Letter card from M. Barnet to H. W. Henze, August 31, 1969 at the latest

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[End of August 1969 at the latest] * 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.* Ana‡yway
as soon as you arrive here try to
get in touch with me. You will do
me a favor[sic]‡, because then I will come
to the city * and work with you helping
in your organization and selection of
material with wc‡hich to work for the
orato‡rio *, and besides that I will be
able to be close to you. I must speak
many importants[sic]‡ things in order that
you can get along st‡eadily in Cuba.
I have news for you. So please get
in touch with me right after your
pl‡ane arrives. I am sure everything
will b‡e great and your music will b‡e
a big succes‡ here.* Last monthex‡ I gave
a cicle‡ of lectures at the University
of Oriente and Leo Brower[sic]‡ was there too.
He also spoke about music and experi-
mantation‡. It was very useful. Then he
gave an audition of your Medusa * and
people were enchanted, most of them
were workers who study at the Unv‡iv‡er-
sity. * Leo was very happy with the
audition.

So, muy ‡ dearest Hans, we are waiting
for you. ¡Oh, I forgot¡[sic]‡ you already have
a comfortable apartement‡ xx‡ for you and
your secretar‡y. Juan Blanco told me
about it last week. We met in La Rampa.*

When you come you must bring only one
little thing for me: champoo‡ and deodo-
rant for this horrible warm season.
Nothin‡ else.

Rachel, I must tell you, will be a
long movie. We are writing the script
and Nicolásito Guiilén[sic]‡ will be the
director,* he is very tale‡ e‡ne‡ted and
magical. The book has bee‡nvery‡ succes-
ful‡ here. So thank you for th‡e espiri-
tual[sic]‡ help you gave to me. I got the
telegram where you called it delicious.

Jorge Calderón, and Jorge Berroa send
you their best regarda‡s, 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,

MiguelMiguel Barnet‡

Editorial

Responsibilities

Editor(s)
Elena Minetti
Transcription
Elena Minetti; Joachim Veit

Tradition

  • Text Source: Basel (Schweiz), Paul Sacher Stiftung (CH-Bps), Sammlung Hans Werner Henze, Abteilung: Korrespondenz
    Shelf mark: Barnet, Miguel

    Physical Description

    • Document type: Letter card

      • Material

    • Weißes Dickes, fast pappartiges Papier
    • Faltung: in zwei Teile gefaltetes Blatt.

      • Extent

    • 1 folio
    • 3 written pages
    • Dimensions: 180x134 [mm] (HxW)

      • Condition

    • Das Farbband muss ständig zwischen rot und schwarz oszilliert haben, mit einem stärkeren Rot-Anteil
      •

      Layout

    • Rand links 3cm
    • keine Einrückung, aber eine halbe zusätzliche Zeilenschaltung zwischen den Absätzen, vor dem letzten eine ganze
    • Beschriftung um 270° durchgängig gedreht über die erste Seite verso und zweite Seite recto
    • Faltung zwischen “La Rampa.” und “When you come”, dort quasi doppelte Zeilenschaltung freigelassen

Writing styles

Text Constitution

  • 1.
    "a"crossed out
  • 2.
    "favor"sic
  • 3.
    "c"crossed out
  • 4.
    "o""i" replaced with "o"
  • 5.
    "importants"sic
  • 6.
    "t""e" replaced with "t"
  • 7.
    "l""a" replaced with "l"
  • 8.
    "b""g" replaced with "b"
  • 9.
    "b""g" replaced with "b"
  • 10.
    "e"deleted by overtyping
  • 11.
    "Brower"sic
  • 12.
    "v"crossed out, handwritten, ballpoint pen (black), Barnet, Miguel
  • 13.
    "v"added inline, handwritten, ballpoint pen (black), Barnet, Miguel
  • 14.
    "… 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".
  • 15.
    "¡"sic
  • 16.
    "x"deleted by overtyping
  • 17.
    "r""y" replaced with "r"
  • 18.
  • 19.
    "Nicolásh Guiilén"sic
  • 20.
    "e"crossed out
  • 21.
    "e"added above, handwritten, ballpoint pen (black), Barnet, Miguel
  • 22.
    "e"crossed out
  • 23.
    "e""n" replaced with "e"
  • 24.
    "h""e" replaced with "h"
  • 25.
    "espiri tual"sic
  • 26.
    "a"crossed out
  • 27.
    Following: handwritten, ballpoint pen (black), Barnet, Miguel
  • 28.
    "… Miguel Barnet"After the typewritten signature, Barnet also signed by hand.

Commentary

  • 1.
    [Figure Description]A white unicorn with someone riding it, white on a blue background, possibly drawn by Barnet.
  • 2.
    "… 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.
  • 3.
    "… you come in November ."Henze stayed in Cuba from 8 November 1969 up to the end of January 1970.
  • 4.
    "… will come to the city"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.
  • 5.
    "… for the orat o rio"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".
  • 6.
    "succes"recte "success".
  • 7.
    "… e a big succes 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.
  • 8.
    "cicle"recte "cycle".
  • 9.
    "experi mantation"recte "experimentation".
  • 10.
    "… an audition of your Medusa"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.
  • 11.
    "… i v er sity ."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.
  • 12.
    "apartement"recte "appartment".
  • 13.
    "… met in La Rampa ."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.
  • 14.
    "champoo"recte "shampoo".
  • 15.
    "Nothin"recte "Nothing".
  • 16.
    "… Guiilén will be the director,"Henze quotes the sentence "Rachel, I must tell you, will be a long movie. We are writing the script and Nicolásh Guiilén[sic]‡ 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.
  • 17.
    "be n e nvery"recte "been very".
  • 18.
    "succes ful"recte "successful".
  • 19.
    rosas, margaritas, dalias, gladiolos y claveles y un saludo revolucionario, cubano , ecuménico y esencial de tu hermano cubano
    • roses, daisies, dahlias, gladiolas and carnations and a revolutionary, Cuban, ecumenical and essential greeting from your Cuban brother

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