Gal. 74—P. M. L. A.-1108-10-12-31E-p. 296—B-|—Schinnerer-U. A.
Prinz-Albrecht-Hotel in Berlin, before the society“Stille Bühne.“ Ac¬
cording to reports many fashionably dressed ladies were present. Part
of the audience was delighted, while others ieft the auditorium in pro¬
test long before the conclusion of the program.! Finally, Margarethe
Christians, of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, gave a rcading of these
scenes on April 23, 1000, in the series of Kammerkunstabende der
The first performance of the entire work took place on October 13, 1912,
in Budapest in the Uj Szinpad theatre which called itself literary, but
was in reality only an obscure suburban stage in the Dembinszkyutszai.
Since Reigen was not copyrighted in Hungary, Schnitzler had felt com¬
pelled to enter into negotiations with the theatre through his represen¬
tative, so as not to forego all his rights a priori. This, however, did not
affect his standpoint of being opposed on principle to all presentations on
the stage.“ As a matter of fact this production, by Albert Kövessy, was
so tactless and inartistic that despite the liberal censorship in Budapest
it was forbidden by the police two days later. This prohibition was di¬
rected, however, not against the play as such, but against the inadequate
and offensive production.
According to a Viennese newspaper, nightly performances of Reigen
were given in Moscow in 1917,1 and a Berlin paper reported similar per¬
formances in St. Petersburg in the theatre Kriwoje Serkalo.“ In 1919
prisoners of war in the camp Sairkutny-Gorodok near Trutsk likewise
produced these dialogs in their camp theatre.
We now reach the carly post-war period when Reigen went over the
boards in all the larger cities of Central Europe, arousing public opinion
toafever pitch, causing organized mass meetings and vehement protests,
noisy and aggressive demonstrations, and theatre scandals, culminating
in a sensational trial in Berlin and in stormy scenes in the Austrian Par¬
liament. At frequent intervals for more than a year Reigen was front¬
page news. As Schnitzler had hitherto consistently refused his authoriza¬
tion for public production, it develops upon us to determine first the
reasons that caused him to change his mind. Fortunately we have his
own account of the circumstances that led him to reverse his position.!
In November, 1918, he reccived a telegram from Max Reinhardt, asking
for the rights to produce Reigen in the Kammerspiele in Berlin. Schnitz¬
ler could not at once persuade himself to give his consent, but promised
Reinhardt the first option. Subsequently numerous other offers to pro¬
duce Reigen, some quite acceptable, were made to the author.? In Janu¬
ary, 1010, the director of a prominent German theatre invited him to
the impending première of Reigen at his playhouse. Returning prisoners
of war brought reports of performances in various Russian cities. Thus
Reigen had already been launched on its stage career without the au¬
thor’s knowledge or gonsent. Schnitzler did not consider it beyond the
realm of possibilities that, despite all legal protection, some one in
German-speaking countries might venture to give an unauthorized per¬
formance. This was one of the reasons that induced him in the spring of
1919 to inquire from Max Reinhardt whether he still considered a public
production of Reigen opportune. Under date of April 19, 1010, the latter
answered as follows:
Ich halte die Aufführung Ihres Werkes künstlerisch nicht nur für opportun, son¬
dern für unbedingt wünschenswert. Dabei ist allerdings Voraussetzung, daß bei
den Gefahren, die in der Gegenständlichkeit des Stoffes liegen, das Werk nicht
in unkünstlerische und undelikate Hände kommt, die es der Sensationslust eines
allzu bereiten Publikums ausliefern könnten, Ich nehme aber bestimmt an, daß
sich die Bedenken durch eine völlig sensationsfreie, reine künstlerische und dis¬
krete Inszenierung überwinden lassen ... Sie dürfen in jedem Fall versichert
sein, dag ich aus den schon wiederholten Gründen mein volles künstlerisches
Interesse Ihrem Werk widmen werde und unbedingt dafür Sorge trage, daß es
auf dem höchsten künstlerischen Niveau herauskomme.?!
On the strength of these assurances Schnitzler reached an agreement
with Reinhardt according to which Reigen was to be staged in one ofthe
latter’'s theatres not later than January 31, 1920. For practical reasons
Reinhardt failed to observe the stipulation regarding the time limit. Be¬
Prinz-Albrecht-Hotel in Berlin, before the society“Stille Bühne.“ Ac¬
cording to reports many fashionably dressed ladies were present. Part
of the audience was delighted, while others ieft the auditorium in pro¬
test long before the conclusion of the program.! Finally, Margarethe
Christians, of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, gave a rcading of these
scenes on April 23, 1000, in the series of Kammerkunstabende der
The first performance of the entire work took place on October 13, 1912,
in Budapest in the Uj Szinpad theatre which called itself literary, but
was in reality only an obscure suburban stage in the Dembinszkyutszai.
Since Reigen was not copyrighted in Hungary, Schnitzler had felt com¬
pelled to enter into negotiations with the theatre through his represen¬
tative, so as not to forego all his rights a priori. This, however, did not
affect his standpoint of being opposed on principle to all presentations on
the stage.“ As a matter of fact this production, by Albert Kövessy, was
so tactless and inartistic that despite the liberal censorship in Budapest
it was forbidden by the police two days later. This prohibition was di¬
rected, however, not against the play as such, but against the inadequate
and offensive production.
According to a Viennese newspaper, nightly performances of Reigen
were given in Moscow in 1917,1 and a Berlin paper reported similar per¬
formances in St. Petersburg in the theatre Kriwoje Serkalo.“ In 1919
prisoners of war in the camp Sairkutny-Gorodok near Trutsk likewise
produced these dialogs in their camp theatre.
We now reach the carly post-war period when Reigen went over the
boards in all the larger cities of Central Europe, arousing public opinion
toafever pitch, causing organized mass meetings and vehement protests,
noisy and aggressive demonstrations, and theatre scandals, culminating
in a sensational trial in Berlin and in stormy scenes in the Austrian Par¬
liament. At frequent intervals for more than a year Reigen was front¬
page news. As Schnitzler had hitherto consistently refused his authoriza¬
tion for public production, it develops upon us to determine first the
reasons that caused him to change his mind. Fortunately we have his
own account of the circumstances that led him to reverse his position.!
In November, 1918, he reccived a telegram from Max Reinhardt, asking
for the rights to produce Reigen in the Kammerspiele in Berlin. Schnitz¬
ler could not at once persuade himself to give his consent, but promised
Reinhardt the first option. Subsequently numerous other offers to pro¬
duce Reigen, some quite acceptable, were made to the author.? In Janu¬
ary, 1010, the director of a prominent German theatre invited him to
the impending première of Reigen at his playhouse. Returning prisoners
of war brought reports of performances in various Russian cities. Thus
Reigen had already been launched on its stage career without the au¬
thor’s knowledge or gonsent. Schnitzler did not consider it beyond the
realm of possibilities that, despite all legal protection, some one in
German-speaking countries might venture to give an unauthorized per¬
formance. This was one of the reasons that induced him in the spring of
1919 to inquire from Max Reinhardt whether he still considered a public
production of Reigen opportune. Under date of April 19, 1010, the latter
answered as follows:
Ich halte die Aufführung Ihres Werkes künstlerisch nicht nur für opportun, son¬
dern für unbedingt wünschenswert. Dabei ist allerdings Voraussetzung, daß bei
den Gefahren, die in der Gegenständlichkeit des Stoffes liegen, das Werk nicht
in unkünstlerische und undelikate Hände kommt, die es der Sensationslust eines
allzu bereiten Publikums ausliefern könnten, Ich nehme aber bestimmt an, daß
sich die Bedenken durch eine völlig sensationsfreie, reine künstlerische und dis¬
krete Inszenierung überwinden lassen ... Sie dürfen in jedem Fall versichert
sein, dag ich aus den schon wiederholten Gründen mein volles künstlerisches
Interesse Ihrem Werk widmen werde und unbedingt dafür Sorge trage, daß es
auf dem höchsten künstlerischen Niveau herauskomme.?!
On the strength of these assurances Schnitzler reached an agreement
with Reinhardt according to which Reigen was to be staged in one ofthe
latter’'s theatres not later than January 31, 1920. For practical reasons
Reinhardt failed to observe the stipulation regarding the time limit. Be¬