Hans Werner Henze’s El Cimarrón (The Runaway Slave) is a tour-de-force sonic onslaught based on the oral autobiography of Esteban Montejo, an enslaved Afro-Cuban who escaped bondage on a sugar plantation, survived in the jungle, fought for Cuban independence from Spain, and lived to tell about it, all before dying at the age of 113. Henze’s visceral score is a cry for freedom that transcends time and place.
The following statement was read aloud by Julia Bullock before the premiere performance, which concluded her Met Museum artist residency in the 2018–2019 season.
“Back then, I knew more things, more of the dirty tricks which history has covered up. I discussed them only with my friends. Now things have gotten all mixed up in my head. In spite of that, I can remember the most important things, though I can count on the fingers of two hands the times I’ve spoken of them to anyone.”
— ESTEBAN MONTEJO (1860 – 1973) from MIGUEL BARNET’S book, BIOGRAPHIA DE UN CIMARRÓN (originally published in 1966)
The reason why I wanted to share this quote by Esteban Montejo –– besides the fact that he and his story are what inspired the musical work, El Cimarrón, by Hans Werner Henze –– is because when I think back on how I first began programming my residency at the Met Museum in 2018-19, I was preoccupied with the idea that I needed to provide a voice for stories that had been made silent. But honestly, after spending almost two years contemplating the first-hand accounts of the many voices that have been featured throughout this residency, I’m not sure if I can stand behind that statement anymore, because voices of dissent have always existed in times of the systemic oppression of fellow human beings.
Some individuals may not choose to speak about their dehumanizing experiences immediately, some may remain quiet out of a need for self-protection or preservation. Some may choose to not share their stories, because of a lack of trust, or just outright fear. But one thing I’ve come to appreciate is that by the time these individuals are finally asked the right questions and ready to share, what they disclose is direct, sincere, cutting, and of course unique, because of their individual life experiences. However, if their observations and assessments of the world and people around them took place over extended periods of time, their conclusions also seem to represent collective life experiences.
These voices may not come from people who can read or write. These are voices who don’t necessarily express themselves in a way that secures a legacy, and they may not even share memories that would present themselves at their most heroic; but these voices and stories help to define our history –– if we are actually interested in unabridged accounts of history.
So again, I genuinely don’t know if stories are ever really made silent. They just may not have been listened to; or weren’t given a platform like you or I have been given.
To close, here again are the words of Esteban Montejo:
“There are things in life I do not understand… There are things you can’t change. The course of life is very complicated… I lived through it all… I rebelled… I ran away… But they caught me… They put shackles on me… You talk about this kind of thing now and folks don’t believe you. But I experienced it, and now I’ve got to talk about it. You have to keep quiet or tell the truth.”
EL CIMARRÓN
Music Hans Werner Henze
Libretto Hans Magnus Enzenberger
based on the autobiography of Esteban Montejo,
as related to Miguel Barnet
PAST PERFORMANCES & FEATURED ARTISTS
Premiered May 2019 at The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
as part of Julia Bullock’s season as Artist-in-Residence
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bass-baritone Davóne Tines
Flutist Emi Ferguson
Percussionist Jonny Allen
Guitarist Jordan Dodson
Director Zack Winokur
Lighting Designer John Torres
Costume Designer Carlos Soto