Letter from C. Kallman to H. W. Henze, July 27, 1964
[Typescript]
Kirchstetten (Westbahn)
Hinterholz 6
N.-Ö.‡, Austria
I’m writing to ask a favor.
The enclosed photos are of the six-foot, twenty-three-year-old Greek cal‡led
Kosta (short for Konstantinos), now in the Greek Royal Guar‡d (Those ones with
ballet skirts) that I have been in love with for over six months, and love
more than I can manage to say. Now the thing is this: he expects to be free
about the end of September, and then he will join me. Well, first we’ll
have a honeymoon in Italy and Austria and maybe Germany; but he must have work
in sight, and he wants work. I thought that perhaps he might have a certain
success as a model for advertisements, and had him photographed in Athens by
some nice talented American girl. But that’s not the point. The point is that
I don’t know where and how to begin submitting his photos to agencies. Munich
seemed to me a good place to begin (he speaks German), and I called
Renata[sic]‡
about it, over a month ago. She did promise to send me information, but her
illness may well have made it too difficult for her. So. Darling, maybe
you can find out for me. Would Volker know?* This is not an idle request, it
is a call for help. Kosta has just put his future in my hands, that’s all; and
if I prove inadequate I will have failed both of us. Profoundly.
Next week, Wystan and I are motoring down to Greece to meet Kosta and go to
his elder brother’s wedding in their lttle[sic]‡ village in Macedonia. It should be
giddy. I don’t expect you to answer me before we leave, naturally. But don’t
put it too far aside. You can’t be so busy that you can’t ask someone to ask
themselves. Sometimes
soon‡. Huh? For an old librettist’s life.‡
How’s "The Young Gentleman" progressing?*
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: Kallman, ChesterPhysical Description
- Document type: Letter
- BP_Kallman_Kirchstetten
- Faltung: 1x längs, 1x quer
- 1 folio
- 1 written page
- Dimensions: 293x210 [mm] (HxW)
- Gelocht. Bei den Löchern zum Rand hin ausgerissen
- 1zeilig
- nicht eingerückt
- Leerzeile nach jedem Absatz
- Rand: 2,6 mm
Material
Extent
Condition
Layout
Writing styles
-
1.Typescript, Kallman, Chester.
-
2.Handwriting, pen (blue).
-
3.Handwriting, Kallman, Chester, ballpoint pen (blue).
Text Constitution
-
" answered August 6 "added in the right margin, handwritten, pen (blue)
-
"l""," replaced with "l"
-
"ar""ra" replaced with "ar"
-
"Renata"sic
-
"lttle"sic
-
"soon"Underlining, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
-
"life."Underlining, handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
-
Following: handwritten, ballpoint pen (blue), Kallman, Chester
Commentary
-
"N.-Ö."abbreviation of "Niederösterreich".
-
"… for me. Would Volker know?"Kallman is alluding here to Folker Bohnet, Henze’s partner, as confirmed in Henze’s response in which the composer writes that Bohnet cannot help Kallman.
-
"… How's The Young Gentleman progressing?"By early summer 1964, Henze had already composed the entire first act of his opera The Young Lord (see Henze’s Autobiography, p. 191) and in his reply of 6 August Henze writes that he has completed half of the work.
-
"… Love To you both"It is likely that Kallman addresses his greetings to Henze and to Folker Bohnet, who at the time of the letter was his partner.
