Due to its political impact, the oratorio by Hans Werner Henze and Ernst Schnabel had a difficult path into the orchestral repertoire.

Ingeborg Bachmann wrote "Die Zikaden" in 1955, when she was just 29 years old. It was her first radio play for the NWDR in Hamburg. The music was composed by Hans Werner Henze.

Michael Struck-Schloen in conversation with Prof. Dr. Antje Tumat, Foundation council of the Hans Werner Henze Foundation

wocomoMUSIC releases the documentary part of the 2002 DVD "Memoirs of an Outsider" on Youtube. The composer portrait was produced by Dennis Marks for RM Associates in collaboration with Hessischer Rundfunk. The original DVD release also included a LIVE recording of the "Requiem" performed by Ensemble Modern under the direction of Ingo Metzmacher.

The hoopoe had an outstanding significance in Henze's animal world, going so far as to dedicate an entire opera to it.

Hans Werner Henze was known for his love of animals throughout his life. Over the years, La Leprara has been home not only to various breeds of dogs and other mammals such as cats, goats and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, but also to numerous species of birds, both tame and wild.

Desk of HWH in his studio on La Leprara. The design with the tilting desk is his own.
The photo shows the desk as Henze had last left it. On the left you can see a tutorial on orchestration by Cecil Forsyth, which he consulted regularly.

Scene photos and video trailer of the Mannheim National Theater