Whole Difference

J. D. McClatchy is a poet, critic, and librettist. His most recent collection of poems, "Hazmat" (Knopf), was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He teaches English at Yale University, where he also edits "The Yale Review".

"Hofmannsthal, with no completed novels to his name, was probably always going to be severely handicapped. Of the three recent selections in English--a little sputter of interest from the last ten years that probably marks a diminuendo as much as a revival--only J.D. McClatchy's makes any sort of effort to represent him in his fullness and variety, with a clutch of poems, a couple of stories, some essays, the first scene from Der Rosenkavalier, and two plays: that comedy, Der Schwierige, and the risible late tragedy The Tower, in an equally risible translation by Alfred Schwarz."--Michael Hofmann, London Review of Books "This elegant anthology of key writings by the Austrian writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal provides Anglophone readers with an excellent selection of his writings... The choice of these plays ... is particularly praiseworthy, since they reveal the sophistication and cultural pessimism of one of the most talented and fruitful European writers of his time. McClatchy's introduction is concise and useful."--J. Hardin, Choice "We should be glad ... to be given back the literary works and plays that comprise this volume."--Mara Caden, Opera News "A fascinating body of work, and it's exciting to have it available."--Plays International "This book is well worth reading: it gives not only access to the key works of one of the most important German authors of the last century, and the most relevant literature written on him in English, but also clearly and precisely illustrates what Hofmannsthal's reputation was based upon!"--Eberhard Eichenhofer, European Legacy "This book will be especially welcome to scholars, teachers, and students of both Austrian and fin de siecle literature and culture. It should also encourage publishers and translators to make more of Hofmannsthal's works available in English."--Reinhard Mayer, Translation Review

• Introduction 1 POEMS GHAZAL (1891) 23 translated by Stephen Yenser AN EXPERIENCE (1892) 24 translated by J. D. McClatchy STANZAS IN TERZA RIMA (1895) 26 translated by J. D. McClatchy THE BOTH OF THEM (1896) 28 translated by J. D. McClatchy BALLAD OF THE OUTER LIFE (1896) 29 translated by J. D. McClatchy WE WENT ALONG A WAY ... (1897) 30 translated by J. D. McClatchy THREE EPIGRAMS (1898) 32 translated by J. D. McClatchy IN MEMORY OF THE ACTOR MITTERWURZER (1898) 33 translated by J. D. McClatchy FICTION THE TALE OF NIGHT SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO (1895) 39 translated by Michael Henry Heim A TALE OF THE CAVALRY (1898) 56 translated by Mary Hottinger ESSAYS THE LETTER OF LORD CHANDOS (1902) 69 translated by Tania and James Stern MOMENTS IN GREECE (1908-1914) 80 translated by Tania and James Stern A MEMORY OF BEAUTIFUL DAYS (1908) 101 translated by Tania and James Stern SHAKESPEARE'S KINGS AND NOBLEMEN (1905) 109 translated by Tania and James Stern BALZAC (1908) 128 translated by Tania and James Stern SEBASTIAN MELMOTH (1905) 143 translated by Tania and James Stern FROM THE BOOK OF FRIENDS (1922) 147 translated by Tania and James Stern LIBRETTI THE CAVALIER OF THE ROSE, ACT I (1911) 153 translated by Christopher Holme PLAYS THE DIFFICULT MAN: A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS (1921) 201 translated by Willa Muir THE TOWER: A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS (SECOND VERSION, 1927) 366 translated by Alfred Schwarz Notes 493 For Further Reading 501