Release: Version 6.0.0 – Completion of part I

With the release of version 6.0.0, we are concluding the first project phase of Henze-Digital on schedule with the publication of the extensive correspondence between Hans Werner Henze and Paul Sacher. With this release, we have successfully fulfilled the ambitious goals of this project and even managed to provide some “cherries on top” (e.g., in terms of presentation and linking).

The correspondence between Paul Sacher and Hans Werner Henze spans almost 50 years and impressively documents the development of their relationship. Starting with Sacher’s offers as a patron to the conductor and composer Hans Werner Henze, the letters show great appreciation from the very beginning and, in the end, genuine friendship. These letters are a true treasure trove of information about the creation of commissioned compositions and their premieres, as well as the planning of concerts that Henze conducted at Sacher’s invitation.

For external reasons, certain legal details concerning specific parts of the letters written by Paul Sacher could not be clarified by the end of August 2024, which is why we are unable to publish his letters in this release. However, the publication will follow shortly.

We would like to thank all those involved for their tireless efforts and are pleased to be able to present to the public these important and highly interesting documents about the life and work of one of the most significant composers of the 20th century and about the musical life of the second half of the last century, with the publication of this first correspondence between Henze and several librettists, as well as between Henze and Paul Sacher.

You can find our data, the edition guidelines (incl. ODD schema) and the source code for the HenDi-WebApp on Zenodo.