Kallman, Chester/Auden, Wystan Hugh: Brief (mit Beilagen) an Henze, Hans Werner. Kirchstetten, Mittwoch, 31. August 1960
author: Kallman, Chester; Auden, Wystan Hugh
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Copyright by the Estate of W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman. By courtesy of the Estate of W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Kirchstetten [This letter contains references to issues probably discussed by the three authors in Kirchstetten during Henze's visit from 4 to 6 August 1961.] Aug 3 1 (60) [The year, which Henze later added in brackets, is correct, as can be inferred from the content of the letter.]
Hanzy-panzy [Literally the word panzy means the pansy flower, but it is also used offensively to refer to a gay man.] dear,

Enclosed is the new opening for the Third Act and a diagram showing quasi how the sextet works out.[^1] The atmosphere is morning-after. Emotional hangovers. Everyone on his own. The exchanges-- morning thank you and the brief interchange between Caroline and the Doc, and what others there are-- are all completely mechanical meaningless court e sies, delivered flatly and without any weight of thought and emotion. Things are falling apart. It is only Hedwig[^2]who makes any effort to contact the others, and that is when the ensemble is over. I don't know how clear I'm making all this, so do let me have your reactions and questions. And then maybe in England in October, if all else fails, we can talk ab o ut it.

[^1: The new opening of Act III is not attached to this letter, but the diagram is. Typescript copies of the libretto with various corrections are kept at the Paul Sacher Foundation. It is possible that the new opening of Act III may also be found among these documents.]

[^2: The name of this character changes over time in the correspondence: from January to July 1960 she is called Hulda. Here she is referred to as Hedwig, while from October 1960 her final name is Hilda. See also the attached diagram, where Kallman first wrote Hedwig and then corrected it as Hilda. The three authors probably discussed these changes during their meeting in Kirchstetten from 4 to 6 August 1960.]

The Times has officially announced the Glyndebourne premier as the Uraufführung . So what gives with Schet z ingen? Our agent writes us that Schott is still being a bit vague on terms, and also that they say that the Schwetzy deal is far from sure. [Auden and Kallmans’ agent would tell them that the premiere of Elegy for Young Lovers planned for Schwetzingen was not yet confirmed.]What is going on?

No news here much. Have met someone sheer heaven; a bundle of intelligent sensuality who looks like Hardy Kröger and has a skin like silk. Tekky may be coming next week to visit. That's all. When you give me your approval of this new scene, I'll type up a complete third act and send it to you. And I do think that if this scene comes off, Glyndebourne maybe won't object to their precious public eating just before it.[^3] Have they, by the by, thought of the mad costume changes that will have to be made in no time at all if they stick to their two act scheme? And those changes are quite essential if the action is not to seem obscure.

[^3: The expression public eating refers to the Glyndebourne audience's custom of picnicking during the long 70-minute break in between opera performances, and described by Henze in his Autobiography, p. 171.]

Will write again soon about some things in the second act. Sisterly love and kisses
Felice Romani [Kallman jokingly signs his name as the librettist Felice Romani.]
Chester Kallman

Act II & Tea-Quartet the important thing here is to treat Mittenhofer, Carolina, Toni & Elizabeth, not as individuals, but as the four elements which make up a single situation ie, the music should express the situation and ignore character. I see each couplet as a two-part [...] phrase which goes on repeating itself, so that each character has to sing whatever bit of the tune happento fall to him (or her) regardless of what he is saying.

Halevy. [Similar to Kallman above, Auden probably signed using the name of another librettist, Ludovic Halévy.]