''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (russian: Крейцерова соната, ) is a

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

, named after Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. The novella was published in 1889, and was promptly censored by the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

authorities. The work is an argument for the ideal of

sexual abstinence Sexual abstinence or sexual restraint is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of Human sexual activity, sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, financial, philosophical, moral, or religious reasons. Sexual abstin ...

and an in-depth first-person description of

jealous Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...

rage. The main character, Pozdnyshev, relates the events leading up to his killing of his wife: in his analysis, the root causes for the deed were the "animal excesses" and "swinish connection" governing the relation between the sexes.

Summary

During a train ride, Pozdnyshev overhears a conversation concerning marriage, divorce and love. When a woman argues that marriage should not be arranged but based on true

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

, he asks "what is love?" and points out that, if understood as an exclusive preference for one person, it often passes quickly. Convention dictates that two married people stay together, and initial love can quickly turn into hatred. He then relates how he used to visit prostitutes when he was young, and complains that women's dresses are designed to arouse men's desires. He further states that women will never enjoy equal rights to men as long as men view them as objects of desire, yet describes their situation as a form of power over men, mentioning how much of society is geared towards their pleasure and well-being and how much sway they have over men's actions. Pozdnyshev relates that after he meets and marries his wife, periods of passionate love and vicious fights alternate. She bears five children, and then receives

contraceptive Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

s: "The last excuse for our swinish life – children – was then taken away, and life became viler than ever." His wife takes a liking to a violinist, Troukhatchevsky, and the two perform

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's ''Kreutzer Sonata'' ( Sonata No. 9 in A Major for piano and violin, Op. 47) together. Pozdnyshev complains that some music is powerful enough to change one's internal state to a foreign one. He hides his raging jealousy and goes on a trip, thinking that the violinist was about to move away; however, he is made aware from his wife's letter that the musician has not left, and has visited her instead. Returning early, he finds Troukhatchevsky and his wife sitting at the table and kills his wife with a dagger. The violinist escapes; Pozdnyshev states "I wanted to run after him, but remembered that it is ridiculous to run after one's wife's lover in one's socks; and I did not wish to be ridiculous but terrible.". He realizes what he has done only a few days later, when he is led to his wife's funeral. He is acquitted of murder in light of his wife's apparent adultery, At the end of his tale, Pozdnyshev implores the narrator for forgiveness.

Censorship

Due to the unusual and scandalous nature of the work for that time, the publication of the Kreutzer Sonata in a magazine or in a separate publication was prohibited by censorship. Only after a conversation between Countess Alexandra Andreevna Tolstoy - Leo Tolstoy's great-aunt, the famous Alexandrine - a girl, chambermaid, tutor of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna - with Emperor Alexander III, the emperor allowed the story to be published as part of the next volume of Tolstoy's collected works. However, the censorship ban only increased the attractiveness of the story, which long before publication began to be distributed in lists and read in private homes. In 1890, the

United States Post Office Department The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, in the form of a Cabinet department, officially from 1872 to 1971. It was headed by the postmas ...

prohibited the mailing of newspapers containing serialized installments of ''The Kreutzer Sonata''. This was confirmed by the

U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

in the same year. Some American publishing houses published excerpts from the story as a separate pamphlet to advertise the story, and distributed them through street vendors in New York for a nominal price. Carts even appeared in the city, on which it was written in large letters: “Forbidden by the Russian government and the Postmaster General of the United States is Tolstoy’s best work, ''The Kreutzer Sonata''”. The ban on its sale was struck down in New York and Pennsylvania courts in 1890. President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

called Tolstoy a "sexual moral pervert."

Epilogue

In the ''Epilogue To The Kreutzer Sonata'', published in 1890, Tolstoy clarifies the intended message of the novella, writing: Countering the argument that widespread abstinence would lead to a cessation of the human race, he describes chastity as an ideal that provides guidance and direction, not as a firm rule. Writing from a position of deep religiosity (that he had explained in his ''

Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information th ...

'' in 1882), he points out that not Christ, but the Church (which he despises) instituted marriage. "The Christian's ideal is love of God and his neighbor, self-renunciation in order to serve God and his neighbour; carnal love, marriage, means serving oneself, and therefore is, in any case, a hindrance in the service of God and men". During the international celebration of Tolstoy's 80th birthday in 1908, G. K. Chesterton criticized this aspect of Tolstoy's thought in an article in the 19 September issue of ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'': "Tolstoy is not content with pitying humanity for its pains: such as poverty and prisons. He also pities humanity for its pleasures, such as music and patriotism. He weeps at the thought of hatred; but in ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' he weeps almost as much at the thought of love. He and all the humanitarians pity the joys of men." He went on to address Tolstoy directly: "What you dislike is being a man. You are at least next door to hating humanity, for you pity humanity because it is human."

Adaptations

Plays

* The novella was adapted into a Yiddish play in 1902 by Russian-Jewish playwright

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-born American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and ...

. American playwright

Langdon Mitchell Langdon Elwyn Mitchell (February 17, 1862 – October 21, 1935) was an American playwright popular on Broadway in the early twentieth century. He was the son of a noted writer and neurologist, S. Weir Mitchell (inventor of the "rest cure"), an ...

later adapted Gordin's version into English, which debuted on Broadway on September 10, 1906. * In 2007 in Wellington, New Zealand, a newly devised theatrical work, ''The Kreutzer'', was premiered, combining dance, music, theatre and multimedia projections with both pieces of music (Beethoven and Janáček) played live. Sara Brodie provided the adaptation, direction and choreography. A reworked version was presented in Auckland during March 2009 at the Auckland Arts Festival. * The novella was adapted for the stage by Darko Spasov in 2008, and produced as a one-act play in 2009 for the National Theatre in Štip, Republic of Macedonia, directed by Ljupco Bresliski, performed by Milorad Angelov. *

Laura Wade Laura Wade is an English playwright. Early life Wade was born in Bedford, Bedfordshire. She grew up in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where her father worked for a computer company. After completing her secondary education at Lady Manners School i ...

's ''Kreutzer vs. Kreutzer'' is also inspired by Tolstoy. * The novella was adapted for the stage by

Ted Dykstra Ted Dykstra is a Canadian playwright and actor. He was born in Chatham-Kent, Ontario in 1961 and grew up in St. Albert, Alberta. He is a founding member of Soulpepper Theatre Company. Writing credits include '' Two Pianos Four Hands'', '' ...

and produced as a one-act play for the Art of Time Ensemble of Toronto in 2008, and again for the

Soulpepper Theatre Soulpepper is a theater company based in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest non-profit theater in the city. History Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatrical classics. Soulpepper has sinc ...

Company in 2011. *

Nancy Harris Nancy Harris is an Irish playwright and screenwriter. She was given the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2012. Early life and education Harris is the daughter of Anne Harris (journalist), Anne and Eoghan Harris. She was educated at Trinity C ...

adapted the novella into a one-act monologue for the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a Theater (structure), theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Ge ...

in London in 2009, directed by

Natalie Abrahami Natalie Abrahami is a British theatre, film and opera director. She was Associate Director and Genesis Fellow at the Young Vic in London 2013-16 and Associate Artist at Hull Truck Theatre. From 2007–12 she was joint Artistic Director of the ...

and starring

Hilton McRae Hilton McRae (born 28 December 1949) is a Scottish actor, working in theatre, television and film. Career McRae was part of the radical theatre group 7:84 before graduating from the University of Edinburgh, and by 1977 he had joined the Royal ...

. The production was revived in 2012 at the Gate Theatre, and also at

La MaMa La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

in New York City. * The novella was adapted by

Sue Smith Sue Smith may refer to: * Sue Smith (politician) (born 1951), member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council *Sue Smith (footballer) (born 1979), English footballer *Sue Smith (trainer) (born 1948), British horse trainer *Sue Smith (writer) Sue Smi ...

for the

State Theatre Company of South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. It ...

as part of the 2013

Adelaide Festival The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...

. It was directed by Geordie Brookman and featured Renato Musolino (who stepped into the role at the last minute, as a replacement for

Barry Otto Barry Otto (born 1941) is an Australian actor, primarily of Australian cinema, cinema, and an amateur artist. Early life Barry Otto was born in Brisbane in 1941, the son of a butcher. He trained as an artist but switched to acting. Career Otto ...

, who had taken ill). * A one-act adaptation by Utah playwright Eric Samuelson was produced by

Plan-B Theatre Company Plan-B Theatre is the smallest fully professional theatre company in Salt Lake City, Utah. Plan-B develops and produces unique and socially conscious theatre created by Utah playwrights, and is a resident company at the Rose Wagner Performing A ...

and the NOVA Chamber Music Series in 2015. It ran from 18 October to 9 November at the

Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center is a three-venue arts complex in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah that is home to various performing arts organizations, such as Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation ...

in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was directed by Jerry Rapier, and featured Robert Scott Smith, Kathryn Eberle, and Jason Hardnik. Eberle and Hardnik were musicians in the

Utah Symphony The Utah Symphony is an American orchestra based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The orchestra's principal venue is Abravanel Hall. In addition to its Salt Lake City subscription concerts, the orchestra travels around the Intermountain West serving c ...

at the time.

Films

''The Kreutzer Sonata'' has been adapted for film well over a dozen times. Some of these include: *''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (1911, Russian Empire), directed by

Pyotr Chardynin Pyotr Ivanovich Chardynin (russian: Пётр Иванович Чардынин) ( – 14 August 1934) was a Russian and Soviet film director, screenwriter and actor. One of the pioneers of the film industry in the Russian Empire, Chardynin direc ...

*''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (1914, Russian Empire), directed by

Vladimir Gardin Vladimir Rostislavovich Gardin (russian: Влади́мир Ростисла́вович Га́рдин) (born Vladimir Rostislavovich Blagonravov (Благонра́вов); – 28 May 1965) was a pioneering Russian film director and actor who ...

*''

The Kreutzer Sonata ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (russian: Крейцерова соната, ) is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, named after Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven), Kreutzer Sonata. The novella was published in 1889, and was promptly censored by the Rus ...

'' (1915, USA), directed by Herbert Brenon *''Kreutzerova sonáta'' (1927, Czechoslovakia), directed by

Gustav Machatý Gustav Machatý (9 May 1901 – 13 December 1963) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed films in Czechoslovakia, USA and Germany including '' Erotikon'' and '' Ecstasy''. Life He was born Augustín Otokar Jan Mach ...

*'' Kreutzersonate'' (1937, Germany), directed by

Veit Harlan Veit Harlan (22 September 1899 – 13 April 1964) was a German film director and actor. Harlan reached the highpoint of his career as a director in the Nazi era; most notably his antisemitic film ''Jud Süß'' (1940) makes him controversial ...

*''Celos'' (Jealousy, 1946, Argentina), directed by

Mario Soffici Mario Soffici (14 May 1900 – 10 May 1977) was an Argentine film director, actor and screenwriter of the classic era. Biography A native of Florence, Soffici moved to Argentina in the 1920s and began acting in 1931 and directing in 1935 on th ...

and starring

Pedro López Lagar Pedro López Lagar (18 June 1899, in Madrid – 21 August 1977, in Buenos Aires) was a Spanish born Argentine film actor of the 1940s and 1950s. Although born in Madrid he moved to Argentina as a young man and began acting in film in 19 ...

and

Zully Moreno Zulema Esther González Borbón, better known as Zully Moreno (October 17, 1920 in Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires – December 25, 1999 in Buenos Aires), was an Argentine film actress of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940–1960). She a ...

*''

Prelude to Madness ''Prelude to Madness'' or ''Loveless Lovers'' (Italian: ''Amanti senza amore'') is a 1948 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Franciolini and starring Clara Calamai, Roldano Lupi and Jean Servais. It is inspired by the 1889 novella ''The Kreutz ...

'' (1948, Italy), directed by

Gianni Franciolini Gianni Franciolini (1 June 1910 – 1 January 1960) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 19 films between 1939 and 1959. Life and career Born in Florence, in 1929 he moved to Paris to study journalism; there he came in ...

*''La Sonate à Kreutzer'' (1956, France), short film directed by

Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...

*''Locura pasional'' (Passionate Madness, 1956, Mexico), directed by Tulio Demicheli and starring

Silvia Pinal Silvia Pinal Hidalgo (born 12 September 1931) is a Mexican actress. She began her career in the theater, venturing into cinema in 1949. Her film work and popularity in her native country led her to work in Europe (Spain and Italy). Pinal achiev ...

and

Carlos López Moctezuma Carlos López Moctezuma Pineda (19 November 1909 – 14 July 1980) was a Mexican film actor. He appeared in more than 210 films between 1938 and 1980. He starred in the film ''Happiness'', which was entered into the 7th Berlin Internationa ...

*''Kreitserova sonata'' (1969, TV, Yugoslavia) directed by Jovan Konjović *''

'' (1987, USSR), directed by

Mikhail Shveytser Mikhail (Moisei) Abramovich Schweitzer (russian: Михаил (Моисей) Абрамович Швейцер, 16 February 1920, Perm – 2 June 2000, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. People's Artist of the USSR ( ...

*''Quale amore'' (2006, Italy), directed by Maurizio Sciarra *''

'' (2008, UK), directed by Bernard Rose and starring

Elisabeth Röhm Elisabeth Röhm (, ; born April 28, 1973) is a German-American television and film actress. She is best known for playing Kate Lockley in the television series ''Angel'' from 1999 to 2001 and Serena Southerlyn in the television series ''Law & O ...

*''Sonata'' (2013, Spain), directed by Jon Ander Tomás

Music

* The novella, inspired by Beethoven's music, in turn gave rise to

Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European fol ...

's First

String Quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

. * In

Frederic Rzewski Frederic Anthony Rzewski ( ; April 13, 1938 – June 26, 2021) was an American composer and pianist, considered to be one of the most important American composer-pianists of his time. His major compositions, which often incorporate social an ...

's piece ''Marriage'' for speaking pianist the performer recites Pozdnyshev's words while playing the instrument.

Ballet

In 2000, the

Carolina Ballet Carolina Ballet is one of America’s premier arts organizations, programming traditional ballets by legendary masters and new works by contemporary choreographers. The Ballet was launched as a professional company in 1998 under the direction of F ...

, with original choreography by Robert Weiss and combining the music of Beethoven, Janáček, and J. Mark Scearce, mounted an innovative production combining dance and drama, with a narrator/actor telling the story and flashbacks leading into the ballet segments.

Painting

The novella inspired the 1901 painting ''

'' by René François Xavier Prinet, which shows a passionate kiss between the violinist and the pianist. The painting was used for years in Tabu perfume ads.

Novels

Arab Israeli author

Sayed Kashua Sayed Kashua ( ar, سيد قشوع, he, סייד קשוע; born 1975) is a Palestinian people, Palestinian author and journalist born in Tira, Israel, known for his books and humorous columns in Hebrew and English. Biography Sayed Kashua was b ...

's 2010 novel ''

Second Person Singular ''Second Person Singular'' is a 2010 novel by the Arab Israeli writer Sayed Kashua. Kashua explores the identity of Arabs who are assimilated in Israeli culture; Arabs that speak Hebrew and had their education at Israeli institutes. Plot ...

'' echoes ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' set in present-day Israel. A copy of ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' also functions as a major plot device. The Dutch author

Margriet de Moor Margaretha Maria Antonetta 'Margriet' de Moor ('' née'' Neefjes; born 1941) is a Dutch pianist and writer of novels and essays. She won the AKO Literatuurprijs for her novel ''Eerst grijs dan wit dan blauw'' (1991). Life and career Margaretha ...

wrote a book called ''Kreutzersonate'' after Janáček's string quartet, which was inspired by the novella and Beethoven.

References

External links

Complete Work Online

* Complete Text in English *
''"The Kreutzer Sonata"''
from RevoltLib *

from Marxists.org * Complete Audio in English ** * Complete Text in Russian *
Full text of ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' in the original Russian
from Ilibrary.ru

Reviews

Robert Green Ingersoll Robert Green Ingersoll (; August 11, 1833 – July 21, 1899), nicknamed "the Great Agnostic", was an American lawyer, writer, and orator during the Golden Age of Free Thought, who campaigned in defense of agnosticism. Personal life Robert Inge ...

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