Letter from H. W. Henze to M. Barnet, June 19, 1979

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more details: General Remark.

[Manuscript]

Colonia, 19 Junio, 1979 Querido Miguel,

recibí tu carta hace unos meses, pero nunca contesté. Tengo un
gran deseo de venir‡ en‡ Cuba, estoy informandome‡ [de] como‡ hacerlo
y bajo cuales‡ condiciones.‡ [¿]Como turista sencillamente?* Quiero
verte, y quiero ver [a] Rogelio y [a] todos los “antiguos” amigos,
[¡] piensa‡ cual‡ emoción! [¿] Tu‡ piensas‡ que sea posible? Pienso
llegar en Enero, [¿]te encuentres‡ allí?*

La idea de verte me corta el impulso di‡ escribirte una
carta larga. Estoy bien, trabajo con placer, Marino es una
maravilla. Quien‡ sabe cuando‡ tu‡ vengas en‡ Italia.* Tengo
un nuevo libreto de opera‡, hecho divinamente bien para‡ por

2
Edward Bond. Se llama “La gata inglesa” y se trata de
una opera comica‡, [¡]muy comica‡! Mi enfermedad de el año pasado
està‡ completamente superata‡ * He tenído un éxito increible, hace dos
meses, en Stuttgart con aquella maravillosa compania‡ de baile, con
mi última obra: Orpheus, en 2 actos. 40 minutos de aplauses‡. *

En estos días, se presenta en New York (Met) però‡ yo me quiero‡ en
Europa.* Estoy termind‡ terminando aqui‡ un film de television‡,* dirigendo‡
una nueva obra da‡ concierto “Il Vitalino raddoppiato” per‡ violin‡
y orquesta, con el sovietico‡ Gidon Kremer que tocca‡ el violin‡ como
yo nunca he‡ creido‡ posibile‡.*

El libro de estetica‡ (primero tome‡) sabe en
Octubre, con tu articulo‡ dentro*, y muchas cosas sobre la decolonisacción‡
in‡ la[sic]‡ America‡ Latina.* Entre‡ poco, empeza‡ el 4° Cantiere Internazionale
d’Arte en Montepulciano.* Espero que tu‡ un día lo puedas ver, y

3 2‡
partecipar en el‡. Quien‡ sabe se‡ no[sic]‡ podemos‡ un día hacer
un Cantiere (un taller) completamente sobre la vida e‡ el arte en
Cuba!?! Quando‡ me encuentraré‡ en La Habana por[sic]‡ la proxima‡ vez,
voy tratar de discutir esa posibilidad con las autoridades.*

Miguelito, me despierto[sic]‡ ‡, tengo que ir a el‡ ensayo.

Mientras trabajo, pienso en ti y en los demás hermanos.

un fuerte abrazo revolucionario _
hans

[Manuscript]

Cologne, 19 June, 1979 Dear Miguel,

I received your letter a few months ago, but I never replied. I really want to go to Cuba. I’m getting information about how to do it and under what conditions. Simply as a tourist? I want to see you, and I want to see Rogelio and all the “old” friends, imagine what a thrill! Do you think it will be possible? I am thinking about arriving in January, will you be there?

The thought of seeing you impedes me from writing you a long letter. I am well, I work with pleasure, Marino is a delight. Who knows when you will come to Italia? I have a new opera libretto, splendidly written by

2
Edward Bond. It is called “The English Cat” and it is a very funny comic opera! I have completely recovered from my illness last year. My latest work: Orpheus, in 2 acts was incredibly successful two months ago, in Stuttgart with that wonderful dance company, 40 minutes of applause.

It is currently being performed in New York (Met) but I am staying in Europe. I am finishing a television film here, conducting a new concerto “Il Vitalino raddoppiato” for violin and orchestra, with the Soviet Gidon Kremer who plays the violin in a way I never thought possible.

The aesthetics book (volume one) comes out in October, with your article in it, and a lot of things about decolonisation in Latin America. Soon, the 4th Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte starts in Montepulciano. I hope one day you will be able to see it, and

32
take part in it. Who knows if one day we might not be able to organise a Cantiere (a workshop) entirely about life and art in Cuba!?! The next time I’m in Havana, I’ll try to discuss that possibility with the authorities.

Miguelito, I am waking up, I have to go to rehearsal.

While I work, I think of you and the other brothers.

a heartfelt, revolutionary embrace _ 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

  • Text Source: Miguel Barnet, Private Collection

    Physical Description

    • Document type: Letter

      • Material

    • Blaues Papier
    • Faltung: 1mal längs, 1mal quer

      • Extent

    • folios
    • 3 written pages
    •

      Layout

    • Der Text ist auf Querformatblättern geschrieben.

Writing styles

Text Constitution

  • 1.
    "… hacerlo y bajo cuales condiciones."As in other letters by Henze in Spanish, this one also contains several errors and Italianisms.
  • 2.
    "para"crossed out
  • 3.
    "termind"crossed out
  • 4.
    "la"sic
  • 5.
    "2"crossed out
  • 6.
    "no"sic
  • 7.
    "por"sic
  • 8.
    "despierto"sic
  • 9.
    "… Miguelito , me despierto"The expression “me despierto” means “I wake up”, but Henze probably meant to write the word “despido” which means “leave” or “say goodbye”.

Commentary

  • 1.
    "venir"recte "ir".
  • 2.
    "en"recte "a".
  • 3.
    "informandome"recte "informándome".
  • 4.
    "como"recte "cómo".
  • 5.
    "cuales"recte "qué".
  • 6.
    "… condiciones. ¿ Como turista sencillamente?"Henze expected an official invitation from Cuba, which he never received.
  • 7.
    "piensa"recte "imagina".
  • 8.
    "cual"recte "qué".
  • 9.
    "Tu"recte "Tú".
  • 10.
    "piensas"recte "crees".
  • 11.
    "encuentres"recte "encontrarás".
  • 12.
    "… , ¿ te encuentres allí?"Here, Henze seems to be responding to Barnet’s question “When could you come back?” in his letter of 3 January 1979. He did not return to Cuba in January 1980 either thereafter, despite his wishes. On this issue see also Barnet’s reply and his postcard on 26 August 1979.
  • 13.
    "di"recte "de".
  • 14.
    "Quien"recte "Quién".
  • 15.
    "cuando"recte "cuándo".
  • 16.
    "tu"recte "tú".
  • 17.
    "en"recte "a".
  • 18.
    "… tu vengas en Italia ."Barnet visited Henze in May 1982. See Henze’s Autobiography, p. 395.
  • 19.
    "opera"recte "ópera".
  • 20.
    "opera comica"recte "ópera cómica".
  • 21.
    "comica"recte "cómica".
  • 22.
    "està"recte "está".
  • 23.
    "superata"recte "superada".
  • 24.
    "… año pasado està completamente superata"In April 1978, Henze had an heart attack, see Barnet’s previous letter of 3 January 1979 and Henze’s Autobiography, pp. 373-374.
  • 25.
    "compania"recte "compañía".
  • 26.
    "aplauses"recte "aplausos".
  • 27.
    "… 40 minutos de aplauses ." Orpheus was commissioned by the Württembergisches Staatstheater and premiered on 17 March 1979 by the Stuttgart Ballet with choreography by William Forsythe in Stuttgart. See also Henze’s Autobiography, p. 378 and Barnet’s answer.
  • 28.
    "però"recte "pero".
  • 29.
    "quiero"recte "quedo".
  • 30.
    "… me quiero en Europa ." Orpheus had its premiere in New York on 25 June 1979 with the same production as in Stuttgart. See Anna Kisselgoff’s article “Ballet: Modern-Dress ’Orpheus’” of 27 June 1979 in The New York Times, p. 25.
  • 31.
    "aqui"recte "aquí".
  • 32.
    "television"recte "televisión".
  • 33.
    "… un film de television ,"Henze alludes here to the 1979 television production of Orpheus, a documentary on Henze’s ballet, directed by Nobert Beilharz.
  • 34.
    "dirigendo"recte "dirigiendo".
  • 35.
    "da"recte "de".
  • 36.
    "per"recte "para".
  • 37.
    "violin"recte "violín".
  • 38.
    "sovietico"recte "soviético".
  • 39.
    "tocca"recte "toca".
  • 40.
    "violin"recte "violín".
  • 41.
    "he"recte "había".
  • 42.
    "creido"recte "creído".
  • 43.
    "posibile"recte "posible".
  • 44.
    "… nunca he creido posibile ."Henze conducted Il Vitalino Raddoppiato with Gidon Kremer on 5 May 1979 in Berlin with the Berliner Philarmoniker. See also Henze’s Autobiography, p. 378.
  • 45.
    "estetica"recte "estética".
  • 46.
    "primero tome"recte "primer tomo".
  • 47.
    "articulo"recte "artículo".
  • 48.
    "… , con tu articulo dentro"The article by Barnet to which Henze refers is entitled “Brief aus La Habana”. See Neue Aspekte der musikalischen Ästhetik I. Zwischen den Kulturen, edited by Hans Werner Henze, pp. 143–152. A preliminary version in Spanish is preserved in this correspondence as a letter dated 10 October 1976.
  • 49.
    "decolonisacción"recte "decolonización".
  • 50.
    "in"recte "en".
  • 51.
    "America"recte "América".
  • 52.
  • 53.
    "Entre"recte "Dentro de".
  • 54.
    "empeza"recte "empieza".
  • 55.
    "… Internazionale d'Arte en Montepulciano ."The fourth Cantiere entitled La banda e la danza, la chiesa e il circo took place in Montepulciano from 28 July to 11 August 1979.
  • 56.
    "tu"recte "tú".
  • 57.
    "el"recte "él".
  • 58.
    "Quien"recte "Quién".
  • 59.
    "se"recte "si".
  • 60.
    "podemos"recte "podamos".
  • 61.
    "e"recte "y".
  • 62.
    "Quando"recte "Cuando".
  • 63.
    "encuentraré"recte "encuentre".
  • 64.
    "proxima"recte "próxima".
  • 65.
    "… esa posibilidad con las autoridades."The idea of a “Cantiere” in Cuba was never realised.
  • 66.
    "a el"recte "al".

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