Barnet, Miguel: Brief an Henze, Hans Werner. undatiert
author: Barnet, Miguel
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

[A white unicorn with someone riding it, white on a blue background, possibly drawn by Barnet.]

End of August 1969 at the latest [This letter must have been written by the end of August 1969 at the latest because on 5 September 1969 Henze wrote a letter to Hans Magnus Enzensberger quoting from this letter.]
Dear Hans:

Do you like this little horse dressed in white?

It is for you.

I will or might be in the country when you come in November. [Henze stayed in Cuba from 8 November 1969 up to the end of January 1970.] Anyway as soon as you arrive here try to get in touch with me. You will do me a favor, because then I will come to the city[^1] and work with you helping in your organization and selection of material with which to work for the orat o rio[^2], and besides that I will be able to be close to you. I must speak many importants things in order that you can get along s t eadily in Cuba. I have news for you. So please get in touch with me right after your p l ane arrives. I am sure everything will b e great and your music will b e a big success here. [Barnet refers to the premiere of his Sinfonia N. 6, which was performed on 26 November 1969 in Havana. See Henze's letter to Enzensberg of 5 September 1969.] Last month I gave a cycle of lectures at the University of Oriente and Leo Brower was there too. He also spoke about music and experimentation. It was very useful. Then he gave an audition of your Medusa[^3] and people were enchanted, most of them were workers who study at the University. [Henze quotes the sentence people were enchanted, most of them were workers who study at the University in the letter to Enzensberger dated 5 September 1969.] Leo was very happy with the audition.

[^1: In his Autobiography, p. 265, Henze writes that he lived in Havana, in the Vedado neighbourhood, on the tenth floor of an apartment rented for him and his partner Fausto. See also Henze's letter to Enzensberg of 5 September 1969.]

[^2: In 1968, Henze had composed the oratorio Floß der Medusa and dedicated it to Che Guevara. However, by using the term oratorio here, Barnet is referring to Henze's work El Cimarrón. As Henze writes in his Autobiography, p. 263, one of the reasons why he went to Cuba for the second time was to deepen his knowledge of Afro-Cuban vocal music for the composition of El Cimarrón. He doesn’t call this work an oratorio, but a recital.]

[^3: During Henze's first trip to Cuba, which took place from 21 March to 16 April 1969, he had brought with him the recording of the oratorio Das Floß der Medusa and had also played it on 4 April 1969 for the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba. See Henze's Autobiography, p. 259. From Henze's letter to Enzensberger it appears that the recording was later left to Leo Brouwer, who then played the recording at the of University of Oriente.]

So, muy [The word Muy is used often in this correspondence. Perhaps Barnet is playing on a combination of the Spanish word Muy (very) and the English word my, meaning my very dear friend.] dearest Hans, we are waiting for you. ¡Oh, I forgot¡ you already have a comfortable appartment for you and your secreta r y. Juan Blanco told me about it last week. We met in La Rampa.[^4]

[^4: See the letter to Enzensberger of 5 September 1969 in which Henze writes that his composer friends in Cuba had organised the accomodation for him and Fausto Moroni. See also Henze's Autobiography, p. 265.]

When you come you must bring only one little thing for me: shampoo and deodorant for this horrible warm season. Nothing else.

Rachel, I must tell you, will be a long movie. We are writing the script and Nicolásito Guiilén will be the director,[^5] he is very tal ented and magical. The book has been very successful here. So thank you for t h e espiritual help you gave to me. I got the telegram where you called it delicious.

[^5: Henze quotes the sentence Rachel, I must tell you, will be a long movie. We are writing the script and Nicolásh Guiilén will be the director in the above-mentioned letter to Enzensberger dated 5 September 1969. As commented in this letter, there are no documents that attest to the adaptation of the novel into a long film directed by Nicolás Guillén.]

Jorge Calderón, and Jorge Berroa send you their best regards, as well as César. I send you a big hug full of rosas, margaritas, dalias, gladiolos y claveles y un saludo revolucionario, cubano , ecuménico y esencial de tu hermano cubano,

Miguel
Miguel Barnet [After the typewritten signature, Barnet also signed by hand.]