Brief von H. W. Henze an W. H. Auden/C. Kallman, 6. Oktober 1965

[Typoskript]

Hans Werner Henze

z.Zt. Berlin 33
Oberhaardter Weg 45

6th October, 1965

Herren
Wystan H. Auden and Chester Kallman
Kirchstetten/ bei Wien

dear Wystan and Chester,

thank you for the sweet telegram, and I can hardly tell you how delighted
I am to have finished that motherfucking work. It was very difficult and
sometimes I thought I would go mad. Probably the work is much too long and
whenever anything has to be cut in order to make it performable I shall
hate you for having made it so long or for having not cut enough.* E.g.,
after the sextet Agave’s lament or rather addio to her dead son which you
thought could not be done without is there alright, but makes it long.*
In various situations all through the opera I am awares[sic] ‡ of the certain
overlength in almost all situations. This can of course be made a theatrical
style but not easily a virtue. As to the music, I suppose it is the best
stuff I ever wrote. Symphonic forms have been thoroughly observed and would
make of course any cut terrible assassination.* Exhausted as I am from this
work I feel I have given birth to something monstrous: there lies, sad and
poisones[sic] ‡, the cadaver of an Arabien[sic] ‡ stallion. So my happiness is namely
about the torture being over, but the other preoccupations do start now.

Will the chorus ever be able to memorise the whole thing? Will I find any
Pentheus ever? Who will be ready and willing to sing such a murderous part
and stand in drags* on the stage for twenty minutes (that is the duration
of the first scene after the Intermezzo before he is gone off the stage)–?
Four have refused by now and it’s getting desperate.–*

Anyway I hope with care and certain diplomacy all the problems can be
resolved. You must help me in various things right now, please. One thing
is the need for a shortish[sic] ‡, but complete Inhaltsangabe, as would be pr i ‡nted in
a program-note.* There should also be an explanation what the fuck the
"Bassarids" mean.* I have not run in[to] one single person yet that wouldn’t
have said: "Bassariden ? Was ist denn das?", or: "E che cazzo è? " over
and over again. Friends, foreigners, lovers, Tunten* , intellectuals, profans
and poets, philosophers – nobody seems to have ever run into that word,
and a Roman Grecist[sic] ‡ , friend of mine, told me confidentially that even Euripides
did not know or use that word. But I trust mother as she ordered me to do but
now mother* must explain the word what Bassarids are.* I might also add that
I bought dictionaries and informative literature about Greek without ever
running into that word. And dwhat[sic] ‡ about the touching case of the journalist
in the Frankfurter Allgemeine who looked up anything he could think of
and wrote an article in the paper "... eine Orpheus-Oper von Henze" explaining
the Bassarids were those who were fawn-skin and killed Orpheus.* I mean until
now I do not quite see up to which point the habit and technique of giving –2– ‡

–2–

a theatrical work and ‡ attractive and rememberable title have been used in
our case. It is up to you to bring some light into this question.

Another request is the following: Could you please write an Essay like you
did in the case of "Elegy" * and give enlightment[sic] ‡ about all the things people
will not easily understand (even I after having worked 12 months now on it
have not quite gotten everything). Perhaps it would be possible to give an
explanation why we have costumes of all periods mixed.* I feel it is a good
idea, but audiences – especially, I think, German audiences – want to know
why. Also theatre goers – myself not excluded – do not like to be left in the
dark about the "Moral von der geschicht", etc.etc. Perhaps it sort of flatters
them. For myself, who instinctively and with trustfulness composed everything
even where things were not completely clear to me, it would be very helpful
to know more, too. E.g. why does the Matthaeus-Passion-like theme of the
Intermezzo come back when Pentheus’ corps is being carried away (is it because
of the "tearing limb for limb"-text in the Intermezzo?)*

Then: What does the Gottfried-Benn-Motto: "Die Mythe log" mean? What is it
good for? If you want to keep this Motto (also for an antifascist like me
it’s not so funny to have Mr. Benn’s name somehow connected with mine although
he was a great poet, and great poets are like children) could you please add
some more Mottos from other people that may help to throw light on it all?*

Eisermann, my secretary, says ... dass er das Motto ganz schoen und passend
finde, wisse aber auch nicht, warum. People living in a world of darkness
desperately need your help.

One request: That doll that says 'Mama' could it please not say 'Mama' and
just be silent ? Not only that it makes this ridiculous noise, you would
probably have to amplify it electrically because my orchestra is very loud,
and if you did hear it it would be very disturbing.*
Another question: How is the English pronounciation[sic] ‡ of "Persephone" and
"Thyone"?*

In the Intermezzo it says: "Amidst the shrubbery, Satyrs (not Sartyrs perhaps?)
pursuing Nymphos can be seen. Also Silenus." Obviously these things one sees
pointed on the coulisses. I wondered when I wrote it should one not see some
of these things in reality (to point out Cytheron even more) ? At the same
time I thought the idea is not good, but asking doesn’t cost money.*

Please answer these things very quickly and please do write both a pretty,
clear/and[sic] ‡ short and practical Inhaltsangabe, and also a beautiful and illuminating
Essay.*

Privately things are as follows: I had two nervous breakdowns, lost my beautif u ‡l
lover*, had various Greeks and Schwartze[sic] ‡ to help the orchestration and am in
Berlin at present to conduct another concert* and will then go to Africa to get
what I couldn’t have all this time – a bit of riposo .* I’m completely exhausted and very very old.

The performance is scheduled on the 6th August in Salzburg, Grosses Festspiel-
haus. Everything is extremely difficult and at times very, very complicated.
The only positive thing is that Loren Driscoll will sing Dionysus, Kerstin
Meyer A g ‡ave, Filippo Sanjust is working on the sketches who represent exactly
what is indicated in the libretto. We use Sellner to realize what we tell him
(Filippo and I) – he is the only person I can think of who is willing to do so
and at the same time powerful enough to manage the most complicated machinery.*
Also, he has no"imagination"[sic] ‡ and does therefore what he is told, but with
authority: That is ideal. He will also make the first performance in Germany
with the same cast and the same designer and same conductor (Dohnanyi) in
autumn in Berlin.* Cologne and Frankfurt will do Western German performances
–3– ‡

–3–

during winter on the same day.* Frankfurt will use Ruben[sic] ‡ Ter-Ar u ‡tunian.*
Please let me know what your plans are. I think you should come to the
rehearsals. I will let you know the schedules as soon as they are out.

By the way, the thing having become as long as it has become, must probably
be given with an interval. "Und als er gerade gerade war, da brach er ab, was
schade war."

At present, a few days after having completed the work I’m unable to judge
it: It may be shit, it may be gold – I just don’t know. I intended a capolavoro ,
anyway. But let’s not yet say thank you, only thank God. At present I just
hate you both because you have made me suffer so much. Everything akes[sic] ‡.
Like after a long series of debauchery. I hate to feel I’ve had a lesson.
Ha‡ve I been analysed ? I cried so much. But what does it all mean ? Please
explain the tragedy and all, to me and to the world.

love,

Brief von H. W. Henze an W. H. Auden/C. Kallman, 6. Oktober 1965

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