Richard Strauss, two autograph letters signed, about "Die schweigsame Frau", to Sir Thomas Beecham, 1936

STRAUSS, RICHARD

Two autograph letters signed, about his opera "Die schweigsame Frau", to Sir Thomas Beecham, 22 March and 8 June 1936 

in German, but written in Latin script, in which Strauss expresses his delight that Beecham is to conduct Der Rosenkavalier at Covent Garden again, and urges him to consider mounting his new opera Die schweigsame Frau, but only under his baton and only in English; he points out that the opera is based on Ben Jonson's celebrated comedy and that he must perform it in English so that the audience understands the whole text, as it contains much spoken dialogue, which is of course highly amusing, reporting the great success the opera achieved at La Scala and at Zurich, where Strauss attended

"...Sie wissen, daß dieselbe nach dem Original des Ben Jonson gearbeitet ist, in England spielt und auch bereits ins Englische übersetzt ist. Sie hat solchen in der Scala zu Mailand einen großen Erfolg erzielt, müsste aber (des vielen Dialogs wegen) in London unbedingt in englischer Sprache aufgeführt werden, damit das Publikum den ganzen Text versteht..." 

3 pages, 4to (27.5 x 21cm) and 8vo (c.19 x 15cm), printed stationery of the Grand Hôtel de Londres, Antwerp, and 24 Mythenstrasse, Zurich, 22 March and 8 June 1936, filing holes (slightly affecting text on the 2nd letter)

Despite Strauss's urgent recommendation, Beecham never conducted Die schweigsame Frau, although in 1910 he had championed Salome and Elektra, overcoming considerable opposition to stage their British premieres. Die schweigsame Frau, first performed in Dresden on 24 June 1935, was not given in Britain until 1961, when it was sung in English at Covent Garden as the composer intended.