2. Cuttings
—
box 37/4
ARTHUR SCHNITZLER, DRAM-ITIST OF THE TWILIGHT SOUI. 671
alone for the supreme question. Max leaves
fromthe“Thesis-play,? for tho it is based on
the room. Anatol opens his mouth and shuts
the problem of the middle-class girl with a
it again. Some questions are better left un¬
refinement above her power to satisfy, it con¬
asked. He recalls Max and tells him that he
tains in old Weiring the most beautiful single
har been perfectly satisfied. But the awak¬
character in Schnitzler’s work. Of late the play¬
ened Cora shows a curious anziety as 10 just
wright has devoted himself, not to questions,
what she said.
which he cannot present with the vigor of
partisanship, but to the portrayal of individ¬
Sparkling and piquant thothe dialog is and
uals. Literature,“ a farce very popular in
audacious thothe situations are, only the most
Germany and often given at the German Ir¬
casual reader misses the undertone of sadness,
one that is always sounded in Schmitzler’s
ving Place Theater in New Vork, is of this
most brilliant work. For Anatol’s scarch for
class. A popular lady-novelist is about to
happiness is endless because of the dual nature
celebrate her betrothal with a banker, who
that he shares with his creator. As Victor
does not like the idca of sharing his adored
with an ink-bottle. The lady is really ready
Klemperer points out in Bühne und Welt,
Schnitzler is always, even in his gayest mo¬
to give up her career—she is older than she
ments, at heart a tragedian, If his humor is
looks, and some former emotional experiments
usually free from satire, it is because his capi¬
have made her appreciate the prospect of mar¬
tulation before the sadness of life is too com¬
ried repose; but her very last book is on the
plete to leave him the satirist’s desire to sting
press and she does want to see it on the stalls.
life to better things. For one idea never
It is a love-story of a somewhat hectic nature,
leaves him—the image of death.Why do
and based on fact, for with commendable
von talk of dving?“ asks somcone inThe
thrift she has kept carbons of all her love¬
Lonely Way,“ and the reply is, 'Is there a
letters to one of the “experiments,'’ and, be¬
reasonable creature that at the bottom of his
coming lazy in the course of seven years, has
made a book by the simple process of chrono¬
soul, in any good hour, thinks of anything
logical arrangement, with names changed.
else?' His passion is like Rossetti's ideal,
always “to feel the first kiss and forebode the
This, of course, the betrothed knows not; he
last.“
has not even read the book as yet, and the
After his first period—dialogs, fer which his
lady’s plight can be imagined when her former
nature, always seeing both sides, especially fits
correspondent turns up to congratulate her
him—he entered upon a series of problem
upon her betrothal and present her with a
plays. The most celebrated of these was
copy of his new book, for he, being also pos¬
Freiwild,“ an attack on the duel, that re¬
sessed of a literary sense, has kept carbons
ceived enormous advertizing from the strange
and made use of them. The two will exactly
coineidence that, while the play was in re¬
dove-tail. At this anguished moment reenters
hearsal, Lieut. von Brüsewitz, by the brutal
the flancé with the announcement that he will
killing of a civilian in a Carlsruhe restaurant,
put the devotion of his betrothedto a supreme
vindicated his 'military honor' exactly as the
test. He has bought out the entire edition;
play had forctoil an oflicer would be obliged
may he have it withdrawn from circulation?
to do. The excitement over the Carlsruhe
incident rushed the play to such a huge popu¬
has a little surprize: he has reserved one copy
larity that one of the German comic papers
that they arc to read together beside the fire.
showed a cartoon of Manager Brahm, of the
Here it is in his pocket. My own,' says the
Deutsches Theater, paying out royalties tothe
heroic lady, “my sacrifice shall be complete,?
leading playwrights of the season, when Lieut.
and the book goes into the fire as she falls into
Brüsewitz enters saying:"ve come for my
his arms.
Vet the same Schnitzler has evolved the
share of the royalties on Freiwild'!“."The
noble definition: Love means, to be in the
Legacy,' which appears in English in the cur¬
world for the sake of another,“ and in The
rent number of Poet-Lore, has perhaps the
Lonely Way has made his men and women
finest first act in Schnitzler’s theater.
who love for anything else than the sake of
Liebelei.“ produced in America a decade
loving and giving the followers of a life-path
since by the Progressive Stage Society and
that will always be lonely. This is a long
later by Katherine Grey, is probably Schnitz¬
ler’s best-known play, for it is not only a
way from Anatol. Indeed, with all his up-to¬
repertory piece all over Europe, but has been
date sparkle. Anatol is really behind the times;
given in England. It is his point of departure he is a fin-de-siecle product, a document from
—
box 37/4
ARTHUR SCHNITZLER, DRAM-ITIST OF THE TWILIGHT SOUI. 671
alone for the supreme question. Max leaves
fromthe“Thesis-play,? for tho it is based on
the room. Anatol opens his mouth and shuts
the problem of the middle-class girl with a
it again. Some questions are better left un¬
refinement above her power to satisfy, it con¬
asked. He recalls Max and tells him that he
tains in old Weiring the most beautiful single
har been perfectly satisfied. But the awak¬
character in Schnitzler’s work. Of late the play¬
ened Cora shows a curious anziety as 10 just
wright has devoted himself, not to questions,
what she said.
which he cannot present with the vigor of
partisanship, but to the portrayal of individ¬
Sparkling and piquant thothe dialog is and
uals. Literature,“ a farce very popular in
audacious thothe situations are, only the most
Germany and often given at the German Ir¬
casual reader misses the undertone of sadness,
one that is always sounded in Schmitzler’s
ving Place Theater in New Vork, is of this
most brilliant work. For Anatol’s scarch for
class. A popular lady-novelist is about to
happiness is endless because of the dual nature
celebrate her betrothal with a banker, who
that he shares with his creator. As Victor
does not like the idca of sharing his adored
with an ink-bottle. The lady is really ready
Klemperer points out in Bühne und Welt,
Schnitzler is always, even in his gayest mo¬
to give up her career—she is older than she
ments, at heart a tragedian, If his humor is
looks, and some former emotional experiments
usually free from satire, it is because his capi¬
have made her appreciate the prospect of mar¬
tulation before the sadness of life is too com¬
ried repose; but her very last book is on the
plete to leave him the satirist’s desire to sting
press and she does want to see it on the stalls.
life to better things. For one idea never
It is a love-story of a somewhat hectic nature,
leaves him—the image of death.Why do
and based on fact, for with commendable
von talk of dving?“ asks somcone inThe
thrift she has kept carbons of all her love¬
Lonely Way,“ and the reply is, 'Is there a
letters to one of the “experiments,'’ and, be¬
reasonable creature that at the bottom of his
coming lazy in the course of seven years, has
made a book by the simple process of chrono¬
soul, in any good hour, thinks of anything
logical arrangement, with names changed.
else?' His passion is like Rossetti's ideal,
always “to feel the first kiss and forebode the
This, of course, the betrothed knows not; he
last.“
has not even read the book as yet, and the
After his first period—dialogs, fer which his
lady’s plight can be imagined when her former
nature, always seeing both sides, especially fits
correspondent turns up to congratulate her
him—he entered upon a series of problem
upon her betrothal and present her with a
plays. The most celebrated of these was
copy of his new book, for he, being also pos¬
Freiwild,“ an attack on the duel, that re¬
sessed of a literary sense, has kept carbons
ceived enormous advertizing from the strange
and made use of them. The two will exactly
coineidence that, while the play was in re¬
dove-tail. At this anguished moment reenters
hearsal, Lieut. von Brüsewitz, by the brutal
the flancé with the announcement that he will
killing of a civilian in a Carlsruhe restaurant,
put the devotion of his betrothedto a supreme
vindicated his 'military honor' exactly as the
test. He has bought out the entire edition;
play had forctoil an oflicer would be obliged
may he have it withdrawn from circulation?
to do. The excitement over the Carlsruhe
incident rushed the play to such a huge popu¬
has a little surprize: he has reserved one copy
larity that one of the German comic papers
that they arc to read together beside the fire.
showed a cartoon of Manager Brahm, of the
Here it is in his pocket. My own,' says the
Deutsches Theater, paying out royalties tothe
heroic lady, “my sacrifice shall be complete,?
leading playwrights of the season, when Lieut.
and the book goes into the fire as she falls into
Brüsewitz enters saying:"ve come for my
his arms.
Vet the same Schnitzler has evolved the
share of the royalties on Freiwild'!“."The
noble definition: Love means, to be in the
Legacy,' which appears in English in the cur¬
world for the sake of another,“ and in The
rent number of Poet-Lore, has perhaps the
Lonely Way has made his men and women
finest first act in Schnitzler’s theater.
who love for anything else than the sake of
Liebelei.“ produced in America a decade
loving and giving the followers of a life-path
since by the Progressive Stage Society and
that will always be lonely. This is a long
later by Katherine Grey, is probably Schnitz¬
ler’s best-known play, for it is not only a
way from Anatol. Indeed, with all his up-to¬
repertory piece all over Europe, but has been
date sparkle. Anatol is really behind the times;
given in England. It is his point of departure he is a fin-de-siecle product, a document from