Hans Bethge
Encyclopedia
Hans Bethge was a German
poet
whose reputation abroad rests above all on the versions of Tang dynasty
poetry
set in Gustav Mahler
's "Das Lied von der Erde
". The Max-Eyth
-Haus in Kirchheim unter Teck houses a permanent exhibit of Hans Bethge's books, photographs and other artifacts, while his manuscripts are preserved at the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
.http://www.dla-marbach.de/
and Geneva
. After graduation, he spent two years as a teacher in Spain
. In 1901 he set himself up as a freelance writer in Berlin
. In 1943, at the height of the air campaign
, he moved to the Swabia
n countryside where he spent his last years.
Hans Bethge treasured friendships as well as all that was beautiful; many writers and artists were his friends, including the poet Prince Emil von Schoenaich-Carolath, the painters Willi Geiger
and Karl Hofer
, and the art historian
Julius Meier-Gräfe, as well as other artists from the Worpswede
artist colony. The Jugendstil painter Heinrich Vogeler
illustrated three of his books, and the sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck
, an early recognizer of his genius, made several portraits http://www.yinyang-verlag.de/Bethge-Lehmbruck.gif of him.
, essay
s and plays
. He had great success as an editor of modern poetry, German and foreign. But above all, his poetic translations of oriental classics (starting in 1907) gained him wide recognition, in spite of their reliance on previous translators. The first such book, The Chinese Flute, had a printing of 100,000 copies. Gustav Mahler
used seven of its poems in "Das Lied von der Erde
". The fresh, musical rhythm of Bethge's language and his free versification inspired settings by more than 180 other composers, among them Richard Strauss
, Karol Szymanowski
, Arnold Schönberg, Anton von Webern, Hanns Eisler
, Viktor Ullmann
, Gottfried von Einem
, Ernst Krenek
, Artur Immisch, Ludvig Irgens-Jensenhttp://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9806&L=lieder-l&T=0&P=4555, Paul Graener
, Ernst Toch
, Fartein Valen
, Krzystof Penderecki, and Egon Wellesz
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
whose reputation abroad rests above all on the versions of Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
set in Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's "Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde is a large-scale work for two vocal soloists and orchestra by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler...
". The Max-Eyth
Max Eyth
Max Eyth was a German engineer and writer.He was born to Edward Eyth a teacher of Greek and history at an evangelical seminar and his wife Julie...
-Haus in Kirchheim unter Teck houses a permanent exhibit of Hans Bethge's books, photographs and other artifacts, while his manuscripts are preserved at the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
Marbach am Neckar
Marbach am Neckar is a town on the river Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The nearest larger cities are Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart ....
.http://www.dla-marbach.de/
Life
Hans Bethge studied modern languages and philosophy at the universities of Halle, ErlangenFriedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg
The Universität Erlangen Nürnberg is a university in the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. It is the second largest state university in Bavaria, having five Schools, 308 chairs, and 12,000 employees. There are 28,735 students enrolled at the university, of which about 2/3 are...
and Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
. After graduation, he spent two years as a teacher in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In 1901 he set himself up as a freelance writer in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1943, at the height of the air campaign
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
, he moved to the Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n countryside where he spent his last years.
Hans Bethge treasured friendships as well as all that was beautiful; many writers and artists were his friends, including the poet Prince Emil von Schoenaich-Carolath, the painters Willi Geiger
Willi Geiger (painter)
Willi Geiger was a German painter.The son of a teacher, Willi Geiger was born 1878 in Landshut. From 1898-99 he attended the Munich Arts and Crafts School, and later the Technical University, where he passed the state examination to teach drawing...
and Karl Hofer
Karl Höfer
Karl Höfer was a German officer. During World War I he became known as the Held vom Kemmelberge for his actions at the Kemmelberg....
, and the art historian
History of art
The History of art refers to visual art which may be defined as any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview...
Julius Meier-Gräfe, as well as other artists from the Worpswede
Worpswede
Worpswede is a municipality in the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Teufelsmoor, northeast of Bremen. The small town itself is located near the Weyerberg hill. It has been the home to a lively artistic community since the end of the 19th century, with over 130...
artist colony. The Jugendstil painter Heinrich Vogeler
Heinrich Vogeler
Heinrich Vogeler was a German painter, designer, and architect.- Biography :He was born in Bremen, and studied at the academy of arts in Düsseldorf from 1890–95...
illustrated three of his books, and the sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck
Wilhelm Lehmbruck
Wilhelm Lehmbruck was a German sculptor.- Biography :Born in Duisburg, he studied sculpture arts at the academy of arts in Düsseldorf and contributed to an exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. From 1910–1914 he lived in Paris, where he met Modigliani, Brancusi, and Archipenko...
, an early recognizer of his genius, made several portraits http://www.yinyang-verlag.de/Bethge-Lehmbruck.gif of him.
Artistic achievement
Bethge published several volumes of poems (chiefly on love and nature), diaries, travelogues, short storiesShort Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. He had great success as an editor of modern poetry, German and foreign. But above all, his poetic translations of oriental classics (starting in 1907) gained him wide recognition, in spite of their reliance on previous translators. The first such book, The Chinese Flute, had a printing of 100,000 copies. Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
used seven of its poems in "Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde
Das Lied von der Erde is a large-scale work for two vocal soloists and orchestra by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler...
". The fresh, musical rhythm of Bethge's language and his free versification inspired settings by more than 180 other composers, among them Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
, Karol Szymanowski
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
, Arnold Schönberg, Anton von Webern, Hanns Eisler
Hanns Eisler
Hanns Eisler was an Austrian composer.-Family background:Eisler was born in Leipzig where his Jewish father, Rudolf Eisler, was a professor of philosophy...
, Viktor Ullmann
Viktor Ullmann
Viktor Ullmann was a Silesia-born Austrian, later Czech composer, conductor and pianist of Jewish origin.- Biography :...
, Gottfried von Einem
Gottfried von Einem
Gottfried von Einem was an Austrian composer. He is known chiefly for his operas influenced by the music of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, as well as by jazz. He also composed pieces for piano, violin and organ.-Biography:...
, Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek was an Austrian of Czech origin and, from 1945, American composer. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including Music Here and Now , a study of Johannes Ockeghem , and Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music...
, Artur Immisch, Ludvig Irgens-Jensenhttp://listserv.uh.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9806&L=lieder-l&T=0&P=4555, Paul Graener
Paul Graener
Paul Graener was a German composer and conductor.-Biography:Graener was born in Berlin and orphaned as a young child. A boy soprano, he taught himself composition and in 1896 moved to London, where he gave private lessons and served briefly as conductor at the Haymarket Theatre...
, Ernst Toch
Ernst Toch
Ernst Toch was a composer of classical music and film scores.- Biography :Toch, born in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, into the family of a humble Jewish leather dealer when the city was at its 19th-century cultural zenith, sought throughout his life to introduce new approaches to music...
, Fartein Valen
Fartein Valen
Olav Fartein Valen was a Norwegian composer and musical theorist, notable for his work within atonal polyphonic music.-Background:...
, Krzystof Penderecki, and Egon Wellesz
Egon Wellesz
Egon Joseph Wellesz was an Austrian-born British composer, teacher and musicologist, notable particularly in the field of Byzantine music.- Life :...
.
Works
- Die stillen Inseln
- Der gelbe Kater
- Deutsche Lyrik seit Liliencron (Anthologie)
- Die Lyrik des Auslandes in neuerer Zeit (Anthologie)
- Lieder des Orients (Nachdichtungen)
- Die chinesische Flöte. Nachdichtungen chinesischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-9806799-5-0
- Pfirsichblüten aus China. Nachdichtungen chinesischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-935727-06-2
- Ägyptische Reise (Egyptian Journey)
- Die armenische Nachtigall. Nachdichtungen des Nahabet Kuchak und anderer armenischer Dichter. ISBN 3-935727-02-X
- Das türkische Liederbuch. Nachdichtungen türkischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-9806799-7-7
- Japanischer Frühling. Nachdichtungen japanischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-935727-00-3
- HafezHafezKhwāja Shamsu d-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Shīrāzī , known by his pen name Hāfez , was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry are to be found in the homes of most Iranians, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day...
- Die Lieder und Gesänge in Nachdichtungen. ISBN 3-935727-03-8 - Omar KhayyamOmar KhayyámOmar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
- Die Nachdichtungen seiner Rubai'yat. ISBN 3-935727-01-1 - Sadi der Weise. Die Verse des persischen Dichters in Nachdichtungen. ISBN 3-9806799-6-9
- Der persische Rosengarten. Nachdichtungen persischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-935727-01-1
- Die indische Harfe. Nachdichtungen indischer Lyrik. Nachdichtungen orientalischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-9806799-8-5
- Arabische Nächte. Nachdichtungen arabischer Lyrik. ISBN 3-935727-05-4
- Der asiatische Liebestempel. Nachdichtungen der Liebeslieder der Völker Mittelasiens. ISBN 3-935727-04-6
- `` Die Courtisane Jamaica (Novellen) (Karlsruhe, Dreililien-Verlag, 1911, 1. Ausgabe 157 S., Deckelillustration v. Karl Walser, 1000 Ex.) (Davon auch eine Vorzugsausgabe in Ganzpergament mit Kopfgoldschnitt in Kassette mit farbigen montierten Deckelillustrationen v. Karl Walser, nummeriert 15 Ex. auf van Geldern Bütten) (erschien Berlin, Gyldendalscher Verlag, 1922. 2. - 4. Tausend, bei Morawe & Scheffelt und Universitas Deutsche Verlags AG Berlin
External links