Nabokov was a Russian-born composer and writer who fled the Russian Revolution for Paris. It was there that he befriended Polish mezzo-soprano Marya Freund, the former owner of this manuscript.

In 1945 Nabokov became a Civilian Cultural Advisor in occupied Germany, then moved to the United States and became Secretary General of the newly formed Congress for Cultural Freedom, which was backed by the CIA. He remained in that post for more than fifteen years, organizing music and cultural festivals while also holding several teaching positions.