Letter [Carbon copy] from H. W. Henze to W. H. Auden, July 3, 1967
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Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1967-06-22: to Sacher
- 1967-06-30: from Sacher
Following
- 1967-10-11: to Enzensberger
- 1967-10-18: from Sacher
[Typescript]
W. H. Auden
Kirchstetten (Westbahn)
Hinterholz 6
N. O. Austria
Thanks for your letter
*. The news about my health
are widely exagerated‡.* One day when I will see you I shall tell you
all about it. It is something that unfortunately can not quite be
cured but one can live with it. I can work but not conduct at least
for another season and perhaps never again.* That is very boring
because it amused me so much. I am writing a piano concerto at
present, very long and symphonic.* In July I go to Dartmouth, Han-
nover ( New England ) as a composer in residence.* The rest of the year
I shall stay in Marino.
I have the feeling
"Moralities"
are a very nice
piece and I want to thank you again for having given me the libretto.
I shall make a recording of it in Dresden with the Kreuzchor boys
(I am still able to make gramophone recordings) in autumn.*
The
"Bassarides"
will come out at La Scala end
of March 1968
,[sic]‡ with Paskalis, Driscoll and Meyer, the rest italian
singers. Production by a polish[sic]‡ director called Svinarski who is sup-
posed to be great; designs, fabulous by Vespignani. Conductor Bartoletti.*
It seems very promising and I hope we are not in for any trouble this
time.
I hope you are well and happy. All my love also to
faithless Chester.
Editorial
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti
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
- Durchschlagpapier
- 1 folio
- 1 written page
- Dimensions: 280x220 [mm] (HxW)
- Rand: 2,3 cm
- einzeilig
- Absätze eingerückt
Material
Extent
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1.Typescript, Henze, Hans Werner.
Text Constitution
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" ,"sic
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"polish"sic
Commentary
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"… Thanks for your letter"This could be Auden’s letter of 10 June 1967, but it’s not certain.
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"exagerated"recte "exaggerated".
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"… health are widely exagerated ."It cannot be determined what news about his health Auden may be referring to.
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"… season and perhaps never again."As Henze recounts in his Autobiography, pp. 225-226, in early 1967, Henze’s doctor forbade him to conduct, due to hypertension, even though he had already conducted some concerts during the summer.
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"… present, very long and symphonic."Henze’s Piano concerto no. 2 is indeed quite long: lasting about 50 minutes. Henze finished composing it in the summer or fall of 1967 (see his Autobiography, p. 227).
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"… as a composer in residence."The festival Henze attended as 'composer in residence' was organized by the conductor Mario di Bonaventura. There, Henze would attend rehearsals of his own pieces and also conduct and analyse other works (see his Autobiography, pp. 227-228).
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"… gramophone recordings) in autumn ." Moralities were actually recorded under Henze’s direction with the choir of the Dresdner Kreuzchor in 1968 and released by Deutsche Grammophon in a co-production with Eterna. See Hans Werner Henze – Muses Of Sicily - Moralities. Solists, Chorus And Orchestra Conducted By The Composer.
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"… Vespignani . Conductor Bartoletti ."The Italian premiere of The Bassarids took place at La Scala in Milan on 26 March 1968 (with the libretto translated in Italian by Fedele D’Amico). The conductor, however, was not Bartoletti, but Nino Sanzogno.
