La Cubana or A Life for the Arts (La Cubana oder Ein Leben für die Kunst)

Hans Werner Henze

Composer of our Time

after themes from the novel “Canción de Rachel” by Miguel Barnet

Scene of action: Havana
Time of action: 1906–1934
Background story: 1959

Commissioned by the WNET Opera Theatre, New York

Year of composition 1973
Duration 87 minutes

First transmission of the TV-Production March 4th, 1974

Channel 13 (USA) · WNET Opera Theatre, New York

Production Kirk Browning
Stage and costume design Rouben Ter-Arutunian
Conductor Hans Werner Henze

Scenic World premiere May 28th, 1975

München · Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz

Production Imo Moszkovicz
Stage and costume design Jürgen Henze
Choirmaster Wilfried Koch
Conductor Peter Falk

This piece has been freely adapted from Miguel Barnet’s documentary novel “Canción de Rachel”, the tragicomic autobiography of an old Havana music-hall queen with an ambiguous past. It takes place in the past and the present, and with wit, parody and symbolism, it deals with the political nature of a certain artistic ideology that insists on its detachment from politics. see also “Songs and Dances” · “La piccola Cubana” · “Ragtimes and Habaneras”

Hans Werner Henze

Rachel	soprano	a Caribbean beauty
Lucile	mezzosoprano	a young whore
Ofelia	parte parlata	Rachel’s maid
Eusebio	tenore	a young man from a wealthy family
Yarini	parte parlata	a pimp
Don Alfonso	baritono	circus master
Paco		an artist (may be played by Eusebio)
Der Cimarrón	declamato intonato	a blackman
Federico	tenore	a student (may be played by Eusebio)
	baritono	theatre director (may be played by Don Alfonso)
	declamato intonato	a telescope hirer
	baritono	a stilt walker, also witness

		In the 3rd and 4th scene and the epilogue (depicted by the telescope hirer): a senator
		President of the Republic (played by the senator)
		a gangster boss (played by the senator)
Lotot		a pimp
Sloppy Joe		bodyguard and gangster (played by Lotot)
	attori o cantanti	6 beggars, also witnesses in the epilogue
		critic cleaning lady ballet master female pianist shoeshine scene shifter Archbishop farmboy roués dandies dancing girls US marines onlookers mourners pimps policemen circus goers stage hands artists children blackmen people in disguise café customers beggars farmers demonstraters

Characters in the play within the play (4th scene):

Teodoro (=Magdalena de Maupin)		a dandy (played by Rachel)
Alberto		a gentleman (played by Eusebio)
Rosita		his wife (played by Lucile)
	Ballett ad lib.	people in disguise

Characters in the background story (prologue, intermezzi, epilogue):

Rachel		an old lady
Ofelia		her maid
Lucile		an old whore
		an old critic
		an old scene shifter

(With the exception of Rachel and Ofelia, these performers should be identical with those of the main-story)

witnesses: all singers, actors or soloists:

an old cabaret girl an old critic
an old scene shifter
an old shoeshine
an old cleaning lady
an old female pianist
a stilt walker
two circus girls
a female extra from the Alhambra
an old teacher, formerly student
a music copyist
three campesinos
a waiter several beggars

The total ensemble which is divided into smaller ensembles behind and on the stage, varying from scene to scene, does not appear as tutti.

2 Flauti	anche Ottavini
2 Oboi
2 Clarinetti	2° anche Clarinetto piccolo e Clarinetto basso
1 Sassofono contralto
1 Sassofono tenore
1 Cornetto
2 Clarinetti piccoli
2 Trombe
1 Trombone
2 Tube tenore	o 2 Oficleide
2 Bombardoni	o Tube basse
1 Flauto di bambù
1 Ocarina
Armoniche a bocca
3 Scacciapensieri
Mandolino
Banjo tenore	(quadrilatero)
Chitarra
Marimbula	o Xilofono in cassetta
Glockenspiel

Trinidad steel drum	o Vibrafono
Grancassa e piatto
Fisarmonica
Armonio
Percussione	3 Voodoo-drums (padre/madre/bambino) 3 Tamburi di legno con pelle Tamburo di frizione Frusta (di metallo) Chocollo Tramboline Pandeira Pedal maracas Cabaça Caccavella ruggito Fasce di bambú effetti metallici (5 diverse incudini o lastre sospese di acciaio) [per 4]
Pianola
Pianoforte preparato
Pianoforte	(vecchio e scordato)
Organo ad lib.

3 Violini
1 Violoncello
1 Contrabbasso