Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Austrian poet and playwright who abandoned pure lyric poetry for drama and opera libretto. His collaborations with Richard Strauss produced Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier, among the greatest operas of the 20th century. Jedermann (Everyman) is performed annually at the Salzburg Festival.
Works
- Letter of Lord ChandosEpistle claiming language has lost communicative power and meaning
- AndreasUnfinished novel of aristocrat's journey through Venice and Greece
- The Difficult ManComic play exploring marriage and manners in Austrian society
- Death and the FoolAllegorical play about mortality and life's transitory nature
- The Rose Bearer
- JedermannMedieval morality play about everyman facing inevitable death
- ElektraOpera libretto based on Greek tragedy Sophocles' original
- Der RosenkavalierOpera libretto about aristocratic marriage and romantic complications
- The TowerPolitical play set in tower exploring power, intrigue, and redemption