Description
Book SynopsisFirst representative English collection of the Sturm und Drang writer Lenz, suited for the classroom and anyone interested in German literature, the European Enlightenment, or the theory and practice of theater. Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (1751-1792) is, after Goethe, the most important writer of the German Sturm und Drang. Crucial in the reinvention of German literature through the reception of Shakespeare, his works contain a scathing critique of the ethical, political, and sexual regimes then prevailing in German and Eastern European territories. Both aesthetically and politically, Lenz strongly influenced later German writers - most notably Georg Büchner and Bertolt Brecht. In Germany, Lenz is still widely read and performed. Given his importance and lasting reception, it is surprising that many of his texts are not available in English. While his best-known dramas have been translated, many of his essays have not, and none of his stories or poems have been. This is especially astonishing given the growth of English-language Lenz scholarship over recent decades. This volume contains new - and, in many cases, first - English translations of Lenz's most important plays, stories, essays, and poems. It is the first representative English collection of Lenz's works. Providing reliable translations of Lenz's key writings and succinct glosses of historical and literary references, this book is a valuable resource for classroom use and for anyone interested in German literature, the European Enlightenment, or the theory and practice of theater. Martin Wagner is Assistant Professor of German at the University of Calgary. Ellwood Wiggins is Assistant Professor of German at the University of Washington.
Trade Review[P]rovides a thoroughly reliable introduction to the historical Lenz and places his writing securely in the period from which it originates. English speakers owe a debt of gratitude for this substantial extension of their knowledge of the German eighteenth century . . . . -- David Hill * TRANSLATION AND LITERATURE *
Table of ContentsA Note on the Translation Introduction by the Editors PART ONE. THE PLAYS The Tutor The New Menoza The Soldiers PART TWO. STORIES The Hermit The Country Pastor PART THREE. ESSAYS Remarks on the Theater On Götz von Berlichingen Review of The New Menoza On Scene Changes in Shakespeare On the Marriages of Soldiers PART FOUR. POEMS Portrait of a Slain Man Herr Professor Kant Where Are You Now Love in the Countryside Impromptu in the Audience Just to Hang upon Her Glance Adorned with Beautiful Stones Allwill's First Spiritual Song Song Set to the German Dance Song of a Shipwrecked European Shakespeare's Ghost Pygmalion To the Spirit Chronology A Note on the Currencies in Lenz's Works Selected Bibliography
