From "Ausgleich" to "Jahrhundertwende": Literature and Culture 1867–1890: Introduction

Abstract

From Ausgleich toJahrhundertwende. Literature and Culture 1867-1890 Introduction DEBORAH HOLMES* Ludwig Boltzmann Institutefor the History and Theory ofBiographyyVienna Johann Strauss the younger's operetta Die Fledermaus [The Bat], nowadays a fixture of the New Year festivities inAustria, was given itsworld premiere at the Theater an der Wien on Easter Sunday 1874. The much f?ted Strauss had only recently transferred the focal point of his activities from the ballroom to the stage, and reviewers in the daily press noted that his 'electrifying' presence as conductor did much to ensure the premiere's success. The extremely dim view most of them took of the libretto, an adaptation of the French comedy Le R?veillon [MidnightSupper] by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Hal?vy, did not prevent commentators from appreciating Strauss's music; indeed, the operetta's initial reception concentrated on its toe-tapping dance numbers, and some reviewers did not expect it to outlive these: Menschenf??e sind noch dankbarer als Herzen und Dankbarkeit der F??e dr?ckt sich durch den Applaus der H?nde aus. J. Strau? wurde also lebhaft applaudirt [...]. Wir freuen uns schon heute auf das Erscheinen der drei oder vier Tanzpiecen. Sie werden diesen Sommer die Klaviere in allen Landaufenthalts-Orten beherrschen und die Erinnerung an die Operette 'Fledermaus' erwecken.1 * Iwould like to thank the following for theirhelp ingatheringmaterial and ideas for this introduction:Judith Beniston, Robert Evans,Wolfgang Maderthaner, Caitr?ona Ni Dh?ill, JenRutherford and Hannes Schweiger. 1 Anon., Theater', WienerZeitung ( WienerAbendpost),7April 1874,pp. 618-19 (p.619). Other reviews inmajor dailies include Thomas Grimm, 'Noch ein Str?u?chen von Strau?', Wiener Zeitung (Sonntagszeitung), 6 April 1874, pp. 1-2; anon., 'Im Theater an der Wien', Die Presse (Abendblatt), 7 April 1874, p. 9; w. sr., 'Vorl?ufiges ?ber die "Fledermaus"', Die Presse,8April 1874, P- 9? SP- [Ludwig Speidel], 'Theater an derWien: "Die Fledermaus", Operette von Johann Strau?', Fremden-Blatt (Morgen-Blatt), 8 April 1874, pp. 5-6; W. [Hugo Wittmann], '"Die Fledermaus'", Neue Freie Presse, 8 April 1874, pp. 1-3. The only reviewer in a major daily to praise the libretto was Dr. Theodor Helm in the Pester Lloyd, 8April 1874, P- 3' continued in theBeilage [supplement], p. 5. Austrian Studies 16 (2008), 1-18 ? Modern Humanities Research Association 2009 2 Introduction [People's feet are even more grateful than theirhearts, and gratitude of the feet is expressed through applause of thehands. As a result,J. Strauss received rapturous applause. We are already looking forward to the publication of the three or four dance numbers. They will be played over and over again on pianos in all the country holiday resorts this summer, and will remind us of theoperetta Fledermaus. ] In retrospect, Die Fledermaus has not only become a repertoire staple of the festive and carnival seasons, but also a staple in analyses of Austrian, and in particular Viennese, culture of the late nineteenth century. It has been made to represent a whole era, the Rausch [intoxication] of economic speculation in the late 1860s and early 1870s, the hangover following the Stock Market Crash of 1873 and the need for escapist entertainment. The plot's superficial and convoluted nature, so roundly condemned by the critics at the premiere, is now regularly dissected and analysed for clues, as to either the disillusionment and hedonism of the expanding middle classes, or their longing for social equality and liberal freedoms.2 In particular, the famous refrain of Alfred's and Rosalinde's duet from the Finale of Act I,Trinke, Liebchen, trinke schnell!' [Drink, sweetheart, drink quickly!]: 'Gl?cklich ist,wer vergi?t, | was doch nicht zu ?ndern ist' [Happy ishe who forgets what can no longer be changed]3 has been worked hard as a symptomatic summary of the mood of the time.4 The operetta's modern setting, with its potential for references to current affairs, is one of the main reasons cultural historians cite for its original success.5 The latter characteristic is preserved in present day productions in the speaking role of the bailiff Frosch, often given to cabaret artists, who take the opportunity to satirize contemporary Austrian politics. 2 See, for example, the use of Die...