EL CIMARRÓN is the powerful, truestory of Esteban Montejo. Based onthe book THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ARUNAWAY SLAVE, it recounts Mon-tejo’s life from early childhood throughadulthood. Born in 1860 in a slave infirmary in Las Villas, Cuba, he wassold into slavery on a sugar plantationbefore he was old enough to know hisCuban-born mother or African-born father. Refusing to accept that life, Montejo tried to run away at a youngage. After a failed first attempt, he escaped and lived in total seclusion inthe woods as a maroon. By definition, “maroon,” from the Latin-American Spanish word “cimarrón,”means "feral animal, fugitive, run-away." The literal translation is "livingon mountaintops" from the Spanishword, “cima,” meaning "top, summit."Maroons were African refugees whoescaped slavery in the West Indies,Central America, South America andNorth America. They formed inde-pendent settlements in the wild andlived off the land, and were often attacked by people trying to bringthem back into slavery. Avoiding slave hunters, terrorists andeven other runaways, Montejo reap-peared as a laborer on sugar planta-tions after the abolition of slavery in1880. He worked as a field hand untilin 1895, when he joined the Cubanrevolutionary army to fight against theSpanish. After the war ended three years later,there was little change for Montejoand the other former slaves. He returned to his native province of LasVillas and again worked as a laborer ina sugar mill. Montejo would have fallen into obscu-rity had it not been for Miguel Barnet,a Cuban writer and ethnographer whocame across Montejo’s story in a 1963newspaper. Upon meeting him, Barnetwas impressed by Montejo’s ability torecall events from early childhood. Aseries of interviews followed duringwhich Barnet recorded Montejo’s rec-ollections enabling him to accurately portray the nuances and tones ofMontejo’s language. In 1966, Barnetpublished Montejo’s story in his bookBIOGRAFÍA DE UN CIMARRÓN (THE BIOGRAPHY OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE). Montejodied in 1973 at the age 113.

The book is divided into three mainsections with an epilogue. The firstsection, called Slavery, describesMontejo’s early years and slave life ingeneral. It contrasts the brutality of themasters with the slaves’ love of music,the games they played after work topass the time and their determinationto survive.The second section, The Abolition ofSlavery, takes place in the decade following the emancipation of slaves in1886. During this time, Montejoworked as a free laborer in the sugarfactories of Perio and Ariosa. It pro-vides a wide- ranging discussion onsocial life and the class system innineteenth century Cuba. The third section, The War of Inde-pendence, follows Montejo from theyears 1895 to 1898 and discusses theguerilla tactics of Cubans known asMambises. This group composed alarge part of the National Army of Liberation during the Spanish-Ameri-can War. Their involvement datedback to 1846 when a group of soldiersled by Juan Ethnnius Mamby in theDominican Republic rebelled againstthe Spanish. In the epilogue, The Alchemy of Memory, Montejo reflects on the importance and responsibility of shar-ing one’s experience in order to teachlessons for future generations.

music theatre

Audience GuideSee the guide in color online atwww.skylightmusictheatre.org

2013-2014Our 55th SeasonJanuary 2014IN THIS ISSUE

Composed by Hans Werner HenzeText from book byMiguel BarnetLibretto by

Hans Magnus EnzenbergerEnglish translation by Christopher Keene

AUDIENCE GUIDEResearch/Writing by Kirstin Roble, Artistic Intern and Justine Leonardfor ENLIGHTENSkylight Music Theatre’s Education ProgramEdited by Ray Jivoff414-299-4965rayj@skylightmusictheatre.org

www.skylightmusictheatre.org

Biography of the Runaway Slave Esteban Montejo

BIOGRAPHY OF THE RUNAWAY SLAVE- Esteban Montejo and Miguel Barnet

This production is sponsored in part by

Bass-baritone Eric McKeever is appearingin the role of Esteban Montejo in ELCIMARRÓN. Here are some of histhoughts and impressions of the role. Hans Werner Henze’s EL CIMARRÓN,based on the book THE AUTOBIOGRA-PHY OF A RUNAWAY SLAVE, recountsthe fascinating life of Esteban Montejo. Theelegance of Esteban’s language and thecharisma of his character are quite intrigu-ing. He has a forthright sensibility when de-scribing the most brutal of events includinghis life alone in the woods, his hatred forthe overseers and even the act of murder-ing men as a revolutionary. When recounting the conditions of the barracks in which he lived or the religiousceremonies of the other slaves, his humorand cynicism shine through. Yet, there isnever a hint of malice in his telling of thesestories. Thanks to Esteban’s frankness andmemory, the book never loses sight of thehumanity that is woven into the story of thehistory of slavery and the evolution of Cubaas a nation. Another interesting notion to consider isthat Esteban is two people, the private selfand the public self. From the beginning, werecognize that he is a loner and no matterhow cramped the quarters, how difficult theshared struggle of all the slaves or how uni-fied the revolutionaries, he is most comfort-able alone. One of my favorite quotes fromthe book is, “A Cimarrón only has himselfto rely on.” It is no mistake that though hewas with many women, he never marriedand seemed most at peace when he wasalone in the woods.In many ways he accepted all that was inthe world, including the various religions,the ghosts, the hard work and the fight forCuba’s freedom. Ironically, that is whatmakes his story so fascinating: A man, who

does not follow the norm of the time,mostly does what he wants and with whomhe wants, yet was at the forefront of a series of large historical shifts in Cuba.In addition to Montejo’s personal duality,the book follows the greater historicalevents in Cuba. Paralleling the book’s his-torical timeline, Henze’s EL CIMARRÓNgives us a vivid view of the world that Esteban inhabits while educating us on thetime period through atmospheric andevocative musical elements that reflect thevarious cultures and customs. The chaosof slavery and his later life of order are mir-rored in the score, which has bombasticand slightly frightening moments. It alsohas moments of sheer beauty and calmwhich align with Esteban’s constant searchfor peace.From the book, I learned that Esteban waslight and warm, yet, guarded and distant.His story is a rich narrative that gives in-sight into some of the most difficult periodsof history, the beginning of industry andeventually Cuba’s freedom from Spain.

EL CIMARRONInsights From The Performer and the Director

WHEN THE OTHER’S JOURNEY BECOMESPERSONAL...By EUGENIA ARSENIS, PH. DDr. Arsenis, the stage director of the production, has collaborated with many international cultural organizations (RoyalAlbert Hall, San Francisco Opera Center,Center for Contemporary Opera, etc). Shehas been a speaker at many international conferences. She previously staged a production of EL CIMARRON at the GreekNational Opera.I first listened to EL CIMARRÓN when Iwas asked to translate it and adapt itfor the Greek National Opera. I wasdeeply touched by the story, especiallyknowing that it was about the life of anexisting man. I was so intrigued that Idecided to find the author of his auto-biography in Cuba. “You were so passionate on the phonethat I felt there was something truethere,” Miguel Barnet told me when wefirst met in Paris. Miguel, through Es-teban’s narration, gradually becamepart of his life, and now, throughMiguel’s descriptions, I was meetinghis personal hero, who by then hadalso become mine...Both of them. Hans Werner Henze in his diaries fromhis voyage to Cuba with the poet HansMagnus Enzensberger describes thatit was the first time he observed “invis-ible threads” between people; theneed for them to stay together, as ifthere was a threat from outside...Thisbecomes their journey. And this needis now more imporant than ever, notonly in Cuba, yet some of these “invisi-ble threads” might have broken...Almost nine years later, I direct ELCIMARRÓN for the second time. Everytime I listen to it, I discover somethingdifferent, it becomes more personal.There lies the uniqueness of this work,for it is a piece that each of us can re-late to in dissimilar ways, in differentperiods of our life...

Miguel Barnet and Eugenia Arsenis

Hans Werner Henze (1926 – 2012) was aGerman composer known for his culti-vation of music for the theatre. Hismusic is extremely varied in style, hav-ing been influenced by surrealism,atonality, Stravinsky, jazz, Italian andArabic music and traditional schools ofGerman composition.Henze was born in Gütersloh, West-phalia, the oldest of six children of ateacher. His interest in the arts and hispolitical views led to conflicts with hisconservative father, Franz. In the early1930s, Franz joined the Nazi partyand Hans and his brothers were enrolled in the Hitler Youth.In 1942, Henze began studies at thestate music school of Braunschweig.His father rejoined the army in 1943,and was sent to the Eastern front,where he died. Henze was conscriptedinto the army in 1944 and was trainedas a radio officer. He was captured bythe British and held in a prisoner-of-war camp for the remainder of the war. In 1945, he became an accompanistin the Bielefeld City Theatre and stud-ied at Heidelberg University. He alsotook part in the famous DarmstadtNew Music Summer School, a centerfor avant-garde techniques. In his early years he worked withtwelve-tone technique in his FIRSTSYMPHONY and VIOLIN CONCERTO of1947. In 1948 he became musical assistant at the Deutscher Theater inKonstanz, where his first opera DASWUNDERTHEATER, based on the workof Cervantes, was created. Henze was well known for his politicalconvictions. He left Germany in 1953in reaction against the country's homo-phobia and general political climate,and moved to Italy. He settled on theisland of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples. In 1956, Henze began a collaborationwith poet Ingeborg Bachmann. Work-ing with her as librettist, he composedtwo operas, DER PRINZ VON HOM-BURG (1958) and DER JUNGE LORD(1964). He also composed SERENADESAND ARIAS (1957) and his CHORALFANTASY (1964).

After his move to Italy in 1953, Henze'smusic became considerably moreNeapolitan in style. His opera KÖNIGHIRSCH (THE STAG KING) containslush, rich textures. This trend contin-ued in the ballet music that he wrotefor English choreographer FrederickAshton's ONDINE, completed in 1957. His Five Neapolitan Songs for baritoneDietrich Fischer-Dieskau were writtensoon after his arrival in Naples. A latersojourn in Greece provided the oppor-tunity to complete a work for anotherleading singer of the day, the Hölder-lin-based KAMMERMUSIK 1958, ded-icated to Benjamin Britten andpremiered by the tenor Peter Pears,the guitarist Julian Bream and aneight-member chamber ensemble. An avowed Marxist and member of theCommunist Party of Italy, Henze pro-duced compositions honoring Ho ChiMinh and Che Guevara. At the 1968Hamburg premiere of DAS FLOß DERMEDUSA (THE RAFT OF MEDUSA), his re-quiem for Che Guevara, the placing ofa red flag on the stage sparked a riotand the arrest of several people, in-cluding the librettist. Henze also spenta year teaching in Cuba, though helater became disillusioned with Castro. His politics also influenced his SIXTHSYMPHONY (1969), SECOND VIOLINCONCERTO (1971), VOICES (1973) andhis piece for spoken word and

chamber orchestra, EL CIMARRÓN,based on a book by Cuban authorMiguel Barnet about escaped blackslaves during Cuba's colonial period.His later works, while less controver-sial, continued his political and socialinvolvement. The choral NINTH SYM-PHONY (1997), is "dedicated to the heroes of German anti-fascism." Thelibretto by Hans-Ulrich Treichel isbased on THE SEVENTH CROSS, anovel by Anna Seghers, a defiant re-jection of Nazi barbarism. His last success was the operaL'UPUPA UND DER TRIUMPH DERSOHNESLIEBE (THE HOOPOE AND THE TRI-UMPH OF FILIAL LOVE, 2003) at theSalzburg Festival, with a text he wrotehimself, based on a Syrian fairy tale.Other late compositions include SEBASTIAN IM TRAUM (2004) forlarge orchestra and the opera PHAEDRA (2007).Henze lived with his partner FaustoMoroni from the early sixties. Moronicared for the composer when he suf-fered an emotional collapse, living asthough in a coma. Shortly afterHenze's sudden recovery in 2007, Moroni died after a lengthy battle withcancer. ELOGIUM MUSICUM (2008) forlarge orchestra and chorus is a memo-rial to his partner of more than fortyyears. Hans Werner Henze died inDresden in 2012 at the age of 86.

EL CIMARRON

Hans Werner Henze (1926 – 2012)

Composer Hans Werner Henze

The author Miguel Angel Barnet Lanza(above) is a Cuban writer, novelist andethnographer. He was born in 1940 in Havana, Cuba. He began his educa-tion in the U.S., but Barnet maintaineda strong interest in Cuban culture. In his early years he contributed poetry and other writings to suchCuban publications as Lunes de Revolución and Hoy. This literarybackground can be seen as a precur-sor to the imaginative element Barnetintroduced to anthropological writing. Barnet studied with Fernando Ortiz,the pioneer of Cuban anthropology,at the University of Havana. Ortiz introduced Barnet to an ethnographicmodel centered on indigenous religion,language and the oral tradition. Astaunch supporter of the Revolution,Barnet’s work has focused on the former slave class.In 1994, Barnet was awarded Cuba'sNational Prize for Literature. In 2006,he received the Juan Rulfo Interna-tional Short Story Prize for FÁTIMA,QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, which wasalso nominated for the Pushcart Prize.NovelsBIOGRAFÍA DE UN CIMARRÓN (1966)CANCIÓN DE RACHEL (1969)GALLEGO (1983)LA VIDA REAL (1986)OFICIO DE ÁNGEL (1989)PoetryLA PIEDRAFINA Y EL PAVORREAL (1963)ISLA DE GÜIJES (1964)ORIKIS Y OTROS POEMAS (1980)CARTA DE NOCHE (1982)MAPA DEL TIEMPO (1989)POEMAS CHINOS (1993)ACTAS DEL FINAL (2000)

The Republic of Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, is approxi-mately 90 miles from the UnitedStates. The nation of Cuba, with over11 million inhabitants, comprises themain island of Cuba, the Isle de la Juventud and several small archipela-gos. Havana is the nation’s capital. The country has a long, ragged his-tory. Prior to its invasion by Christo-pher Columbus in 1492, numerousMesoamerican tribes inhabited the island. Claimed by Columbus as acolony for Spain, Cuba remained sountil the Spanish-American War. The 1898 conflict between Spain andthe United States was the result ofAmerican support of Cuban revoltsagainst Spanish rule and U.S. attackson Spain’s Pacific colonies. In theterms of the Treaty of Paris whichended the war, Cuba was freed, withthe U.S. in temporary control. TheU.S. also obtained the Philippines for$20 million and was ceded PuertoRico and Guam. Cuba gained independence in 1902.That fragile state endured until theelection of Fulgenico Batista in 1952.Growing instability led to Batista’sousting in 1959 followed by the social-ist administration of Fidel Castro.Since 1965, the Communist Party, asa single party state, has led the coun-try. Cuba is one of the world’s four re-maining self-declared socialist states.The culture of Cuba is a complex mix-ture of often contrasting influences.Cuba is a meeting point of European,African, Chinese and continental North

American cultures; little of the originalAmerindian culture survives. WhileSpanish is spoken in Cuba, approxi-mately 300,000 Afro-Cubans speakHaitian Creole.The music of Cuba, including the in-struments and the dances, is mostly ofEuropean and African origin. Mostpresent day musical forms are cre-olized fusions and mixtures of thesetwo great sources. Almost nothing re-mains of the original native traditions.Cuba's policy on religion has changedsince 1959, when religious Cubanswere persecuted and denied jobs andeducation by the government. In 1992,the constitution was amended to allowtotal religious freedom. About 25% ofCubans today are Catholic. Anotherlarge religion in Cuba is Santería, ablend of Catholicism and traditionalYoruba religions. When African slavesfirst arrived in Cuba during the 16thcentury, they were taught a fewprayers and baptized by the Spanish.The slaves combined this limited formof Catholicism with their traditional religions to create Santería, which survives to this day. It is interesting to note that EstebanMontejo, whose story is told in ELCIMARRÓN, was very much a part ofthe history of Cuba. He grew up on asugar plantation, escaped and led ahermit's life in the woods, returned asa paid worker when slavery was abol-ished, participated in the war againstthe Spaniards and was still alive, livingfeistily alone in the country, when theCastro Government came to power.

EL CIMARRONBackground on Cuba