Letter from C. Kallman/W. H. Auden to H. W. Henze, September 10, 1964
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Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1964-08-31: to Henze
- 1964-08-27: from Henze
Following
- 1964-10-19: to Henze
- 1964-10-26: from Henze
[Typescript]
Kirchstetten (Westbahn)
Hinterholz 6
N.-Ö.‡, Austria
Oh it[’]s another grey day in Austria. I’m depressed. I had planned so long to be
back in the arms of my Adored
on the fifteenth, and then him to be free at last
on the twentieth,* but he’s written and said that what with the King probably
not pardoning the Evzones their extra service (because of punishments) on his
wedding*, and him (the idiot) having gotten himself some more bad marks against
him, he might not be getting out before the middle of November. And he argues
that it’s simply a waste of money for me to hang around Athens when he’s s‡o
burdened with duty that he’ll only be able to see me rarely. And further, that
he probably would start s‡neaking out if I were there, and then might get caught
being absent (which earned him his last 15 days punishment); and then his
release would be even further delayed……Oh dear. And what with me being a
regular Senat for faithfulness these days, it’s diffy. I begin to lose contact
with myself. Wait, he writes, wait until the twnety-second‡ before making any
plans, because a very close friend of mine
* has planned a whole trip to Europe in
order, among other things, to spend two weeks with me in Greece. I’ve written
Kosta that, but only four days ago. I’m never sure what his reactions will be,
but Greeks can’t abide a disobedient wife; and strange notions sometimes have a
way of lodging in the Byzantine mind behind those Byzantine eyes I love.
Otherwise his letters are so sweet I could cry. And do. He’s been rather
pensive I gather now that Yannis, his closest buddy in the Evzones and an angel
from much above, confessed to him that he loved me and wanted to live with me
forever(and also reproached him for his miserable treatment of Miss Me
this Winter
and "other such a woman," when it was he, Yannis, who stuck by me and helped me
get through the thing somehow), and Kosta wrote me about all this and said in his
letter: "But you know how Yannis feels, I think, and you’ve known it a long time.
But I told him, '
Yannis, I’m sorry, but it won’t go. Chester and I suit each
other and love each other, and we want to help you. And I love you as a friend,
and you can always have a home with us.'"
*
Hansssssss. Such responsibilities!
I wrote to Enrico at Korfu, but my letter was forwarded to the Royal Palace
in Athens and then returned to me, so heavens knows where she is now. Anyways I
won’t be in Athens for the wedding, and if I were to ask her to whisper a word
in the
Kings‡
ear, she’d be too shy too‡. And, in any case, I’d be too shy to ask
her to ask. So.
And Renate’s been, till this week, a very faithful co‡rrespondent. She wanted some
special "Don Giovanni" recording with Leontyne that wasn’t available in Germany,
and I had it sent to her from here a week ago. Hope she got it.*
In any case, now you’ll understand why it’s impossible for me to date my visit
now‡ with any sort of accuracy.* As for Andreas (Kosta’s fratellino), I don’t
know exca‡
‡tly what his plans are or what plans Kostas has for him. So I can
hardly "include him in" any "joint" honeymoon.* Yet. And what about this vacation
you mention, maybe to Greece. When would it be?*
I’m enclosing my little cantata. Even if you can’t "do" it now, I’d like to know
how you feel about it as some future project.* And I will try to court the light
elegant Muse. It might even lift mex‡ out of this sweet sadness. Wystan’s off to
Berlin for a week on the twenty-first, so you’ll probably see him there. And
I shall be here alone, alone, alone.
P.T.O.‡
By the by, this friend of mine (the one who’s going to meet me in Athens) will be
in Rome, at some medical Congress, from the twentieth to the twenty-eight‡h.
You’ll adore each other. Do be a dear and drop him a note*‡
* before you leave for Berlin, if
possible‡
(Dr. William Vinson c/o
American Express, Roma)
telling him when you’ll be back and giving him your
phone number. You might, if your plans co-incide, even come to Athens with him.
But that’s just what we call in English an idear.*
Glad you liked the car. Actually, its of Danilove in "Schwanz Like……"
Here are two other songs for you to set.*
Very|‡Exclusive Indeed
Let me not to the marriage of true minds*Admit the blow that breaks it:I sit upon the principle that findsIts pleasure where it takes it.
The Sentimental Slut
I’ve got my nerve. I really ought to stop.I’ve got nerves too, and you are why I’ve got ’em.The corpus of my loves has you on top,Though true at heart may not be true at bottom.
Best regards to K von C.
Many thanks for your letter. Hope something will bring
you to Berlin
this winter
*
love
Wystan.
Editorial
Author(s)
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti
Tradition
-
Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
Shelf mark: Kallman, ChesterPhysical Description
- Document type: Letter
- Briefpapier_Kallman_Kirchstetten
- Faltung: 1mal längs, 1mal quer
- 1 folio
- 2 written pages
- Dimensions: 291x210 [mm] (HxW)
- 1zeilig
- nicht eingerückt
- Leerzeile nach jedem Absatz
- Rand: 22 mm
- Verso verkehrt herum beschrieben.
Material
Extent
Layout
Writing styles
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1.Typescript, Kallman, Chester.
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2.Handwriting, Kallman, Chester, ballpoint pen (blue).
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3.Handwriting, Auden, Wystan Hugh, ballpoint pen (blue).
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4.Handwriting, ballpoint pen (blue).
Text Constitution
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" answered 15 September "added below, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue)
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"… answered 15 September"This note was probably added by a secretary of Henze later.
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"s""x" replaced with "s"
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"s""a" replaced with "s"
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"o"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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"o""i" replaced with "o"
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"now"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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""added above, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
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"… ), I don't know exca"A line indicates that the letter "a" should be read before the "c".
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"x"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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"ht""th" replaced with "ht"
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"*"added inline, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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"* before you … Berlin, if possible"added below, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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"|"added inline, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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Following: handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
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"`"crossed out
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Following: handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Auden, Wystan Hugh
Commentary
-
"N.-Ö."abbreviation of "Niederösterreich".
-
Cara
- Dear
-
"… Cara Gregoria Peckersnapper ,"Kallman refers to Henze in the feminine, calling him "Gregoria", the feminine name of the main character Gregor in their opera Elegy for Young Lovers. Kallman’s neologism "Peckersnapper" has sexual references.
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"… last on the twentieth ,"Kallman had been planning to see Kostantinos at the end of September 1964 since at least 27 July 1964, as revealed in his letter to Henze.
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"… of punishments) on his wedding"The Greek King, Constantine II, married Anne-Marie of Denmark on 18 September 1964.
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"twnety-second"recte "twenty-second".
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"… very close friend of mine"Kallman revealed his friend’s name later in this letter.
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"… have a home with us."Yannis Boras was to become one of Kallman’s lovers for five years until Boras died in a car accident in Vienna on 13 December 1968 at the age of 26. For him, Kallman published in 1969 Address, which contains two poems entitled "Dedicated to Yannis Boras: Livadaki" and "In Memory of Yannis Boras" (no page numbers).
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"Kings"recte "King’s".
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"… . Hope she got it."Soprano Leontyne Price sometimes played the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (at the Met in New York in 1961, for example) and sometimes that of Donna Elvira, for example in the 1959 recording for RCA/Decca (conducted by Erich Leinsdorf). The request Henze’s secretary made to Kallman may be referring to this recording.
-
fratellino
- little brother
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"… him in any joint honeymoon."Kallman would have liked to take a honeymoon trip with Kosta in late September 1964 to Italy, Austria and possibly Germany. Perhaps Kallman is alluding here to the possibility of spending the honeymoon together with Kosta’s brother, who was apparently married in early August 1964. See Kallman’s letter of 27 July 1964.
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"… . When would it be?"A letter in which Henze writes about his vacation in Greece has yet to be located.
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"… it as some future project."Here, Kallman refers to the cantata The Solitudes for the Swedish singers Elizabeth Söderström and Kerstin Meyer, that he wanted Henze to set to music, but that the composer did not have enough time to do, as he mentions in his Autobiography, pp. 171-172. The attached document is unfortunately not found with the letter, but it may be kept among the materials of the Henze Collection at the Paul Sacher Foundation. The title Solitudes is ascertained from one of Kallman’s letter and from Henze’s Autobiography, pp. 171-172.
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"P.T.O."abbreviation of "Please Turn Over".
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"… call in English an idear." "Idear" in Appalachian is an eye dialect spelling of "idea".
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"… songs for you to set."In addition to the "cantata" attached to this letter but yet to be located, Kallman added two more poems at the end of the letter either for the same unfinished project, The Solitudes, or for another project with Henze’s music.
-
"… the marriage of true minds"The first verse of this poem, "Let me not to the marriage of true minds", is taken from William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.
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Αγάπη
- love
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"… Αγάπη `"Kallman uses the Greek word "agápi" to mean "love" in signing off this letter.
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"… you to Berlin this winter"Henze would actually be in Berlin during the winter of 1964-1965 as an artist-in-residence with a Ford Foundation scholarship together with Auden and Bachmann.
