Item 105-106 - Postcards from Donald Tovey to R. C. Trevelyan

Postmarked Englefield Green. - Extended discussion of the last act [of "The Bride of Dionysus"] and Ariadne's turn to Dionysus. Thinks the solution must involve 'the Dionysus-as-missionary-among -the-Maenads-&-unrecognised-by them notion' and care taken by Tovey to show in Ariadne's despair that she is 'always and already immeasurably greater than her own love affair'. Does not want Love to be 'explained away' but 'unmistakeably identified with Dionysus and his particular brand of immortality'. Dionysus should not be 'a case of appendicitis', nor a 'revival' of Theseus. Sunday at 'Ampsteadam' was 'glorious' and [Elgar's?] 'new symphony is a splendid work'.

A second postcard, postmarked with the same date and time and headed 'II', reprises Tovey's thoughts about Ariadne and Dionysus: one reason that he thinks Trevelyan's latest idea is right that it returns to his original, 'most impulsively & naturally conceived' notions. Feels it is necessary to include certain things: 'Dionysus as his own prophet incognito among the maenads'; 'the chorus's fear of suicide'; 'Dionysus's capacity to rehabilitate love in asserting divinity'; the 'suddenness of A[riadne]'s conversion'. Will write about some details in Acts II and III; does not want to shorten for its own sake.