Letter from M. Barnet to H. W. Henze, January 3, 1979
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Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1978-05-31: to Henze
- 1974-02-11: from Henze
Following
- 1979-08-22: to Henze
- 1979-06-19: from Henze
Finally I hear from you again. This
time with not good news.* I am terribly sad. It was too
much, and Martin Franzbach
* even brought to my hands the
ugly and filthy article in the paper where you
appear as a victim of brutal men in black hoods,
nothing in your house and causing sorrow to your
heart, I felt aggressive and at‡ the meantime a
stream of solidarity to you flew through my
veins. I hate all that story and hope by
‡ now you feel better and totally rescued‡.*
Fausto,
I am sure is of great support to you and a
real friend. I wished I were‡
‡there to beat
those monsters in their face and put them
to the ground. Nevertheless, I know you
will keep working and surely directing again like
before.
I didn’t write before because Martin just came
on December for the Year End‡ and your letter
and the rest were received then.* But I hear
you received my card from Estonia.* I was there
on‡ June and July, also in Moscow,* Leningrade, Ps‡kok‡ ,
Pechory, and south; Bakú‡ , Azerbaijan, etc. I
had a wonderful time. Russians are very friendly and
loving-heart and they feel sympathy and solidarity for
Cuba.* So I felt there like a king in its land.
Wrote articles, read press, etc. Had I been
been[sic]‡ able I would have leaped to Rome. But
it was impossible. I think I will see you again
in Cuba very soon.* I still hope your masterpiece
El Cimarrón could be heard here by everybody and,
naturally, by me.* I know all about Angola
* and
Latin America
* from the papers. My felicitations to
you and to the crew.*
¿[sic]‡When could you come
back? Everybody does, but you. OK, brother, Martin
is about to leave and I have to put this letter in his
hands. Please write again. And thanks for the beautiful
presents. We bought a wonderful Omega (gold) and
a gorgeous lighter for Rogelio. I hope he’ll‡ drop by
soon. If not I will search for him and drag him
out from earth. Your very nice and young and
inspiring like always. Ten years is just a ‡
clik‡
in our lives.* I am sure the light is still gleaming
for both. Your work is great, (also the reviews).
A big hug.
Miguel Barnet
Viva le revolución que nos ha unido para siempre! ‡
Editorial
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit
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
- hellbraunes, dickeres Papier
- Faltung: 2mal längs
- 1 folio
- 2 written pages
- Dimensions: 280x215 [mm] (HxW)
- Rand links: ca. 0,5 bis 1cm
- rechts beschrieben jeweils bis zum Rand
- bei neuen Absätzen nicht eingerückt
Material
Extent
Layout
Writing styles
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1.Handwriting, Barnet, Miguel, ballpoint pen (blue).
Text Constitution
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""erased
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"were""there" (uncertain transcription) erased
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there
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"… friend. I wished I were"It looks as if “there” was written there first, crossed out, and “were” written over it, before being crossed out again and then written out again.
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"s"uncertain transcription
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"ok"uncertain transcription
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"been"sic
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"¿"sic
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"he’ll"uncertain transcription
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""erased
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"… nos ha unido para siempre!"A line separates this last sentence from the main text.
Commentary
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"… time with not good news."Here, Barnet refers to the bad news Henze had given him in his previous letter, which has not been located to date. The year 1978 was particularly difficult for Henze, who suffered a heart attack in April (see Henze’s Autobiography, pp. 373-374) and he said to his psychoanalyst: “Never again would we want to experience all we had been through in 1978”. See Henze’s Autobiography, p. 378.
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"at"recte "in".
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"rescued"recte "recovered".
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"… better and totally rescued ."Here, Barnet refers to the violent robbery in September 1978, in which Henze and his friends were attacked, robbed and injured by a group of masked gunmen, as recounted by Henze in his Autobiography, p. 377.
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"Year End"recte "New Year’s Eve".
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"… the rest were received then."The exchange of correspondence between Barnet and Henze took place mainly through people travelling between Cuba and Europe, one of whom was also Franzbach.
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"… my card from Estonia ."A Barnet postcard from Estonia to Henze has yet to be located.
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"on"recte "in".
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"Bakú"recte "Baku".
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"… and solidarity for Cuba ."During the Cold War, Cuba was an ally of the Soviet Union.
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"… again in Cuba very soon."Barnet and Henze did not meet again in Cuba, but in Europe, where Barnet was able to visit Henze in May 1982.
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"… everybody and, naturally, by me."This phrase confirms that the July 1977 performance of El Cimarrón did not take place.
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"… I know all about Angola"Henze also mentions a performance of El Cimarrón in Angola in his Autobiography, p. 395.
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"… you and to the crew."Barnet’s use of the word “crew” refers to the musicians who took part in the performances of El Cimarrón. In Latin America El Cimarrón was performed by the same musicians who took part in the premiere (William Pearson, baritone; Karlheinz Zöller, flute; Leo Brouwer, guitar; Stoma Yamash’ta, percussion). According to Henze’s Autobiography, p. 395, the Angola performance was produced by Hanns Anselm Perten, probably performed by the same musicians who gave the first performance in East Germany (Frank Brandau, baritone; Willi Schreiber, flute; Hans Sende, guitar and Andreas Aigmüller, percussion). See also Barnet’s letter to Henze on 9 December 1976.
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"clik"recte "click".
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"… a clik in our lives."Barnet and Henze had met in March 1969 during Henze’s first trip to Cuba and so 1979 marked 10 years of their friendship.
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[Rotation]Section in the left margin, Text turned clockwise (90°).
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Viva le revolución que nos ha unido para siempre!
- Long live the revolution; it has united us forever!
