Letter from W. H. Auden to H. W. Henze, January 5, 1967
Back
Settings
Show markers in text
Context
Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1966-07-15: to Henze
- 1966-11-28: from Henze
Following
- 1967-01-15: to Henze
- 1967-02-19: from Henze
[Manuscript]
77 St Mark’s Place
New York City
New York 10003
Many thanks for your letter.* I’m appalled
that you have not yet received the text
from Chester.*
What are we to do?[sic]‡
[I]
Am‡
warning him, but can h‡ only hope it will work.
Meanwhile, I send you Parts II and III, so
that you can at t‡ least make a start*
much love
Wystan
Editorial
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit
Tradition
-
Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
Shelf mark: Auden, Wystan HughPhysical Description
- Document type: Letter
- Weißes, dickes Papier
- Faltung: 1mal quer, 3mal längs
- 1 folio
- 1 written page
- Dimensions: 279x216 [mm] (HxW)
- Gelocht.
- Rand: 4,3cm
- Eingerückte Absätze
Material
Extent
Condition
Layout
Writing styles
-
1.Handwriting, Auden, Wystan Hugh, ballpoint pen (blue).
Text Constitution
-
"What are we to do?"sic
-
"h"crossed out
-
"t"crossed out
Commentary
-
"… 5 th , 1966 1967"Although Auden actually dated this letter 1966, it actually dates from 1967, a time when Kallman had not yet sent his text for Part I and the Epilogue of Moralities. It is possible that Auden got the year wrong because of his habit of writing “1966”, as sometimes happens at the beginning of a new year. See also the reply dated 15 January [1967].
-
"… thanks for your letter ."Henze’s letter, to which Auden alludes, has yet to be located.
-
"… the text from Chester ."Auden is upset that Kallman is not actively contributing to the creation of Moralities, the opera for school based on Aesop’s fables and divided into three scenes. The sole author of the libretto would, in fact, be Auden, yet Kallman was involved in the genesis of the work.
-
"Am"recte "am".
-
"… t least make a start"Here, Auden is referring to the text for Moralities for Parts II and III. The correspondence reveals that Kallman should have written Part I and the Epilogue. See Auden’s letter on 15 January [1967].
