Letter from W. H. Auden to H. W. Henze, November 8, 1964
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Context
Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1964-10-19: to Henze
- 1964-10-26: from Henze
Following
- 1964-11-23: to Henze
- 1965-10-06: from Henze
[Manuscript]
Berlin-Dahlem
Hubertusbaderstrasse 43
answered Nov. 14 ‡
Peter Heyworth (who is, I must assure you, despite any
difficulties you have had, a very great fan of yours)
spoke to Earl Harewood about Bassy
and‡
Covent Garden,
and the latter thought it an excellent idea. Though he
is now no longer directly concerned with C.G., his voice
has power there. Maybe it would be a good thing to
send him a copy of the Libretto.*
Ann
‡ settles into my bourgeois dolls-house – no guest-
room but two toilets, no radio but a large T-V
set. Don’t know many people yet and feel a bit lonesome.
Of course, there is always Herbert’s, but the attractive
Strich‡ are, very uncertaintly‡,‡
immer
stanco, stanco.
My will is at last signed, witnessed and sealed so, as I
wrote him, Chester can start grinding‡ up the glass
t’abbraccio. Wystan
Editorial
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit
Tradition
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Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
Shelf mark: Auden, Wystan HughPhysical Description
- Document type: Letter
- Dickes weißes Papier, Briefpapier Kirchstetten
- Wasserzeichen: “NEUSHEKLER JAPAN POST” und Logo (japanische Häuser) von Japan Post
- 1 folio
- 1 written page
- Dimensions: 298x219 [mm] (HxW)
- Rand: 4 cm
- Eingerückte Absätze
Material
Extent
Layout
Writing styles
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1.Handwriting, Auden, Wystan Hugh, ballpoint pen (blue).
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2.Handwriting, ballpoint pen (light blue).
Text Constitution
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"Nov 8th1964"added inline, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
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"Kirchstetten (Westbahn)"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
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"Hinterholz 6"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
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"N.-Ö., Austria"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
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"answered Nov. 14 "added in the right margin, handwritten, ballpoint pen (light blue)
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"of"uncertain transcription
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"Reinhold"sic
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"and"uncertain transcription
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"… Ann"The name could be also “Am”.
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"Strich"uncertain transcription
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"uncertaintly"uncertain transcription
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"… Strich are, very uncertaintly ,"The words “Stich” and “uncertaintly” are not really legible.
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"grinding"uncertain transcription
Commentary
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"… Nov 8 th 1964"Auden’s address in Berlin-Dahlem – Hubertusbaderstrasse 43 – confirms the year. He lived there for six months during the winter and spring of 1964-1965 (except for the month of December when he was instead in New York City), as artist-in-residence of the Ford Foundation.
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"N.-Ö."abbreviation of "Niederösterreich".
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"… of letter of Herr Reinhold"As stated in one of Auden’s later letters, Helmut Reinold was initially supposed to be the translator of the libretto of The Bassarids, but in the end the translation was entrusted to Maria Bosse-Sporleder. Reinold is only mentioned in the published score for setting up the libretto.
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"… copy of the Libretto ."It is not certain whether the dialogue between Peter Heyworth and Earl Harewood led to a Covent Garden production of The Bassarids. In the BBC Radio 3 Programme Index, however, it appears that the first English performance of The Bassarids was recorded in Royal Albert Hall and broadcast on 22 September 1968 with the participation of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. The work’s fully-staged English premiere was held at the English National Opera in October 1974, with the composer conducting.
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stanco, stanco
- tired, tired
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t’abbraccio
- I hug you
Automatical Commentary
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"Ann"Assignment not clear.
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"Herbert’s"Assignment not clear.
