Introduction to the correspondence of Hans Werner Henze with Friedrich Hitzer
The Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012) and Friedrich Hitzer (1935–2007) Correspondence
The correspondence between Friedrich Hitzer and Hans Werner Henze comprises only 15 documents, 6 of which were written by Hitzer and 9 (including 2 telegrams) by Henze. One of the letters was written by Henze’s secretary, Ulrich Jörg Bofinger, another one includes a document. These postal documents date from the years 1969 to 1975. The correspondence language is German, and the letters are preserved both in the Hitzer estate at the Monacensia (Munich City Library) and in the Henze estate at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel. It is possible that there are further pieces of correspondence and notes on Henze in the publisher’s archive of “kürbiskern” in the German Literature Archive in Marbach, but this could not be verified within the scope of the current work of “Henze digital” due to the large size of this archive.
Hans Werner Henze preferred to write his letters by hand. However, as some of them were ‘official’ mail and he wanted to keep a copy, one letter from Henze, the surviving document as well as the letter from Henze’s secretary are typewritten. All but one of Hitzer’s letters are typewritten.
- Planed text by Henze for the “kürbiskern” concerning: Imperialism and Culture (1969)
- Interview with the Münchner Songgruppe (1971)
- Anniversary: 10 Years “kürbiskern” (1975)
- Michel & Rosi (draft to the collective opera Der heiße Ofen (1975)
This correspondence is relatively small in volume. It is less about collaboration on a joint artistic work than about the exchange and development of cultural-political positions. In its political orientation, it complements Henze’s correspondence with Enzensberger and Barnet very well. As Hitzer was a member of the DKP (German Communist Party), he clearly pursued communist ideas inspired by Marxism, which also shaped his language. Henze’s use of communist vocabulary in his replies is also stronger than in letters to other people at this time.
The contact between Henze and Hitzer was initiated by the latter, who showed solidarity with Henze after a critical television broadcast and wanted to explore political similarities and joint activities. Henze accepted this exchange, as in 1969 he was very interested in the significance of culture (theater, literature, music) for politics. Henze saw himself as a learner during this time (cf. also the correspondence with Enzensberger in this time) and therefore gratefully took up all suggestions and discussions. Prior to the first contact between the two, Henze was already familiar with the journal “kürbiskern”, whose chief editor was Friedrich Hitzer. At least he found the political and cultural views, which Hitzer explained in detail in his letter, very interesting, probably essentially agreeing with them. Personal contact was established, which also led to joint activities, although these ended in 1975. The contact with Friedrich Hitzer is not mentioned in Henze’s “autobiography”.
The correspondence is divided into three phases (1969, 1971, 1975), which focus on different topics. However, Hitzer also repeatedly addresses current topics and events (support for the 1969 Bundestag elections, first bank robbery with hostage-taking on 4 August 1971), which he then discusses in detail while recognizing: “In einem Brief lassen sich diese Dinge natürlich nur antippen” (Brief vom 5. August 1969).
1969: Imperialism (capitalism) and culture
The correspondence is based on the programme “From avantgarde to revolution. The recent transformation of the composer Hans Werner Henze” by HHeinz-Josef Herbort, which was broadcast on 29 December 1968 at 10.35 pm on the First Television Programme. Hitzer’s views aligned very close to the content of Henze’s statements made there and showed solidarity with him in view of the fact “mit welcher Vehemenz man sie [recte: Sie] ‘fertig’ machen will” (letter dated 12 January 1969). He saw the bourgeois media and West German imperialism as opponents of Henze and his cultural-political ideas.
Henze replied on 20 January 1969:
Henze also mentions in the letter that he is working on a co-authored book about the situation of music and mentions his thoughts on involving himself in the process: “Was mit meiner Musik nun wird, das weiss ich noch nicht so genau. D.h. wie ich sie am vernünftigsten in den Prozess integrieren kann, wie sie am Zerbrechen der Macht der europäischen Bourgeoisie mitarbeiten kann.”
This led to Hitzer’s plan for Henze to summarise these considerations in an essay for the December 1969 issue of “kürbiskern”. Henze accepted the offer, but then had to cancel at the last moment before the deadline, 25 October 1969, with a telegram: “nach 14 tagen arbeit mein manvskript weggeschmissen”.
1971: Joint activities on music and politics
The next exchange of letters was triggered by the planned publication of a dialogue between Hans Werner Henze and the Munich song group, which appeared in issue 3 (1971) of “kürbiskern”. In addition, joint activities were planned for an educational meeting of the DKP on the occasion of the major Dürer exhibition in Nuremberg.
Henze’s “El Cimarrón” was already the starting point for the conversation, and in August 1971 Hitzer had the opportunity to see this work in its entirety in Munich. He described his impression and assessment of this work and the performance in detail, from his political perspective.
1975: “Michel & Rosi” & 10 Years of “kürbiskern”
Henze initiated the correspondence between the two that took place in 1975. The first letter makes it very clear that there must have been more detailed personal contact prior to this or that previous letters have been lost, as Henze asks for a libretto that Friedrich Hitzer and Klaus Konjetzky, co-editor of “kürbiskern” since 1974, sent him immediately afterwards. Unfortunately, the correspondence does not deal with this joint composition by Henze and the collective “COOPERATIVA MARZOCCO” in any more detail, but switches to the 10th anniversary of “kürbiskern”. Henze’s secretary, Ulrich Jörg Bofinger, clarifies a minor discrepancy regarding the attendance of the first staged performance of “La Cubana” in Munich and the correspondence breaks off with the exchange of the telephone numbers of the authors, who have obviously completed the text for “Michel & Rosi”.
Irmlind Capelle, December 2023
