4. No classification marking. Drafted by Lewis on October 18; concurred in substance by Stefan. Lewis initialed Stefan’s concurrence. According to another copy of the memorandum, Richardson sent the memorandum to Rogers under an October 18 action memorandum, in which he commented that Ellington’s tour “has been an unprecedented cultural and communications success.” He recommended that Rogers sign the memorandum to the President. (National Archives, RG 306, Director’s Subject Files, 1968–1972, Entry A1–42, Box 20, OGA—CU State 1971 July thru December)
5. Leningrad, Minsk, Kiev, Rostov-on-the Don, and Moscow. The tour began in Leningrad on September 13 and ended in Moscow on October 12.
6. Presumable references to Konstantin Feoktistov and Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
7. Hedrick Smith, “Leningrad Goes Wild Over the Duke,” New York Times, September 14, 1971, p. 49.
8. Robert G. Kaiser, “Greeting the Great Man,” Washington Post, October 13, 1971, p. B1.
9. Confidential.