Juan Nepomucino Goetz

Juan Nepomucino Goetz () was an Austrian Catholic priest whose arrival in Cuba led to two extraordinary controversies. When Toussaint-Louverture drove out the British, he rang the church bells and celebrated. However, in the following period, Goetz fled to Santiago de Cuba, where his knowledge of languages gave him a place as the ‘foreigners’ priest. Goetz in Havana In Havana, choirmaster Lazo de la Vega was ailing and died. After his death, four men sought the post: 28-year-old first violinist José Francisco Rensoli, singer Luis Lazo, maestro Cayetano Solis and the Catalan Cayetano Pagueras, a religious composer and first contralto. The matter was to be decided by competitive examination. Pagueras regarded himself as a maestro in four arts: plainsong, organ playing, counterpoint and composition. All were set for the examination when a letter, written on 29 July 1803, arrived at the cathedral. It was from Goetz, offering his service. After looking, listening and questioning, he wrote a first report to the town council full of acute assessments of key members of the choir: :“Cayetano Pagueras: Second contralto, terrible voice, no expressiveness. Almost blind… A good composer, but