Derek Parker - Conversations with Casanova: A Fictional Dialogue Based on Biographical Facts

CONVERSATIONS WITH
CASANOVA

Derek Parker is a former chairman of the Society of Authors and a well-known biographer, critic and broadcaster. His books include The Compleat Astrologer (with Julia Parker) and numerous biographies, including those of Casanova, Byron, John Donne, William Lilly, Voltaire and Benvenuto Cellini.

Dita Von Teese is the undisputed queen of the burlesque revival. A renowned performer of spectacular shows around the world, she is also in demand as a fashion model and has created a book, Burlesque/Fetish and the Art of the Teese (2006). Her official website can be found at www.dita.net

Learn about key figures in science, spirituality, art and literature through revealing dialogues based on established fact. Written by a fantastic collection of authors and foreword writers gathered together to delve into the lives and achievements of some of the worlds greatest historical figures, this series is perfect for anyone looking for a quick and accessible introduction to the subject.

OTHER TITLES IN THE SERIES

Published

Conversations with Oscar Wilde
by Merlin Holland; Foreword by Simon Callow

Conversations with JFK
by Michael OBrien; Foreword by Gore Vidal

Forthcoming

Conversations with Buddha
by Joan Duncan Oliver; Foreword by Annie Lennox

Conversations with Dickens
by Paul Schlicke; Foreword by Peter Ackroyd

Conversations with Galileo
by William Shea; Foreword by Dava Sobel

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FOREWORD BY DITA VON TEESE

When we hear the name Casanova, most of us immediately imagine a swarthy man known for dashing in and out of the bedrooms of the elite in 18th-century Europe. But the real Casanova was much more than just a legendary lover. He was a notable philosopher, an extraordinary wit, an intellectual, businessman, diplomat, author and spy. He was one of Italys foremost duelists and he created the first national lottery in France. He was also an accomplished swindler, which requires a great deal of cleverness and charm. The sheer number of things that he excelled at was incredible indeed! I do not believe that the secret to his success with women lay merely in his sexual prowess after all, anyone can learn to master sexual technique. I believe that an important part of Giacomo Casanovas appeal and his mastery of lovemaking had to do with his sense of adventure, his passion for life, his many artistic interests and last but not least the genuine attentiveness that he displayed towards the women he wooed.

Surely, I have known men of the Romeo and Don Juan varieties, but as for someone with the refined qualities of Casanova, well, that would be a treat! Sadly, it seems that a man who is worldly and genuinely interested in the fine art of seduction, a man of Casanovas kind, might be difficult to find.

In Casanovas Venice, the rich loved to be entertained, and the worst sin of all was to be boring, so they were delighted to add him to their list of friends. The different roles he played and the disguises he adopted undoubtedly increased his desirability, as did the risks he took and the taboos he broke.

It is clear that his affairs were not driven solely by the appetites of the flesh after all, he once said, Without love, this great act is a very sordid thing. Whether the affair was brief or long-term, his intention was always to leave a woman in a better situation than she had been before, often by showering her with gifts or by arranging her marriage to a powerful and wealthy man. In his incredibly candid autobiography, he claimed that he sincerely fell in love with every woman he had ever known, even if it were just for one night. He adored women and lived for their company.

In my most amorous fantasies, I spend languid days and glittering nights with a true Casanova a man with a heartfelt passion for life, a thirst for knowledge and adventure, and of course a lust for refined romance. Perhaps I would fall in love with him for a few years, months, days or merely hours! Although I have yet to encounter any true modern-day Casanovas, a girl can always dream!

INTRODUCTION

Casanova was something more than the great lover and thoughtless libertine celebrated in so many second-rate feature films. Certainly he seduced an enormous number of usually delighted women; but also with enormous natural charm, intelligence and encyclopedic knowledge, he intellectually seduced his social superiors discussing theories of taxation with Frederick the Great, the relative merits of Tasso and Ariosto with Voltaire, and the Gregorian calendar with Catherine the Great. In Rome he talked theology with Pope Clement XIII, lectured on Horace and Homer, and gave a public recital of his own poem on the Passion of Christ. It would be a rash person who would turn down the opportunity of coffee and conversation with such a man.

Casanova saw no reason not to be frank about his life and opinions. In his candid and detailed memoirs he clearly relishes recalling his adventures, and shows no shame even about the most positively reprehensible of them, including those inspired by his quest for money his successful attempts to milk the purses of the gullible. And it must be said that most of his victims took it extraordinarily well, smiling as he rode off into the sunset with their ducats, as well as all too often their daughters.

In talking with him I have not been able to avoid certain aspects of his life that raise our eyebrows today more of which anon. We must avoid judging him by standards that in his own day would have seemed absurdly restrictive. We can believe him when he says that no woman with whom he had an affair ever regretted it even those who bore him children months after he had vanished from their lives. Refraining from raising my own eyebrows during our conversations, I found his raised only in quizzical surprise that anyone should entertain for a moment the belief that the sexual impulse should be treated differently from the appetite for food, good wine or good living in general.

GIACOMO CASANOVA (17251798)
HIS LIFE IN SHORT

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was born in Venice on 2 April 1725. He was given a good education, first at a day-school in Padua with a tutor who recognized his natural intelligence and wit and introduced him to philosophy, astronomy, theology and the violin. It had been decided that he should study to become an ecclesiastical lawyer, and at Padua University he applied himself to moral philosophy, chemistry, medicine, mathematics and law and read voraciously on many subjects, including magic and the occult.