Eric Sams   The "Freudian" querelle Letters to and from Alan Walker

4 

27th May 1967

Dear Alan Walker,

I am, truly, very sorry, if you found that my letter generated heat. It was perfectly cool when it left here, so I can't imagine what happened to it in the meantime.

   I quite see your point that people may start in the same place and end in different places. There are also the questions of whether either destination is the right place to be, and indeed whether the starting-point was the right place to be.

   I haven't said that your work is neo-Freudian. But really that wouldn't seem a terribly unreasonable term to apply to modern ideas on music in so far as they are, as you say, owed to Freud.

   What's so wrong about it?

   I think it would be an excellent idea for you to review my review, and so on: but on these points perhaps we'd better transfer from the MT to Confinia Psychiatrica, if they'll have us?

   First though I much agree that it would be sensible to wait and see what the review actually says.

   Now, on that question I am in some: embarrassment. I sent my 3000 words (approx) in to Stanley Sadie, saying that I would like the test to be the subject of discussion; I wanted in fact to devote this holiday to further reflection. In particular I wanted to be as sure as I reasonably could that within the space available I was presenting your view without distortion. What has happened
is that owing to some misunderstanding the whole thing has been sent off as printer's copy.

So it is quite on the cards that we may both for various reasons be dissatisfied with what I say, and even perhaps, to that extent, be in amicable agreements!

   Whatever our pubic or private controversies however I hope that we shall still be on speaking – and indeed on meeting – terms.

   Kind regards,

   Yours sincerely Eric Sams