Letter card (with Envelope and Enclosure) from M. Barnet to H. W. Henze, May 21, 1970 at the earliest
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Context
Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1970-05-15: to Henze
- 1970-01-31: from Henze
Following
- 1970-07-25: to Henze
- 1970-06-29: from Henze
[Manuscript]
Aquí estamos igual, aunque más tristes
por tu ausencia y la de Fausto. Yo trabajo
ya en concreto y mi próximo libro empieza
a dar vueltas en mi cabeza ¡atómica! .
Berroa está terminando la
opera de La Sagrada
Familia
* y va muy
muy bien.
Rogelio sigue en la cama, como un bendito.
Solo lo vi una vez. Y me mandó esta carta.*
Toda La Habana habla de tu retorno al
país de adopción.* Esperan la música para el
ballet
* y hablan de ella en la prensa.
Hablé con Santiago* que me llamó para pregun-
tarme acerca de ti, tu dirección etc.,. Me
dijo que él quería que tú hicieras la música
y que te escribiría.
¡Qué bueno!
Pronto te hará una carta, esto es sólo un
noticiero. Te extraño, brother, conejito,
‡
jicotea‡, ‡
radar‡, esponja, genio, cabrón de
la vida, hermano y amigo universal.
Tu leal,
Miguelito
Desde esta esquinita
que me ha dejado Miguel,
recibe un fuerte abrazo.
Enrique.
(Miguel está insoportable
¡De Verdad!)‡
‡
[Manuscript]
Here nothing has changed, although we are sadder due to your absence and that of Fausto. I am already hard at work and my next book is starting to whirl around in my atomic head! Berroa is finishing the opera La Sagrada Familia and it is going very, very well.
Rogelio keeps spleeping like a log. I only saw him once. And he sent me this letter. All Havana is talking about your return to your adopted country. They are waiting for the music for the ballet and they are speaking about it in the press.
I spoke to Santiago, who rang me to ask about you, your address, etc. He said that he wanted you to compose the music and that he would write to you. How nice!
He will write you a letter soon, this is just news. I miss you, brother, little bunny, turtle, radar, sponge, genius, all-rounder, brother and universal friend.
Your loyal,
Miguelito
From this little corner Miguel has left me,
I send my best wishes.
Enrique.
(Miguel is really unbearable!)
Translation by Yolanda Acker
[Envelope, Manuscript]
M.B.
Sierra Maestra Stgo. de Cuba Mayo 21 – 1970
monio del joven escritor cubano Miguel Barnet, ha inspi-
rado la última composición poética cantada del célebre
maestro Hans Werner Henze, que se estrenará dentro de
pocos días en el Festival de Aldeburgo, bajo la dirección
del músico inglés Benjamin Britten.
Editorial
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit
- Translation
- Yolanda Acker
Tradition
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Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
Shelf mark: Barnet, MiguelPhysical Description
- Document type: Letter card
- Helles, dickes Papier (fast pappartig)
- Faltung: 1mal längs
- 1 folio
- 2 written pages
- Dimensions: 173x128 [mm] (HxW)
- Die beiden durchgestrichenen Worte in der vorletzten Zeile wurden so stark mit einem Kugelschreiber unkenntlich gemacht, dass sich dies auf die Rückseite durchgedrückt hat.
- Die Karte ist aufgeklappt um 90° gedreht und dann beschrieben worden
- Der Text ist linksbündig und Flattersatz und leicht nach rechts verschoben. Rand: 2 cm
- In der unteren linken Ecke ist ein Kasten mit Text von Enrique unterzeichnet.
Material
Extent
Condition
Layout
Writing styles
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1.Handwriting, Barnet, Miguel, ballpoint pen (dark blue).
-
2.Handwriting, Bedmya, Enrique, pen (black).
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3.Typescript.
Text Constitution
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""erased
-
"jicotea"added above
-
""erased
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"radar"added above
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"Desde esta esquinita … insoportable ¡De Verdad!)"added in the bottom margin
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Following: handwritten, pen (black), Bedmya, Enrique
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"… Miguel está insoportable ¡De Verdad!)"This right-justified paragraph is found in a box in the lower-left corner of the page.
Commentary
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[Figure Description]A bright blue frame is painted on the postal card, leaving an area of 127x87mm free inside; a female-like figure has been painted on in dark blue, very light greenish blue and white.
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"… After 21 May 1970"A newspaper clipping dated 21 May 1970 was attached to this postcard. This makes it possible to ascertain that it was definitely written after this date.
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"… opera de La Sagrada Familia" La Sagrada Familia is a collection of poems by Miguel Barnet published in 1967. It is likely that Berroa was setting some of Barnet’s poems to music. On the collaboration with Berroa and Barnet, see also the letter dated 7 April 1973 and that dated 30 May 1973.
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"… me mandó esta carta ."Barnet probably also sent Rodríguez’s letter, however this has yet to be located.
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"… al país de adopción ."Henze had planned a third trip to Cuba in 1970, however this never materialised.
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"… la música para el ballet"It is not clear which ballet Barnet is alluding to here. In 1970 Henze revised the ballet Des Kaisers Nachtigall and he is probably referring to this work.
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"… Hablé con Santiago"The Santiago that Barnet is referring to cannot be identified in the correspondence. He would seem to be someone Henze had met during his visits to Cuba.
