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Tele.
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Ater. besbel. Deont. Unternchmen W
Zeitungsausschnitte
akordiaplat=4.
##r-Stiallia,
Koh, Mautia, Mailand, Minneapolis,
POk, Päris, Rom, San Francisco, Stockholm, St. Peters¬
burg, Toronto.
(Quellenangabe ohne Gewähr).
Ausschnitt aus:
CAFRAuR: The Times, London
vom:
THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, THURSDAY,
WEDEKIND, SCHNITZLER, AND OTHERS.
keinen Fall hat er aber doch ein grösseres Recht darauf als der!
Geliebte st iner Frau.
IN Auzxy Särrenn ounncur; Mir Auzxy HUNDEN
In the succceding parts of the trilogy this couple lead a
GEHEzT; IN ALLEN Wasseny Gnwaschey. By
Iifo of reckless adventure, and finally exploit Loonore’s
F. WEpzkinp. (Munich; G. Müller. Im. 50 each.)
daughter Effie as a" Freudenmädchen?' for their own
SchAusriezkUNsr, EIN GrossAnlon. By F. WEnekiND.
profit. Eflie takes poison to prove her “ love?' for the
(Mfunich; G. Müller. Im.)
jaded millionaire Tschamper, who secks by this means a
new sensation! We are left to suppose that her mother
Dir Grockskon. By H. Essic. (Berlin; P. Cassirer. 3m.)
and stepfather will ultimately come to the same end. But#
Hure! Eiw Kinn ier vom HrnimEx GEFALLEy. By W.
it is impossible to take these plays as human documents.
Senmtprnonn. (Berlin; E. Fleischel. 2m.)
Their exeuse is the symbolism that is apparent to thef
Den Jurcr Mrpakpus. Dramatische Historie. By A.
wary and phiilosophical, and the strong poctical languagej
—Schairenen (Berlin; S. Fischer. 4m.)
in which they are expressed. Wedekind is indeed far more
Toung lions of German literature and journalism are wont
a poet than a dramatist. He never gets out of his own
to bring themselves into notice by little essays on the
skin, like a true dramatist, It appears to be by a sort off
problem Frank Wedekind,“ just as, not long ago, wo
accident that he selects the dramatie form; the lyries thatt
in England treated the problem of Ibsenism. Wedekind
are scattered about through his work are the fittest to
is by no means the German Ibsen. Althoughhe has neither
survive; in tliis, as in some other traits, his genius is akin'###
humour nor a sense of construction, he has certain
to somc of the lesser Elizabethans, A dramatie glossarium
characteristics of Mr. Shaw, notably a lack of sentimentality
or collection of essays chiefly inveighing against actors under
in regard to questions of sex. Moreover, one can usually
such titles as“ Im Kampf,'““ Vom Elend und Sterben#
perceive the thread of autobiography that runs through
der Deutschen Schauspielkunst, Dilettantismus,“ kc.,
his plays from first to last. He himself plays by preference
sets forth wholesome truths with the frankness of Mr.##
certain of his own röles, and it is usually considered that the
Shaw’s prefaces. It is fair to judge Wedekind from his
interest of his work is thereby enhanced. This tendency
own utterances abont himself and his art, though he himself
to provoke discussion puis him in a somewhat different
is not unrecognizable in almost every one of his dramatic,
rank fromthat in which we should otherwise be inclined to
works. He is a force to be reckoned with, though it is
place him. For it is not likely that translated Wedekind
perhaps fortunate that, so far, he has no direct imitators.
will ever be popular, at any rate in England. At first
Two younger dramatists—Schmidtbonn and Hermann
sight lie is undoubredly repellent—and worse. Wedekind
Essig—are, among others, noticcably influenced by hiss
has been compared to a person who by some freak or fault
diction. But Essig at least sccms likely to develop ong
of nature paints with his toes or his lips instead of with
his own lines, since so far he has kept well within the compass
his hands, Thus Wedekind aims at being a prophet and
of actual experience. The German peasant is as familiar
preacher of lofty“ moral?’ by writings that on the face
atigure and as much a stock subject of comedy or tragedy###
of tin. suggest rather than discourage wickedness. We
as the farmer with us is unfamiliar. Essig’s peasants do
are fain to accept this explanation the more readily that in
not diverge from the usual type, but they aro vigorously
his latest trilogy there is no dressing up of vice to look like
and strongly individualized. The lucky cow (Gückskuh) is
virtue. All ehe characters are equally detestable, and
stolen by a maiden who hopes by a show of wealth to obtain
equally (let us hope) inhuman. They are human animals,
a lover, otherwise an impossibility in the mercenary com¬
but very little more. Leonore in In allen Sätteln gerecht
munity. The whole township knows all about the theft
consents to marry the murderer of her first husband, chiefly
and is aware of her guilt, but by skilful legerde¬
(we gather) out of admiration for his colossal impudence.
main she is acquitted by the Rechstanwalt, and
Rudolf has planned an intrigue between Graf Gystrow and
leads both cow and lover triumphantly home. Thus, not
his own wife, by means of anonymous letters, in order to
virtue but cunning is rewarded, the moral being
have the excuse of a duel in whlich the Count is certain to
that of a folk-lore tale rather than of a tract, and the#
be killed. Then ho offers Leonore to share the guilty
whiole atmosphere being skilfully rendered in the same sense.
secret as his wile or to give him up t0 justico:—
We lave called attentien befere to t# #gcellent sineeritg
LEONORE. —Und auf dieses Geständnis hin soll ich Ihnen
angehören?
and workmanlike qualities of this writer. He is gaining,
too, in the technique of his art, and if ho can only have
Rüniern.—Sie sollen nicht mir gehören! Sie gehören sich
selbet! Die Ehe ist für den Menschen da, nicht dor Mensch für
patience and self-restraint cnough to work at subjects
die Ehe!
Ihr Glück, Ihre freie Entwicklung, das sind
that appeal to himself, without consideration of his
die heiligsten Ziele unseres Zusammenlebens.
possible public, he may attain to a placo among first-rate
And further—
dramatists. Schmidtbonn has already fallen from bis
LEoNoRE.—Glaubst du denn wirklich, dass die Frau ebersoviel
first estate. In Hille the baneful effect of the new
Recht zur Untreue hat, wie der Mann?
Rüblomn.—
morality is again apparent. Rebellious daughiters of one
Selbstverständlich hat der Mann ein
kind or another are plentiful everywliere nowadays. But
unvergleichlich grösseres Recht auf Untreue als die Frau, Auf
it is difficult to believethat the daughter of wealthy, though
rigid and narrow, parents like the father and mother of