Libretti and other dramatic writings by W.H. Auden,1939-1973

This collection brings together the collaborative theatrical output of W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman, documenting their extensive work in opera and musical theater. The volume contains the full libretto for Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, alongside the texts for Hans Werner Henze’s Elegy for Young Lovers and The Bassarids. It includes radio scripts, cabaret songs, and experimental plays written after Auden moved to America. These works demonstrate how the authors translated classical myths and social satires into formal verse, balancing complex rhyme schemes with the rhythmic requirements of musical composition.

Musicologists and literary scholars read this book to analyze the technical crossover between modern poetry and contemporary classical music. Readers gain a detailed understanding of the collaborative process between poet and composer, specifically how linguistic structures adapt to vocal performance. The text provides a record of how Auden and Kallman revived the tradition of the formal libretto during the mid-twentieth century. By examining the drafts and final scripts, the reader identifies the specific rhetorical choices required to make verse function as a dramatic vehicle for the stage and radio.