New Translation of Four Masterpieces of Viennese Modernist Theater
Austrian physician turned dramatist Arthur Schnitzler, whose works were burned by the Nazis as "Jewish filth" in 1933, today endures as one of modernism's essential voices
Set against the backdrop of fin-de-siècle (end-of-the-century) Vienna, these four plays interweave themes of art, love, and identity, with Schnitzler's unique psychological and compassionate insight portraying a society on the brink of transformation.
This volume brings together four of his earliest works:
- Anatol (1892) - seven episodes in the life of a charming, self-deceiving young Viennese
- Das Märchen (1893) - a young writer confronts society's double standards about women
- Liebelei (1895) - a love affair with fatal consequences in imperial Vienna
- Freiwild (1896) - honour, cowardice, and the culture of the duel
Each play features:
- New English Translations from the Original German
- Introductions providing literary and historical context
- Critical Analyses examining themes, dramatic structure, and each play's significance within Schnitzler's development as a playwright
- Act-by-Act Notes offering commentary on cultural references
Together these four plays trace the emergence of one of European modernism's most psychologically penetrating dramatists - from the witty, melancholic episodes of Anatol to the pointed social critique of Freiwild.
