Menuett für Gitarre (zu 25 Schuss)

Vitomil Zupan (1914-1987) was two years old when his father fell as a front soldier. His mother married a professor of German studies in Ljubljana, who soon passed away. After a friend was fatally injured while playing with a weapon, Zupan escaped the situation by signing on to a ship, despite being acquitted. At his mother's request, he returned to pursue a degree in civil engineering. In 1933, his first prose text was published, and he began writing incessantly, though he could only publish much of it with several years of delay. He traveled the world, making a living as a professional boxer and odd jobs. In 1941, he joined the resistance, was arrested in 1942, and placed in Italian camps. In 1943, he definitively joined the partisans, first in combat and then as a spokesperson and author for the partisan radio. After the war, he plunged into a life as a bohemian. Almost every one of his publications sparked controversy and received awards. In 1948, Zupan was charged with immorality, attempted murder, and anti-state activities. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, which was increased to 18 years upon appeal. After seven years, he was pardoned. From then on, he lived a tumultuous, legendary private life and was allowed to publish novels, screenplays, poetry, and plays again starting in 1960.

Erwin Köstler, born in 1964, studied medicine and Slovenian studies in Vienna. He began translating while still a student. In 1999, he received the Austrian State Prize for Translation, and in 2020, the Fabian-Hafner Prize. He translated classics and contemporary literature from Slovenian, including works by Ivan Cankar, Srecko Kosovel, Slavko Grum, and Mojca Kumerdej.