Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - A long way to Ravello from here, where there is a 'wild wind' whose 'idea of celebrating the birth of Christ is somewhat of the nature of pagan glee'; hopes she and Bob are having a 'sun-warmed and happy Christmas'. Very sorry he has seen little of them both recently; 'this "[Independent] Review" business is dragging [him] about all over the place'; the Prospectus will be out on 15 January, and he will write to Bob then if they are in Italy. Has just read [Paul] Kruger and [Christiaan] de Wet's books [Kruger's memoirs and de Wet's "Three Years War"] with the greatest interest'; quite a contrast between the 'old fashionedness of Kruger' and de Wet's 'piety... relieved by a sense of humour and a habit of looking things in the face'. Praises de Wet's book highly for its honesty, and finds that 'the things he says in indignation against the English, are warrant of the genuineness of the fine things he says at the end in favour of loyalty to us'. He may be 'too simple a man to be among history's greatest', but is 'certainly among the best of the great'. His mother has said something about Bob having his play ["Cecilia Gonzaga"] published soon; asks if this is with Longman's. His own book ["England under the Stuarts"] is going slowly because of the "Review" and his Cambridge work; will give up half of that at the end of this year.
14 Royal Crescent, Scarborough. - Has just received a book ["Sisyphus"] by Trevy from the publishers [Longmans]; it is 'most elegant', and he sees it contains 'rich full sounding Grecian names'. They [he and his wife] will read it together before Christmas; if Daniel 'dare[s]' form a conclusion on it he will write; thanks for the gift. Would also much like a letter saying how the Trevelyans all are. The Moore household are all well, except for the 'all important cook' who is suffering from a very high temperature; they hope she will soon recover. His wife sends best love to Trevy's, and will write to her soon.
8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Amused to hear about 'the tea making at Rocca Bella [the Grandmont's house in Taormina]; hopes the concert was a success. She went to hear the Manchester [Hallé] orchestra, which was good but not as good as the Meiningen, conducted by Richter last night. Has not seen Robert's play ["Cecilia Gonzaga"] yet, but Mr Longman dines with them on Thursday so she will hear about it then. Can imagine that Mrs C[acciola Trevelyan] could be 'exacting & tiresome' but they will not be long near her. Hopes Elizabeth will get her visit to Holland; Lord Reay told them a while ago that the strike was serious, but she has heard nothing about it recently. Expects they will have a good view of Vesuvius erupting on the way back. Sir George saw a cyclist hit by a car, which drove off without stopping, this morning; it is 'quite unsafe to walk about now!'.
Veronica, Silverdale, nr Carnforth. - Thanks Bob for sending his "New Parsifal"; will get him to write his name in it when he comes north. Read it with much 'zest and enjoyment' as if he had never done so before; thinks it has all 'come quite fresh and delightful'. Sure it is 'first rate and... will last a long time'; eager to see what the reviewers say, as soon as Bob has a 'bundle of cuttings' he can spare'. The 'Chiswicks [Chiswick Press] have managed the cover very well'; the 'arrangement with Bickers' [printers and booksellers] sounds good, and will probably be 'more efficient' than Longmans or 'liitle [Charles Elkin?] Matthews'. Will remember all this for "Mrs Lear" [his forthcoming "King Lear's Wife"], but thinks he should try Heinemann first as Bob suggests. Thanks Bob for taking the trouble to see [Edward] Marsh and writing; will follow up this opening as soon as he can; unfortunately the typescript [of "King Lear's Wife"] is not yet ready, since he has had a 'few bed-days', and there is an 'Old-Man-of-the-Sea of a plumber here' who makes work 'impossible'. The house is ready to move into; they are going to Allithwaite on Friday, on to Well Knowe for a fortnight, then 'back here for ever. This is a 'damned place, full of old maids collecting for the provision of woollen comforters for deep sea fishermen'.; mentions the suggestion in the local directory that Silverdale is named after 'Soever', a 'hardy Norseman'. Promises Bob that 'Mrs Lear' will be his 'Lenten task', and to get the typescript to Marsh by Easter.
Had a letter from [John] Drinkwater three weeks ago, who said he had seen Bob, and also asked for the 'refusal' of 'Mrs Lear'; have therefore promised to send him a typescript too. Drinkwater sent his [play] "[Oliver] Cromwell....."; Bottomley at length replied he was 'on his side about King Oliver', but that Drinkwater should not 'write poetry like a partisan'. Ernest Newman was 'offensive and vulgar' about [Wagner's] "Parsifal"; loathed' him as Bob did. Wishes he could have seen the opera with Bob. As it has just gone out of copyright, has bought a cheap score; expected it to be 'good but vegetarian and flabby' so was glad to see it 'so much huger' than expected; thinks 'the Amfortas... more moving than anything else in Wagner'. Has got hold of a Bohn edition of the Grimm "Fairy Tales" 'just like' Bob's, and now he and his wife read them out loud in the evening. Very glad that Julian is better: 'suppressed influenza' seems to have been a great danger for children recently, and Lady A[lice] Egerton says her little niece almost died of it. Hopes Sir George is also better. Adds a postscript to say that the French musical review S. I. M. ["Société internationale de musique"] for 1 January has a 'good portrait' of R[alph] Vaughan Williams and a piece on "Les Post-Elgariens" by Marcel Boulestin.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Will certainly vote at the Athenaeum this afternoon; would have put his name on Mr Clifton's card if he had known beforehand. He and Caroline were glad to see Bessie and 'much interested in the plans of the house'. Sees the "Times" this morning has started a 'carefully organised and most outspoken propaganda' for Balfour and Chamberlain's news [on tariff reform?]: 'If the Liberal Unionists stand that, they will stand anything'. His proofs [for "The American Revolution"] are all finished, and today he will show Longman the revision of his 'First Part', which will be the first of the three volumes of the 'cheap edition', coming out in eighteen months time.
8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Rather 'wonderful how many liberals' Elizabeth and Robert have had in 'such a small party' [of fellow guests at Ravello]: Mr [Henry John?] Roby is 'a fine old fellow'; knows who Miss Williams is. Hears of many people going to Rome and Sicily now. Understands that Elizabeth wants to stop in Holland while Robert 'joins the Easter party [organised by George Moore]'. Has reserved tickets for the Joachim concerts; would very much like to go with Elizabeth and would be able to find other takers on occasions when unable to attend. Elizabeth was elected to the [Grosvenor Crescent] club and Caroline has paid her sub. Sir George is talking to Mr Longman downstairs now; Caroline is glad the play [Robert's "Cecilia Gonzaga"] will soon be out. The Bertie Russells visited on Sunday; she is 'much better, & looked quite different'; they are moving soon to Churt, a neighbourhood Caroline likes but supposes Elizabeth and Robert prefer Haslemere. She and Sir George are anxious they should find a nice house this summer. Asks for news of the Cacciolas; sends love to Florence and 'kindest regards to the Signor', as well as remembrances to the Grandmonts and Marie [Hubrecht].
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Hopes Robert and Bessie will have a good tour, and better weather than he and Caroline had; envies Bessie her first visit to Paris; his own was when he was fifteen 'when all the houses were new-built'. Recommends seeing the Place des Vosges and going to the Restaurant Lucas on Place [de la] Madeleine. He and Caroline are very much interested in Robert and Bessie's change of house; will help them set up a new home. Glad Robert is going to publish [his play "Cecilia Gonzaga"] with Longman; has no experience, since the one play which Longman published for Sir George, "The Pope and his Patron", he himself 'eagerly and feverishly suppressed almost immediately' since it was a 'very fatal performance for a Parliamentary candidate, and still more for an Irish Secretary'. Asks to be remembered kindly to Monsieur and Madame de Grammont [Grandmont] and sends love to Elizabeth.
7 Southgate Terrace, Coburg Road, Old Kent Road. - In response to Lord Houghton's enquiry, encloses copy of agreement [no longer present] signed by himself and [John] Leighton, respecting payment for work on The Life of Man Symbolised by the Seasons; extra work on composition was not accounted for; Leighton withheld bonus when Pigot refused to write a preface for £1; Longmans unable to increase payment.
Well Knowe House, Cartmel, by Carnforth. - Was 'delighted' to received Trevelyan's "Sisyphus" from Longmans the other day; apologises for not writing sooner; was away from home but read the poem 'immediately and eagerly and with huge enjoyment'. Thanks Trevelyan for remembering that he wanted to see it. Praises it highly and says Trevelyan has 'certainly found the most fundamentally comedic idea in the world; the terrible and futile situation of Sisyphus is so much all men's affair'. The fact that 'Grecian things' seem as natural to Trevelyan's thoughts as 'Tube and Hague Tribunals' are to most people today should gain universal respect. Trevelyan knows he can count on Bottomley's interest in his 'quest of a lyrical basis for drama'; thinks Sisyphus is successful in this respect. The work gives 'the musician rare chances': the 'conjuration of time going backward' needs music like the beginning of Beethoven's ninth symphony; thinks Berlioz could have 'heard vaguely the chords to accompany the engulfing of Sisyphus', but could probably not have written them down. Wonders 'what deep force is turning us all so insistently to the drama nowadays', when there is no hope of attention and respect, or even loyal co-operation' from theatre-goers. Glad that Trevelyan is also turning his thoughts towards music-drama; thinks 'fullest expression' is only possible that way; even incidental music like Grieg's "Peer Gynt" gives a 'glimpse of an all powerful mingling of all the arts to make perfect drama possible'. In addition, 'that rebellious artisan, the actor' might be prevented from 'maiming and self-assertion' by the tones which each word of poetry has 'being authoritatively set down for him as definite musical notes. Doubts whether music really could enhance the excellence of the poetry in "Sisyphus", but does still 'feel the beauty of [Trevelyan's] projected union of poetry and music', and would like to hear something of his longer work to which music is now being composed [by Donald Tovey: i.e. the "Bride of Dionysus"].
Newspaper cuttings with reviews, many sent to Trevelyan by the press cuttings agency Romeike & Curtice; some duplicates. From: the "Morning Post"; "Scotsman"; "Daily Chronicle"; "Glasgow Herald"; "Birmingham Post" ; "Nottingham Guardian"; "Times Literary Supplement"; "Evening Post" (New York); "Post Express" (Rochester, New York); "Vogue" (New York); "Guardian"; "New Age"; "Yorkshire Post"; "Bibliophile"; "Spectator" and "Annual Register".
Press cuttings relating to "The Bride of Dionysus", most sent on by Longmans, Green, & Co., 39 Paternoster Row, London E.C.
1) from the "Times", 2 May 1912.
2) from the "Athenaeum", 4 May 1912
3) from the "Scotsman", 4 May 1912; mentions that the title piece has been set to music by Donald Tovey.
4) from the "Spectator", 18 May 1912; compares the treatment of the Ariadne story with that in Maurice Hewlett's "Agonistes"; another copy not sent by Longman's and annotated in Trevelyan's hand with the publication and date.
5) from the "English Review", June 1912.
6) from the "T. P.'s Weekly", 7 June 1912; mentions the music by Donald Tovey.
7) from the "Daily News", 13 June 1912; mistakenly calls the book "The Birds of Dionysus" [the error is marked in blue pencil]; another copy not sent by Longman's.
8) from the "Pall Mall Gazette", 29 June 1912.
9) from the "Daily Chronicle", 9 July 1912
10) from the "Glasgow Herald", 15 Aug 1912.
11) from the "Times [Literary Supplement]", 15 Aug 1912; mentions that this is the text for Tovey's opera; another copy not sent by Longman's.
12) from the "Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury", 19 June 1912; sent 'With the Editor's Compliments" rather than by Longman's
Review, "Georgian Poetry of the Twentieth Century" ["Westminster Gazette", 4 Jan 1913, unsigned, 2 pp]
Trinity College, Cambridge.. - Thanks Bob for the card written before receiving George's second letter, which explained that his book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"] was being kept by the publishers this week and suggested that George should come for a visit to Haslemere; asks if it would be convenient to come on Tuesday or Wednesday. Will bring a 'byke' [sic] if Bob rides one; asks if he should bring dress clothes, perhaps to dine with the Tennysons; will come later if Bob is not free.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.. - Longman [the publisher] will have his book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"] for a fortnight, so Bob can have George instead of his book; asks if he can come to Roundhurst any time next week, since he has some engagements in Cambridge first. Sir George has got Longman to 'do all he possibly can' for George, which will save time.
6 & 7 Clifford Street, London, W.1. - Cheque to be endorsed and returned; no further acknowledgement necessary.
39 Paternoster Row, London, E.C. - Happy to print "Sisyphus" on their usual terms of commission, annexed; quotations for both two hundred and fifty copies and five hundred copies provided.
6 & 7 Clifford Street, London, W.1. - Relating to the publication of the second volume of Trevelyan's "Collected Works".
Newspaper cuttings with reviews, most sent attached to compliments slips from Longmans, or by the press cuttings agency Romeike & Curtice; some duplicates. From: the "Times"; "Scotsman"; "Daily Chronicle"; "Academy and Literature"; "Nottingham Daily Guardian"; "Rapid Review"; "Glasgow Herald"; "Queen"; "Sheffield Daily Independent"; "Weeks Survey"; "Bookman"; "Queen"; "Packer Alumna" [?], Brooklyn; "Liverpool Courier"; "Oxford Magazine"; "Athenaeum"; "Guardian"; "Review of Reviews"; "Aberdeen Free Press"; "Literary World"; "Yorkshire Post"; "New York Times Holiday Book"; "Annual Register".
Names appearing for Longmans are Thomas Brown, Bevis Ellerby Green, Thomas Longman and William Longman.
Newspaper cuttings, many sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency, some by Longmans & Co (some duplicates). Reviews of "Volume I. Poems" from: the "Sunday Times" [by Desmond MacCarthy]; "Oxford Magazine" [also reviewing work by Lord Gorell, Louis MacNeice, and Thomas Thornely; later notice on this volume alone]; "Scotsman"; "Times Literary Supplement"; "Manchester Guardian" [by Basil de Sélincourt]; "New Statesman and Nation" [by Stephen Spender, also reviewing an edition of Dante's "Inferno" by John D. Sinclair; and "Guardian". Reviews of "Volume II. Plays" from: "The Library"; "Birmingham Post"; "Manchester Guardian"; "Glasgow Herald"; and "Scotsman" [also reviewing collected works of Housman and Frost]. Review of both volumes from the "Day".
The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Apologises for asking in his letter yesterday whether Bob had received his book ["English Social History: A Survey of Six Centuries: Chaucer to Queen Victoria"], when Bob's letter of 7 August mentions its arrival. Janet is reading [Bob's] "Windfalls" 'with great delight"; George has said how much he himself enjoyed it. They will look out for Robert Lloyd when term begins.
Hallington Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne. - Sends Bob an enclosure to 'deal with'. He and Janet are here in the gardener's cottage for August. The hospital in the Hall is 'full of convalescent wounded from Normandy - nice fellows who like the quiet of the place'. Charles and Molly 'seem well and happy'. The news of Tom [Sturge] Moore's death made him think very much 'about old days'; there was a 'nice article' about him by Desmond [MacCarthy] in the "Sunday Times". Hopes that Bob will soon get a copy of his new book, in fact written 'some years ago' ["English Social History: A Survey of Six Centuries: Chaucer to Queen Victoria "], which he has asked Longmans to send.
The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Thanks Bob for "Aftermath": glad he has been able to 'salvage' so many poems of which George is so fond [from the fire at the publisher's warehouse which destroyed the stock of Bob's recent "Collected Works"]; they have both suffered from the 'family connection with Longmans, though he does not mind much for himself, as he is 'past caring whether anyone reads one's books... in this night of time' and has 'no more desire for continued existence as a writer than for life after death'. The Geoffrey Youngs are staying in the Lodge for a few days, preparing to move into 'half a house near by'; good to have them back in Cambridge. Tells Bob to visit some time in summer. He and Janet hope to go to Hallington at Easter, staying in the gardener's cottage; the Hall has begun again as a hospital, and they will see 'more of it and its inmates than when it was an RAF affair'. Hopes that they have good news of Julian from Egypt. Notes in a postscript that Aubrey and Lina Waterfield's son John has been killed in Malta.
Levington, near Ipswich, Suffolk. - Trevelyan is 'the best and kindest and most generous of readers'; would wish he were a reviewer except that if he were he wouldn't write such letters, which Ransome prefers to 'a dozen reviews'. Does get tired of being labelled 'for 10 to 14' ; is heartened when Trevelyan sees what he is trying to do and says he has to some extent succeeded. Very pleased to hear about the "Collected Works", though sorry it is Longmans and not Macmillans publishing it; more interested than Trevelyan would guess about his translation of Lucretius ["De Rerum Natura"] . Had heard nothing about the new house at Oxford. Hopes that Trevelyan will visit soon: there are quick trains from London. The other advantage is the sea: has been much better this summer and able to sail; went to Holland and back with no trouble and hopes to go further next year if the new book doesn't take as much time.
23 West Road, Cambridge. - Sorry to hear that Bessie has been ill again; Janet 'keeps much the same from day to day'. Interested and pleased by the letter Bessie quoted from her German friend; has instructed Longmans to send a copy of his "Autobiography and other essays" to Bessie for her. Glad Humphry and Molly are going to see her.
Typescripts of parts of "The Bride of Dionysus", bound in brown paper, with stamps of 'Miss Dickens's Type-writing Office, 3 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, WC'.' Typed on recto only, with extensive corrections and annotations around typescript and on facing verso; these are mostly in Trevelyan's hand, but include some musical notation which may be by Donald Tovey. Two bound gatherings labelled 'Act I', two labelled 'Act II', two labelled 'Acts II & III', one labelled 'Acts IV & V' with a second copy which has lost its binding; another gathering which has lost its cover seems to contain text from Act II [Date uncertain, but before the revision of the drama into three acts around 1912].
Working notebooks for "The Bride of Dionysus", in R. C. Trevelyan's hand, largely in ink with some pencil; corrections and additions in blue pencil; some have insertions and paste-ins: three labelled 'Act 1', four 'Act II', and four 'Act III' [the arrangement of the drama in three acts suggest that the notebooks are from a later date than the typescripts which use the earlier five act structure]
Specimen printed pages for "The Bride of Dionysus, A Music Drama, and Other Poems" (three copies, each a bifolium).
Printed galley proofs for the "Other Poems" from the "Bride of Dionysus" (eleven pages, including some duplicates), with extensive corrections in Trevelyan's hand; printed page proofs for "The Bride of Dionysus" [music drama], with many corrections in Trevelyan's hand and several insertions with further corrections (thirty three pages and nine insertions). Corrections to the page proofs are not reproduced in the 1912 published version, and may well relate to alterations for the opera as performed with music by Donald Tovey.
"The Bride of Dionysus: An Opera in Three Acts". Analysis of the opera and its music, by Donald Tovey, published by Townsend & Thomson to coincide with the production in Edinburgh in 1929; one page insertion with notes in Trevelyan's hand on why Greek classical drama's dialogue and speeches, the 'main business of the play', are not lyric and therefore could not be a great influence upon the opera. Printed 'Argument' for the performance in 1929. Printed programme for the performances in April 1932 by the Edinburgh Opera Company of "The Bride of Dionysus" and "Il Trovatore", including cast list and Tovey's 'Argument' for "The Bride of Dionysus".