Scarlat Cantacuzino

Scarlat A. Cantacuzino (June 6, 1874 – August 8, 1949) was a Romanian poet, essayist and diplomat.

Born in Bucharest to the magistrate Adolf Cantacuzino and his wife Ecaterina (née Iarca), he was a scion of the Cantacuzino family, which had an old tradition of political and cultural activity beginning in Roman Imperium, affirming in Byzantine Imperium and Romania. After attending primary school in his native city, he went to high school in Paris, followed by the law faculty of the University of Paris. Successively an attaché, secretary and adviser at the Romanian embassies in Paris, Brussels and The Hague, he was Romania's chargé d'affaires in Paris in 1918, at the close of World War I.[1] He returned to Bucharest in 1922, working as a minister plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, while continuing to correspond with other writers. On an August morning in 1949, during the early Communist regime, he was told he had several hours to vacate his beloved, book-filled house. Toward evening, a little suitcase in hand, the hat-wearing, cane-carrying elderly gentleman made his way to the modest basement room he had rented and lay down. He was found dead the following day.[2]

A French-language poet who wrote under the name Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène, he published numerous volumes of poems, essays and studies of literary and art history. He was particularly interested in several important 18th century figures, such as Frederick the Great, the 7th Prince of Ligne and Antoine de Rivarol. His work appeared in Mercure de France, Journal des Débats, Le Figaro and Le Manuscrit Autographe.[1] Attracted by the verses of Stéphane Mallarmé, who became his friend, he published his first volume, Les sourires glacés, at the age of 22 in 1896, upon the latter's recommendation. This and all his subsequent forty-three books were written in French. His poetry, Symbolist in style,[2] was praised by Mallarmé, Paul Valéry and Remy de Gourmont. It shows erudition and delicacy at the same time, as well as a remarkable grasp of the French language's subtleties.[1]

Cantacuzino married Julietta, the daughter of Basile M. Missir, in 1912. The following year, he dedicated the volume Amour de Juliette to her. Their daughher Armanda was born in Paris on September 1, 1913, and she married Constantin Roco in 1945. [3]. She is followed by two children, Mihaela and Mihail, and two grand-children Constance Armanda and Charles Roco.

Volumes of poetry and essais of Scarlat A. Cantacuzino (Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène)

Les sourires glacés, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1896

Les douleurs cadettes, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1897

Les chimères en danger, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris 1898

Cinglons les souvenirs et cinglons les rêves!..., Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1900

Sonnets en petit deuil, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1901

Litanies et petits états d'âme, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1902

Remember, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1903

Les Grâces inemployées, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1904

L'âme de Monsieur de Nion, C.L.G. Veldt, Amsterdam, 1905

Poussières et falbales, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1905

Synthèse attristée de Paris, Librairie Académique Perrin,Paris, 1906

Les Retrouvailles, Librairie Académique Perrin,Paris, 1908

Bétises pour Phébé, C.L.G. Veldt, Amsterdam, 1908 (essais)

Esprit de Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène, Amsterdam, 1909

Larmes fouettées, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1911

Les adorables coincidences, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1912

Amour de Juliette, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1913

Apothéoses de météores, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1913

A une jolie, Poésie du Prince Ch.-Ad. Cantacuzene, Musique de Suzanne Mesureur. Heugel (Musique notée), 1913.

Mes Brouillards de roses, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1914

La Rose du centenaire, C.L.G. Veldt, La Haye, 1914

Lettre du Prince Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène pour comémoration de centenaire de “Mes adieux a Beloeil” du Prince de Ligne. Association des Ecrivains Belges, Bruxelles-Paris-London, 1914

Hypotyposes, aléas et alinéas, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1916

Considerations lyriques: suivies d’inédite adnotations de Rivarol sur son examplaire de Hamboug – 1797. Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1917a

Mémoires fragmentes de Conseiller de Légation C. Extraits. Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris-Rotterdam, 1917b

Les Réalitès roses, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1918

Paranthéses parresseuses. Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1921

Charleadolphiana. Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris and Ultrecht, 1921 (essais)

Extraits piquants et inconues de Fréderic II écrivain francais, avec un coup d’oeil de Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène, Librairie Académique Perrin – Leyde, 1923

Précipité de suavité, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1925, Imprimeur de l’Académie Royale-Bruxelles-Marcel Hayez

Poésies dites et inédites du Prince de Ligne, publiés par Eenest Ganay et Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène. Edition des Annales du Prince de Ligne, Bruxelles, et Librairie Jean Naert, Paris, 1925

Phosphores mordorés, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1926

Quatorze quarts d’heure avec Monsieur Cantacuzène. Par M.G.C., sécrétaire de legation, Paris, 1926.

Glyptiques elliptiques, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1927

Identités versicolores, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1927

Les Automnes complémentaires, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1928

L'au-delà de l'en deçà, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1931

Essai anthologique, Eclats de conversations, Albert Messein, Collection la Phalange, Paris, Paris, 1932

Sonnets sans écho, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, Paris, 1932

Prince de Ligne, Mercure de France, Collection des plus belles pages, Paris, 1934

Frédéric II, Mercure de France, Collection des plus belles pages, Paris, 1935

Fragments, Albert Messein Editeur, Paris, 1935

Les plus belles pages de Sénac de Meilhan. Mercure de France, Paris, 1935

Les dernierés aurores, Librairie Académique Perrin, Paris, 1938

Nouveaux fragments, Albert Messein Editeur, Paris, 1940 and 1943

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Aurel Sasu (ed.), Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române, vol. I, p. 369. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. ISBN 973-697-758-7
  2. 1 2 Laura Guțanu, "Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène - 125", in România Literară, nr. 34/1999
  3. ↑ Mihai Sorin Rǎdulescu, Genealogia românească, p. 216. Bucharest: Editura Istros, 2000. ISBN 973-946-903-5
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