Susan Metcalfe Letters
Pages
-
- Anna Mae Swain scrapbook, volume 1
- This scrapbook, created by Anna Mae Swain between 1945 and 1947, contains materials relating to Swain's student experience at Woman's College of the University of North Carolina (now The University of North Carolina at Greensboro). The scrapbook is annotated throughout and includes photographs of campus views, dorm interiors, the Boots n' Spurs Horse Show (1945), snow on campus, the 1945 and 1947 May Day Pageants, the new Guilford dorm kitchen, North Carolina college football games, and the 1946 Baptist Student Union (BSU) week at Ridgecrest, North Carolina.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Louis Metcalfe, New York
- Casals is sending Louis Metcalfe two checkbooks to give to Susan Metcalfe. There is a signed blank check for Dr. Schwerdtfeger. He and Susan are not getting along; she accuses him of lack of trust, of jealousy, and more. "I heard, and unfortunately not for the first time, some allusions to my life before our marriage." He feels he has been unjustly treated. He realizes that their viewpoints and ideas about life are completely opposed, but he defends himself against attacks on his loyalty and good faith. Postscript: he is sending a carton of belongings that he will not need before his return in October.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, 17 February 1914
- Even though Casals has gotten little sleep, he still feels calm and refreshed. He is remembering their time together in the past, Metcalfe's house in New Rochelle, as if it were the present. He wonders whether she will meet him when his ship arrives in New York. Perhaps her family would prefer that he visit them first. "You know that I know nothing of the formulas of life... You will warn your family as nicely as possible of my ignorance in these matters." His mother wrote to him that she is planning a trip from Barcelona to their former home so that she can retrieve the letter that Susan wrote to her ten years before, which she remembered with fondness.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, 2 January 1914
- Salutation: Susite! Casals is disappointed not to have received a letter Metcalfe had told him to expect. He spent New Year's Day completely alone; "I have to admit that at the moment of leaving year 13 to enter the new year, I had a very painful feeling of loneliness." Metcalfe will arrive in London that evening; he will be in London before noon on the 4th and he will wait to hear from her. "I have had rather unpleasant relations with Pierne on the subject of the trial which will take place on the 8th - I have to meet again with my lawyer tomorrow morning." He sends his regards to their friends the Von Glehns.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, At sea (R.M.S. Magdalena)
- Casals has not written to Metcalfe, but not because he was not thinking of her. He will arrive in Lisbon the following day. The 15-day trip has done him good physically, and he has been able to think slowly and undisturbed, as he has chosen not to become friendly with anyone on board. His daydreams of happiness with her appear to him to be unrealizable. He expects that she will arrive in Paris at the beginning of October, as he will. He will have to leave almost immediately for concerts in Switzerland. He has changed his plans and will spend all his vacation time with his parents rather than going to Piriac. He will arrive at Barcelona on the 5th.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, At sea (S.S. Byron)
- Casals is unhappy because he realizes that he is hurting Metcalfe by his firm decision to keep his word to Andree. He asks why she didn't understand when he told her at the start that they could not marry. He loves her but doesn't want to give her false hope. She must renounce the idea that they will get married someday. He feels guilty towards her, towards Andree and towards himself. He asks her forgiveness. He wants her to understand him. He looks forward to and at the same time fears her arrival in Europe. Still, he must see her. He will arrive at Sao Paulo the next day.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, At sea (S.S. Byron)
- Salutation: My Susite (addressing Metcalfe sometimes as "tu" and sometimes as "vous"). The ship stopped at Pernambuco the day before, will arrive at Bahia that afternoon, and will be in Rio on the 23rd. Casals' first concert is scheduled for the 26th He is suffering from their separation. He gives her an address c/o Mr. Oswald, Director of the Conservatory in Rio. He asks about her friends and family, and asks whether she has seen his friend Mrs. Farquhar. Signed: Pablo.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, At sea (S.S. Byron)
- Salutation: My adored one (now "tu"). Casals misses Metcalfe very much and takes pleasure in recalling their time together, from the moment he first heard her name to their meeting in Baltimore, their trip to New York, and his visit to her home in New Rochelle. He addresses her as his darling Susite. He reports that after five days of quiet seas, the ocean has become rough, but he has not been sick. He has a single cabin, and Bauer has the one next to his, "no doubt the best on the ship." He has met some passengers but prefers to be alone. He is practicing cello three hours each day and reading a novel. He looks at her photos often but does not show them to anyone; she should receive some photos of him soon. Signed: Pablo. Postscript: "After putting this letter in the envelope, I began playing the piano, my favorite by Boellmann - and En sourdine and about this latter piece (written full of love for you) I open this letter again to beg you once again not to sing it before strangers - it is an intimate message which must not be revealed."
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Barcelona
- Casals has wanted to reply to Metcalfe's letter but for some reason, which he cannot understand, he has not been able to. He has seen his parents and his little brothers. Some idiot had told his mother that rumor had it he had died, which upset her greatly. As a result, she has not written to Susan lately, but will now. He has spent ten happy days with them, and will leave the next day for Paris. Several days before, he was visiting his birthplace, and heard two boys in the street singing one of his popular hymns. "I- was happy to see that they have not forgotten me." Later that evening he was welcomed by a choir singing his compositions and those of his father. "I had never appreciated as well as yesterday the purity, the simplicity, the naive freshness of this music of my father. Rarely does one hear such beautiful melodic shaping." He hopes to see Metcalfe soon.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Barcelona
- Casals has heard from Louis [Metcalfe's brother] the news that she has recovered. He hopes that she can live a normal life again and resume her singing and exercise. He thanks her for her letter and for her news about the children. He thanks her for her letter to his mother, which surprised him since she (Metcalfe) had let him know that she didn't like her. His mother has not been well.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Brunn
- Casals is suffering from a fever and headache. During the concert the evening before he felt himself failing and reached the end only by summoning all his strength. It's not surprising, since he packed his bags at 2 in the morning, took the train at 7, and shortly after arriving at 11 he played a concert, which he must repeat this evening. He will leave again at 7 the next morning. He thanks Metcalfe for her telegram. He will not cancel the rest of his concerts. "I saw my friend Alexander Siloti (of Petersburg) yesterday; he and all his family are my good friends; he knew the news from Cortot and he is so happy about it; he asked me all the details so that he could tell them to his wife Vera."
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Bucharest
- A quick note to tell you that I have again received a great honor - the king has just named me Commander of the Royal Order of the Romanian Crown. The king sent Casals the insignia, which he is supposed to wear at the concert that evening. "You know I am confused by these demonstrations that honor me more than I deserve, and that feeling keeps me from being proud of them, but I am very grateful for them." He is leaving the following morning for a long trip to a remote Hungarian city, Maroswavarelhy [?!]. He is happy to think that from that point on he will be getting closer to Metcalfe.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Budapest
- Casals is still in Budapest, although he should have been in Vienna so that Schmutzer could finish his portrait, but he was so exhausted that he stayed in bed until noon. The night before he was honored at a banquet and had to speak to the crowds. He is touched by such events but finds them tiring and annoying, especially after a concert. He regrets having complained to Metcalfe in his previous letter. He has many satisfactions, including a letter from the Queen of Romania. He is leaving for Vienna that evening. He expects tomorrow's concert will ' be beautiful; "Dohnanyi is a very great artist, and we have the most beautiful program." He is looking forward to leaving for New York on the 18th.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Budapest
- Casals has received Metcalfe's letter of the 12th. He cannot find words to express his love for her. His mother will be happy, as she has always wanted to have a daughter. His brothers will love her because they want him to be happy above all else. She will be a sister and a second mother to his brother Louis. She will come alone to meet him at the ship. He wonders whether he should go with her directly to her house.
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Buenos Aires
- Casals has received Metcalfe's letter and one from Lydia, for which he asks Susan to thank her. He is distressed by what Susan writes about Mrs. Farquhar; he wants them to get along, as all Mrs. F. does, she does out of affection for him. He asks for Susan's understanding and help. "Our concerts are an immense success, but I am bored and would like to be beside my mother and my little brothers."
-
- Letter from Pablo Casals to Susan Metcalfe, Buenos Aires
- Casals is happy to have received four letters from Metcalfe that day. He spent much of the day being "bothered" by friends and journalists. He reminds her that he told her from the start that nothing would change his decision to marry Andree. "I asked you at that moment if we must separate and drown this love because I didn't have the right to require yours, since I considered that our union (according to society) was unrealizable. You answered me that you had the courage to endure all." He asks her not to insist any more that he break his promise. "I beg you to avoid as much as possible discussing this subject with your families in New Rochelle and Paris - it could cause serious complications that would profit nobody. My mother knows since the beginning that I am engaged to Andree, she knows nothing more than that." He will arrive in Barcelona around August 20th He is feeling much better, though he still needs more rest. He thanks her for her gifts of photos and- two volumes of Tolstoy. He sends his regards to the Von Glehns, whom he hopes to see in London the following winter.
