Letter from H. W. Henze to M. Barnet, May 21, 1971
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Absolute Chronology
Preceding
- 1971-04-25: to Hitzer
- 1971-04-05: from Sacher
Following
- 1971-06-08: to Enzensberger
- 1971-06-04: from Barnet
te escribo en Ingles‡
por que‡ mi Español‡ está demasiado limitado como vocabulario,
and I would like to say a few words clearly
y ahora me do
cuentas qué‡ no me gusta comunicar con tigo‡ en el idioma del enemigo.*
D’otro lado‡, ¿como‡ decirte todo lo que pienso?[sic]‡ cuando no conozco
las parables‡. Estoy aprendendo‡ unas nuevas cada día, como: pesadilla,
immerecidamente‡, exacerbar el dolór‡, insomnio a tontas y locas, frustracción‡,
peró‡ todavía no sirven si quiero exprimerte el estado de mi alma,
ya desde [hace]
mas‡
que‡ dos meses. Por añadidura había[sic]‡ la muerte de la
mujer de Leo...* todo eso es, para mi‡, una terribile lección, y estoy
sufriendo muchisimo‡. Todo el inverno‡ esperé de‡ ser llamado en‡
Cuba,
peró‡ nunca se realizaba‡ ese viaje tan deseado. Ahora, como todo el
mundo[,]
se‡
,[sic]‡
estᇠimposible del todo.* Con eso, mi se‡ rompe el corazón,
y con eso una gran parte de esperanza‡ revolucionaria, no por razones
personales (las cuales son un[sic]‡ otro ladro‡ del complejo y son un dolór‡
que no puedo decír‡, para el cual no tengo parablas‡
in‡
ningun‡ idioma,
tampoco en aquel de la música) pero por el hundimiento de una
cierta convicción [de]qua sea posible luchar para‡ el socialismo en‡ una forma
nueva y libre. Se ve que no soy otro‡ que un viejo burghes‡. Ya
ho puedo cambiarme‡. Peró‡ es un‡ idea terrible:
regrezar‡ en si‡ mismo, y
encuentrar‡ un espacio ya completamente vacío. [¡]El artista, cuanto‡ es
inútil en un proceso revolucionario, entonces! Mientras lo digo, en lo‡ mismo
momento pienso que un día, en la historia del hombre, puede ser que
proprio nosotros, pobrecitos como semos‡ en la[sic]‡ nuestra sencilla y estupida‡
teoría que habla de ternura, amor, y de todas las sensaciones de la‡ alma,
del mielo, de la incapacidad, del perdón, de la pacienzia‡, nos vuelvemos‡
que el trionfo del hombre sobre todo lo que siempre lo ha molestado
reducido, empequeñito‡.
Querído Miguel, no se que otro‡
decírte‡ en este momento. Creo que lo
que está pasando en el mundo en estos días, quiere de todo hombre capal‡
de usar su ‡ cerebro de hacer‡ decisiones. En mi propio[sic]‡ caso, creo de
vuelverne‡ a la “izquierda
mas‡ que nunca.
* Tenemos un material imenso
de teoría marxista que nos sirve como armas. Hay que analizar
todo y todo una vez mas‡. Peró‡ no ‡
hay que‡ tenemos [que]
busquar‡ todas
las faltas siempre dentro de nos‡ mismos, ¡ no todos‡ !
Noticias: Hace unos días, había‡ el estreno de “Natascha Ungeheuer”
en Roma,*
Leo ha sido‡, te puede racontar‡. No es un trabajo feliz
como “El Cimarrón”, es una cosa que habla de la contradicción y
de todas las complicacciones‡ que hay en este mundo acqui‡. Muy dificil‡,
muy duro.*
“El Cimarrón”: debito a el exito incredibile de l’año‡ pasado, en Avignon
*
este verano, se hace‡ 6 noches de la misma obra. Había‡ el estreno
en‡ los E.U.‡
* (yo no podia‡ ir a verlo por que anularé‡ toda mi gira
en aquel pais‡, en protesta contra el proceso cont‡ a Angela Davis)*, en
el autuño‡ hay una gira de la obra en Italia: Roma, Florencia,
Napoles‡, Palermo, Perugia, Venecia, Livorno.* También 2 estrenos durante
el festival de Monaco‡ .(
RFA‡
)‡
*
Estan‡ preparando una gira en Francia.
Estoy escribendo un concierto para violin‡ y orquesta.
Rachel: Estamos cambiando (mejorando) el texto teatral. Ya escribí dos
canciones.* La falta de información mas‡ precisa y profunda de la musica‡
“music hall” de|los años de Rachel molestan muchisimo‡ este trabajo.* Pero
espero siempre‡ que puedo lograr algo de veradero‡, sea con la (poca) do-
cumentación que tengo, sea con la ayuda de la memoria.*
L’estreno‡ mundial creo que se va‡
[a] hacer en la
“Opéra comp‡ comique”
de Berlin‡ (socialista) en la primavera de l’año‡ 73
* (ya no
en el 72 como esperé porqué‡ he perdido todo el tiempo esperando
la invitación en‡
Cuba) espero que tu‡ puedas venir por‡ este estreno
que tiene probablemente gran importancia politica‡ y artistica‡. Como Berlin‡
es la capital de un pais‡ socialista in‡ buen acordo‡ con Cuba creo
que no hay obstaculus‡, entonces tu‡ puedes hacer este viaje, te invita el teatro. –*
Con Leo, te envío un pequeño tu‡
toquadisco‡ (hay que arreglarlo con
un tu‡
tequnico‡ de la ICAIC‡
porqué aqui hai un’otra‡ velocidad) así
tu‡ puedes escuchar el disco de “El Cimarrón” que te envío también.*
Ademas‡, unos discos clasicos‡,* y, de parte de Fausto, “La Mina
” .....
y unas cintas que puedes toquar‡ con la maquina‡ de la cinta.*
Me saría‡ gustado enviar, para Berroa, la traducción española en la
partitura de El Cimarrón
peró‡ no está lista todavía.*
Berroa nunca
me escribe, quizas porqué‡.
Te pido de[sic]‡ saludar [a]
todos mis amigos, todos. Pienso en todos con mucha
admiración, con muchisimo‡
respecto‡. Me siento muy cercano a todos, y
quiero que lo sepan. Creo que no pienso a otro‡ que a‡ ellos. Nunca
olvido las horas llenas de simpatía y optimismo pasadas con aquella gente
si‡ buena y fuerte. Ahora que no se cuando‡ puedo verlos
otra vez mis sentimientos se hacen mas‡ produndos todavía, y las memorias‡ se vuelven
en[sic]‡ cosas preciosisimas‡. Cuanto‡ amor tengo para‡ esta gente si‡ dulce y‡
inteligente!
Espero que me escribes‡.
En[sic]‡ este verano pienso poner en[sic]‡ música [a] unos‡ de tus poemas.*
Miguel, te cierro‡ la mano. Te abrazo fuerte fuerte. Te quiero mucho,
y te hago mis votos los mas‡ sinceros y afectuosos –
perdoneme‡ los insultos a tu bel‡ idioma
pero no podía escribirte en ingles‡.
hans
I am writing to you in English because my Spanish is too limited in its vocabulary, and I would like to say a few words clearly, and now I realise that I don’t like communicating with you in the language of the enemy.
On the other hand, how can I tell you everything I am thinking when I don’t know the words? I am learning some new words every day, like: pesadilla (nightmare), inmerecidamente (undeservedly), exacerbar el dolor (exacerbate the pain), insomnio a tontas y locas (willy-nilly insomnia), frustración (frustration), but they are still of no use if I want express the state of my soul to you, for more than two months now. On top of that there was the death of Leo’s wife...All this is a terrible lesson for me, and I am suffering a lot. All winter I waited for a call from Cuba, but that much-desired trip never took place. Now, like everyone else, I know that it is totally impossible. This breaks my heart, and with that a large part of revolutionary hope, not for personal reasons (which are another side of the insecurity and a pain I cannot explain, for which I have no words in any language, not even in music) but because of the destruction of a certain conviction that it is possible to fight for socialism in a new and free way. It is clear that I am nothing but an old bourgeois. I can no longer change. But it is a terrible idea: to regress into oneself, and find a completely empty space. How futile is the artist in a revolutionary process then! As I say it, at the same time I think that one day, in the history of man, it may be that we ourselves, poor as we are in our simple and stupid theory that speaks of tenderness, love, and all the sentiments of the soul, of fear, incapacity, forgiveness, patience, we become
Dear Miguel, I don’t know what else to tell you right now. I think what is happening in the world these days, requires every able man to use his brain to make decisions. In my own case, I am thinking of moving to the “left” more than ever. We have an immense amount of Marxist theory that can be used as weapons. Everything must be analysed and reanalysed. But we don’t always have to look for all the faults within ourselves, not all of them!
News: The premiere of “Natascha Ungeheuer” took place a few days ago in Rome. Leo was there, he can tell you about it. It is not a happy work like “El Cimarrón”, it is something that speaks of contradiction and all the complications that exist in this world here. Very difficult, very hard.
“El Cimarrón”: due to the incredible success last year, in Avignon this summer, the same work will be performed six evenings. It was premiered in the US (I couldn’t go to see it because I cancelled my whole tour of that country, in protest against the Angela Davis trial), in Autumn the work will tour Italy: Rome, Florence, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Venice, Livorno. Also two premieres were held during the München festival (RFA). They are preparing a tour in France.
I am writing a violin concerto.
Rachel: We are changing (improving) the text. I have already written two songs. The lack of more precise and in-depth information about “music hall” music during the Rachel period makes this work very difficult. But I still hope that I can achieve something real, whether with the (little) documentation I have, or with the help of my memory.
I think the world premiere will be held at the (socialist) Berlin “Opéra comique” in the Spring of 73 (not in 72 as I hoped because I wasted all the time waiting for the invitation from Cuba). I hope that you will be able to come for this premiere, which is probably of great political and artistic significance. As Berlin is the capital of a socialist country that has a good understanding with Cuba I believe there are no obstacles, so you can make this trip, at the invitation of the theatre.
With Leo, I send you a small turntable (a technician of the ICAIC has to fix it because there is a different speed here) so you can listen to the record of “El Cimarrón” that I’m sending you as well.
Also, some classical records, and, from Fausto, “La Mina”..... and some tapes that you can play with the tape recorder.
I would have liked to have sent the Spanish translation in the score of El Cimarrón for Berroa, but it is not ready yet. Berroa never writes to me, who knows why?
I ask you to say hello to all my friends, all of them. I think of everyone with great admiration, with a lot of respect. I feel very close to everyone, and I want them to know that. I don’t think of anything else but them. I never forgot the hours full of affection and optimism spent with those people, so good and strong. Now that I don’t know when I will be able to see them again my feelings become even deeper, and the memories turn into very precious things. How much love I have for these people, so sweet and intelligent!
I hope you write to me.
This summer I plan to set one of your poems to music.
Miguel, I salute you. I hug you tightly. I love you very much, and I offer you my most sincere and affectionate wishes. – forgive the insults to your beautiful language, but I couldn’t write to you in English. hans
Translation by Yolanda Acker
Editorial
General Remark
The description of the sources was made according to the provided digital copies.
Responsibilities
- Editor(s)
- Elena Minetti
- Transcription
- Elena Minetti
- Translation
- Yolanda Acker
Tradition
Writing styles
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1.Handwriting.
Text Constitution
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"?"sic
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"había"sic
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","sic
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"esperanza""" crossed out and replaced with "esperanza"
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"un"sic
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"la"sic
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"… pacienzia , nos vuelvemos 2"The underlining of the page number is crooked and almost vertical.
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"capal""capaz" crossed out and replaced with "capal"
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""crossed out
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"propio"sic
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""crossed out
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"hay que"crossed out
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"n""l" replaced with "n"
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"cont"crossed out
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"( RFA )"added above
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"va""puede" replaced with "va"
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"comp"crossed out
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"de"sic
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"en"sic
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"En"sic
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"en"sic
Commentary
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"Ingles"recte "Inglés".
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"por que"recte "porque".
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"Español"recte "español".
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"do cuentas qué"recte "doy cuenta que".
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"comunicar con tigo"recte "comunicarme contigo".
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"… en el idioma del enemigo."Despite his premise, Henze does not continue writing in English and he wrote all of his correspondence with Barnet up to 1982 in Spanish. English is the official language of the United States of America, the opposing power of the Soviet Union and its ally, Cuba, during the Cold War period (1947–1991), so Henze tried to avoid using it. In any case, there are many mistakes in his Spanish in this letter and many Italianisms, although it is still understandable.
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"D’otro lado"recte "Por otro lado".
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"como"recte "cómo".
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"parables"recte "palabras".
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"aprendendo"recte "aprendiendo".
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"immerecidamente"recte "inmerecidamente".
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"dolór"recte "dolor".
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"frustracción"recte "frustración".
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"peró"recte "pero".
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"mas"recte "más".
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"que"recte "de".
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"… la mujer de Leo ..."Brouwer’s wife, Yolanda Brita, was a popular pop singer and committed suicide in reaction to the Padilla Affair. See Barnet’s letter on 6 February 1971 and Henze’s Autobiography, p. 300.
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"mi"recte "mí".
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"muchisimo"recte "muchísimo".
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"inverno"recte "invierno".
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"de"recte "a".
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"en"recte "de".
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"peró"recte "pero".
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"realizaba"recte "llegaba".
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"se"recte "sé".
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"está"recte "que es".
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"… , está imposible del todo."Henze wanted to return to Cuba as early as October 1970, but never received an official invitation from the Consejo Nacional de Cultura. See Henze’s letter to Enzensberger on 17 August 1970 and Barnet’s letter to Henze on 6 February 1971. After the “Padilla Affair” and his signature of the open letter to Castro (see its publication in “De nombreuses personnalités s’émeuvent de l’arrestation du poète cubain Heberto Padilla”), demanding the release of the poet and his wife, Henze was persona non grata in Cuba and so his return was no longer possible. See Henze’s Autobiography, p. 302 and also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"mi se"recte "se me".
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"ladro"recte "lado".
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"dolór"recte "dolor".
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"decír"recte "explicar".
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"parablas"recte "palabras".
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"in"recte "en".
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"ningun"recte "ningún".
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"para"recte "por".
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"en"recte "de".
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"otro"recte "más".
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"burghes"recte "burgués".
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"cambiarme"recte "cambiar".
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"Peró"recte "Pero".
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"un"recte "una".
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"regrezar"recte "regresar".
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"si"recte "sí".
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"encuentrar"recte "encontrar".
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"cuanto"recte "cuánto".
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"lo"recte "el".
-
proprio
- precisamente
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"semos"recte "estamos".
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"estupida"recte "estúpida".
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"de la"recte "del".
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"pacienzia"recte "paciencia".
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"vuelvemos"recte "volvamos".
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"autenicios"recte "auténticos".
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trionfo
- triunfo
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"empequeñito"recte "empequeñecido".
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"se que otro"recte "sé qué más".
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"decírte"recte "decirte".
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"de hacer"recte "para tomar".
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"creo de vuelverne"recte "pienso en volverme".
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"mas"recte "más".
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"… la izquierda mas que nunca."Henze officially joined the Communist Party a few years later, in the autumn of 1976. See Henze’s Autobiography, p. 359.
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"mas"recte "más".
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"Peró"recte "Pero".
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"busquar"recte "buscar".
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"nos"recte "nosotros".
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"todos"recte "todas".
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"había"recte "fue".
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"… Natascha Ungeheuer en Roma ," Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer on a poem by Gastón Salvatore had its premiere at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome on 17 May 1971.
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"sido"recte "estado".
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"racontar"recte "contar".
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"complicacciones"recte "complicaciones".
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"acqui"recte "aquí".
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"dificil"recte "difícil".
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"… Muy dificil , muy duro."The work focuses on the political and cultural situation in West Berlin in 1970-1971.
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"debito a el exito incredibile de l’año"recte "debido al éxito increíble del año".
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"hace"recte "hacen".
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"Había"recte "Fue".
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"EE.UU."abbreviation of "Estados Unidos".
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"… estreno e n los E.U."The American premiere of El Cimarrón was held at the University of Pittsburgh on 27 March 1971.
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"podia"recte "pude".
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"anularé"recte "anulé".
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"pais"recte "país".
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"… cont a Angela Davis )"Angela Davies was charged with kidnapping, conspiracy and murder after a shooting that occurred on 7 August 1970 in California during a trial of three black prisoners. She was later acquitted, but, as in the case of the “Padilla Affair”, her imprisonment sparked numerous protests in Europe and her release was supported by many intellectuals, including Henze. See also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"autuño"recte "otoño".
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"… , Venecia , Livorno ."The only dates that have been ascertained for El Cimarrón’s tour in Italy are 18 October 1971 at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, 19 October 1971 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and 21 October 1971 at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome.
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"RFA"abbreviation of "República Federal de Alemania".
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"… República Federal de Alemania )"It has not been ascertained at which festival in Munich El Cimarrón was performed.
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"Estan"recte "Están".
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"violin"recte "violín".
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"… teatral. Ya escribí dos canciones."Regarding his work on La Cubana see the correspondence between Henze and Enzensberger. In particular, about the two songs he wrote see Henze’s letter to Enzensberger in April 1971.
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"mas"recte "más".
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"musica"recte "música".
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"muchisimo"recte "muchísimo".
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"espero siempre"recte "siempre espero".
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"veradero"recte "verdadero".
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"… la ayuda de la memoria."Henze’s use of the word “memoria” refers to his memories of Cuba from his two previous trips in 1969-1970, while the “(little) documentation” Henze had were most probably the recordings of Cuban music Enzensberger sent him. See Enzensberger’s letter to Henze on 1 March 1972.
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"L’estreno"recte "El estreno".
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"de l’año"recte "del año".
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"… la primavera de l'año 73"Henze’s assumption would not prove to be correct. In fact, the work, which was finished in September 1972 (see Henze’s letter to Enzensberger on 3 September 1972), was produced as a television film the same year and staged in Munich on 28 May 1975. See also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"porqué"recte "porque".
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"en"recte "de".
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"tu"recte "tú".
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"por"recte "para".
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"politica"recte "política".
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"artistica"recte "artística".
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"pais"recte "país".
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"in"recte "en".
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"acordo"recte "acuerdo".
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"obstaculus"recte "obstáculos".
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"tu"recte "tú".
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"… invita el teatro . –"Subsequent letters (for example Barnet’s letter at the beginning of 1982) show that Barnet’s trips required authorisation from the Cuban government. Given that the performance of La Cubana did not take place in Berlin (East), the Komische Oper never issued Barnet an invitation.
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"tu"recte "tú".
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"toquadisco"recte "tocadiscos".
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"tu"recte "tú".
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"tequnico"recte "técnico".
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"porqué aqui hai un’otra"recte "porque aquí hay otra".
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"tu"recte "tú".
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"… Cimarrón que te envío también."Henze wanted to bring personally the recording of El Cimarrón with him to Cuba (see his letter to Barnet of 12 October 1970). Unable to do so, he sent it via Brouwer who was on his way back to Cuba after touring with the El Cimarrón ensemble. See also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"Ademas"recte "Además".
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"clasicos"recte "clásicos".
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"… , unos discos clasicos ,"In his letter of reply, Barnet mentions some of the pieces of the recordings Henze had sent him.
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"toquar"recte "tocar".
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"maquina"recte "máquina".
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"… la maquina de la cinta."Henze’s partner, Moroni, also sent Barnet some recordings, including Del mio meglio by the Italian singer Mina. See also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"saría"recte "habría".
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"peró"recte "pero".
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"… peró no está lista todavía."Henze’s Autobiography, pp. 290–291, reveals that Berroa had begun to prepare a Spanish translation of the text for Henze’s El Cimarrón. Schott publishing house published the score in both German and English translation in 1977. Only the text for the baritone is given in both German and Spanish, but the author of the Spanish translation is not acknowledged. See also Barnet’s letter of reply.
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"quizas porqué"recte "quién sabe por qué".
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"muchisimo"recte "muchísimo".
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"respecto"recte "respeto".
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"a otro"recte "en otra cosa".
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"a"recte "en".
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"si"recte "tan".
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"se cuando"recte "sé cuándo".
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"mas"recte "más".
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"las memorias"recte "los recuerdos".
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"preciosisimas"recte "preciosísimas".
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"Cuanto"recte "Cuánto".
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"para"recte "por".
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"si"recte "tan".
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"y"recte "e".
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"escribes"recte "escribas".
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"unos"recte "uno".
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"… unos de tus poemas ."Here, Henze was also imagining the composition of collection of politically committed songs that would later become Voices. See also Henze’s letter to Enzensberger on 3 February 1971 in which he asked his librettist for texts for this work, which was composed in the first half of 1973 and first performed on 4 January 1974. One of the 22 songs was set to Barnet’s text Patria, written in 1940 and published in 1963 in his collection of poems La piedrafina y el pavoreal, p. 61.
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"cierro"recte "aprieto".
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"mas"recte "más".
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"perdoneme"recte "perdóname".
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"bel"recte "bello".
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"ingles"recte "inglés".
