In 1957 the English choreographer Frederick Ashton and the German composer Hans Werner Henze began to collaborate on a new ballet, Ondine. During the creation of the work Henze kept a diary of its progress and of his thoughts on the choreography and the music. Here translated into English for the first time, this book gives a major insight into the workings of the creators" minds during the composition of one of the twentieth century"s major works of art.