Hans Werner Henze

The active stance of striving to be useful to the living, to the people around us, is the aspect of engagement in the musical world created by Henze that I find most compelling. One should not expect that such engagement comes without struggles and wounds, especially when the composer feels the need to respond to the conditions of the society around him. Composers are not merely islands of silence amidst the storm; they are sometimes part of the storm itself.

We need not dwell too long on Henze’s political engagement in the 1960s. Nevertheless, the concern behind this engagement led to significant initiatives such as the Montepulciano Festival. This commitment had another effect: it kept Henze youthful. His youthful attitude and spirit were, of course, greatly enhanced by his exceptional interest and fruitful work with young composers, young musicians, and a young audience. This, indeed, is what I call being truly useful to the living.