(, ; usually translated as "storm and stress") was a proto-
Romantic movement in
German literature
German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
and
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
that occurred between the late 1760s and early 1780s. Within the movement, individual
subjectivity
The distinction between subjectivity and objectivity is a basic idea of philosophy, particularly epistemology and metaphysics. Various understandings of this distinction have evolved through the work of countless philosophers over centuries. One b ...
and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism imposed by the
Enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
and associated
aesthetic
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...
movements. The period is named after
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (17 February 1752 – 9 March 1831) was a German dramatist and novelist. His play ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang vo ...
's
play of the same name, which was first performed by
Abel Seyler
Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the dev ...
's
famed theatrical company in 1777. Seyler's son-in-law
Johann Anton Leisewitz wrote the early and quintessential ''Sturm und Drang'' play, ''
Julius of Taranto'', with its theme of the conflict between two brothers and the woman loved by both.
Significant figures were
Johann Anton Leisewitz,
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (; ; 23 January 1751 ( OS 12 January 1750) – 4 June 1792 .S. 24 May 1792 was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Life
Lenz was born in Seßwegen (Cesvaine), Governorate of Livonia, Russia ...
,
H. L. Wagner,
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (17 February 1752 – 9 March 1831) was a German dramatist and novelist. His play ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang vo ...
, and
Johann Georg Hamann
Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leading figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G ...
.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
and
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
were notable proponents of the movement early in their lives, although they ended their period of association with it by initiating what would become
Weimar Classicism
Weimar Classicism () was a German literary and cultural movement, whose practitioners established a new humanism from the synthesis of ideas from Romanticism, Classicism, and the Age of Enlightenment. It was named after the city of Weimar in th ...
.
History
Counter-Enlightenment
French neoclassicism (including
French neoclassical theatre
An overview of the history of theatre of France.
Middle Ages
Discussions about the origins of non-religious theatre ("théâtre profane") — both drama and farce — in the Middle Ages remain controversial, but the idea of a continuous popular ...
), a movement beginning in the early
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
, with its emphasis on the
rational
Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reason. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do, or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an ...
, was the principal target of rebellion for adherents of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement. For them, sentimentality and an
objective
Objective may refer to:
* Objectivity, the quality of being confirmed independently of a mind.
* Objective (optics), an element in a camera or microscope
* ''The Objective'', a 2008 science fiction horror film
* Objective pronoun, a personal pron ...
view of life gave way to emotional turbulence and individuality, and Age of Enlightenment ideals such as
rationalism
In philosophy, rationalism is the Epistemology, epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to ot ...
,
empiricism
In philosophy, empiricism is an epistemological view which holds that true knowledge or justification comes only or primarily from sensory experience and empirical evidence. It is one of several competing views within epistemology, along ...
, and
universalism
Universalism is the philosophical and theological concept within Christianity that some ideas have universal application or applicability.
A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is se ...
no longer captured the human condition; emotional extremes and subjectivity became the vogue during the late 18th century.
Etymology

The phrase first appeared as the title of
a play by
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (17 February 1752 – 9 March 1831) was a German dramatist and novelist. His play ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang vo ...
, written for
Abel Seyler
Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the dev ...
's ''
Seylersche Schauspiel-Gesellschaft
The Seyler Theatre Company, also known as the Seyler Company (German: ''Seylersche Schauspiel-Gesellschaft'', sometimes ''Seylersche Truppe''), was a travelling theatrical company founded in 1769 by Abel Seyler. It was one of the most famous and ...
'' and published in 1776. The setting of the play is the unfolding
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, in which the author gives violent expression to difficult emotions and extols individuality and subjectivity over the prevailing order of rationalism. Though it is argued that literature and music associated with predate this seminal work, it was from this point that German artists became distinctly self-conscious of a new aesthetic. This seemingly spontaneous movement became associated with a wide array of German authors and composers of the mid-to-late
Classical period.
came to be associated with literature or music aimed at shocking the audience or imbuing them with extremes of emotion. The movement soon gave way to
Weimar Classicism
Weimar Classicism () was a German literary and cultural movement, whose practitioners established a new humanism from the synthesis of ideas from Romanticism, Classicism, and the Age of Enlightenment. It was named after the city of Weimar in th ...
and early
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
, whereupon a
socio-political
Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...
concern for greater human freedom from despotism was incorporated along with a religious treatment of all things natural.
There is much debate regarding whose work should or should not be included in the canon of . One point of view would limit the movement to
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
,
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He wa ...
,
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (; ; 23 January 1751 ( OS 12 January 1750) – 4 June 1792 .S. 24 May 1792 was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Life
Lenz was born in Seßwegen (Cesvaine), Governorate of Livonia, Russia ...
, and their direct German associates writing works of fiction and/or philosophy between 1770 and the early 1780s. The alternative perspective is that of a literary movement inextricably linked to simultaneous developments in prose, poetry, and drama, extending its direct influence throughout the German-speaking lands until the end of the 18th century. Nevertheless, the originators of the movement came to view it as a time of premature exuberance that was then abandoned in favor of often conflicting artistic pursuits.
Related aesthetic and philosophical movements
As a precursor to , the
literary topos
In classical Greek rhetoric, topos, ''pl.'' topoi, (from "place", elliptical for ''tópos koinós'', 'common place'), in Latin ''locus'' (from ''locus communis''), refers to a method for developing arguments (see ''topoi'' in classical rhetor ...
of the existed among dramatists beginning with
F.M. Klinger. Its expression is seen in the radical degree to which
individuality
An individual is one that exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of living as an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) as a person unique from other people and possessing one's own needs or g ...
need appeal to no outside authority save the self nor be tempered by
rationalism
In philosophy, rationalism is the Epistemology, epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to ot ...
. These
ideals are identical to those of , and it can be argued that the later name exists to catalog a number of parallel, co-influential movements in
German literature
German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
rather than express anything substantially different from what German dramatists were achieving in the violent plays attributed to the Kraftmensch movement.
Major philosophical/theoretical influences on the literary ''Sturm und Drang'' movement were
Johann Georg Hamann
Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leading figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G ...
(especially the 1762 text ''Aesthetica in nuce. Eine Rhapsodie in kabbalistischer Prose'') and
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He wa ...
, both from Königsberg, and both formerly in contact with
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works ...
. Significant theoretical statements of ''Sturm und Drang'' aesthetics by the movement's central dramatists themselves include Lenz' ''Anmerkungen übers Theater'' and Goethe's ''Von deutscher Baukunst'' and ''Zum Schäkespears Tag'' (''sic''). The most important contemporary document was the 1773 volume ''Von deutscher Art und Kunst. Einige fliegende Blätter'', a collection of essays that included commentaries by Herder on Ossian and Shakespeare, along with contributions by Goethe,
Paolo Frisi
Paolo Frisi (13 April 1728 – 22 November 1784) was an Italian priest, mathematician and astronomer.
Biography
Frisi was born in Melegnano in 1728; his sibling Antonio Francesco, born in 1735, went on to be a historian. Frisi was educate ...
(in translation from the Italian), and
Justus Möser
Justus Möser (14 December 1720 – 8 January 1794) was a German jurist, social theorist, and conservative commentator best known for his innovative history of Osnabrück which stressed social and cultural themes. Möser is generally seen as t ...
.
In literature
Characteristics
The
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
in a typical ''Sturm und Drang'' stage work,
poem
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
, or
novel
A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
is driven to action—often violent action—not by pursuit of noble means nor by true motives, but by
revenge
Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
and greed.
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's unfinished ''
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
'' exemplifies this along with the common ambiguity provided by juxtaposing
humanistic
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
platitudes with outbursts of irrationality. The literature of ''Sturm und Drang'' features an anti-
aristocrat
The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...
ic slant while seeking to elevate all things humble, natural, or intensely real (especially whatever is painful, tormenting, or frightening).
The story of hopeless love and eventual suicide presented in
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's
sentimental novel
The sentimental novel or the novel of sensibility is an 18th- and 19th-century literary genre which presents and celebrates the concepts of sentiment, sentimentalism, and sensibility. Sentimentalism, which is to be distinguished from sensi ...
''
Die Leiden des jungen Werthers'' (1774) is an example of the author's tempered introspection regarding his love and torment.
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
's drama, ''
Die Räuber
''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first dramatic play by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim and was inspired by Leisewitz's earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It was wr ...
'' (1781), provided the groundwork for
melodrama
A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
to become a recognized dramatic form. The plot portrays a conflict between two aristocratic brothers, Franz and Karl Moor. Franz is cast as a villain attempting to cheat Karl out of his inheritance, though the motives for his action are complex and initiate a thorough investigation of good and evil. Both of these works are seminal examples of ''Sturm und Drang'' in
German literature
German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
.
The absence or exclusion of women writers from accounts of ''Sturm und Drang'' can be taken as a consequence of the movement's and the period's masculinist ethos or as a failure of more recent literary criticism to engage with literary works by women—such as
Marianne Ehrmann—that might merit inclusion.
Notable literary works
*
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
(1749–1832):
** ''Zum Shakespears Tag'' (1771)
** ''Sesenheimer Lieder'' (1770–1771)
** ''
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
'' (1772–1774)
** ''
Götz von Berlichingen
zu Hornberg (, ; 15 November 1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand (German language, German: Eisenfaust), was a 16th-century Germany, German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary and poet. He wa ...
'' (1773)
** ''Clavigo'' (1774)
** ''
Die Leiden des jungen Werthers'' (1774)
** ''Mahomets Gesang'' (1774)
** ''Adler und Taube'' (1774)
** ''An Schwager Kronos'' (1774)
** ''Gedichte der Straßburger und Frankfurter Zeit'' (1775)
** ''Stella. Ein Schauspiel für Liebende'' (1776)
** ''Die Geschwister'' (1776)
*
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
(1759–1805):
** ''
Die Räuber
''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first dramatic play by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim and was inspired by Leisewitz's earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It was wr ...
'' (1781)
** ''
Die Verschwörung des Fiesko zu Genua
''Fiesco'' (full title – ''Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua'', or ''Fiesco's Conspiracy at Genoa'') is the second full-length drama written by the German playwright Friedrich Schiller. It is a republican tragedy based on the historical co ...
'' (1783)
** ''
Kabale und Liebe
''Intrigue and Love'', sometimes ''Love and Intrigue'', ''Love and Politics'', or ''Luise Miller'' (, ; literally "''Cabal and Love''") is a five-act play written by the German dramatist Friedrich Schiller. His third play, it was first performed ...
'' (1784)
** ''
An die Freude'' (1785)
*
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (; ; 23 January 1751 ( OS 12 January 1750) – 4 June 1792 .S. 24 May 1792 was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Life
Lenz was born in Seßwegen (Cesvaine), Governorate of Livonia, Russia ...
(1751–1792)
** ''Anmerkung über das Theater nebst angehängtem übersetzten Stück Shakespeares'' (1774)
** ''Der Hofmeister oder Vorteile der Privaterziehung'' (1774)
** ''Lustspiele nach dem Plautus fürs deutsche Theater'' (1774)
**
''Die Soldaten'' (1776)
*
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (17 February 1752 – 9 March 1831) was a German dramatist and novelist. His play ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang vo ...
(1752–1831):
** ''Das leidende Weib'' (1775)
** ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776)
** ''Die Zwillinge'' (1776)
** ''Simsone Grisaldo'' (1776)
*
Gottfried August Bürger
Gottfried August Bürger (31 December 1747 – 8 June 1794) was a German poet. His ballads were very popular in Germany. His most noted ballad, ''Lenore (ballad), Lenore'', found an audience beyond readers of the German language in an English l ...
(1747–1794):
** ''
Lenore'' (1773)
** ''Gedichte'' (1778)
** ''Wunderbare Reisen zu Wasser und zu Lande, Feldzüge und lustige Abenteuer des Freiherren von Münchhausen'' (1786)
*
Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg
Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg (3 January 1737 – 1 November 1823) was a German poet and critic.
Gerstenberg was born in Tønder, Denmark. After attending school in Husum and at the Christianeum Hamburg, and studying law at the Universi ...
(1737–1823):
** ''Gedichte eines Skalden'' (1766)
** ''Briefe über Merkwürdigkeiten der Literatur'' (1766–67)
** ''Ugolino'' (1768)
*
Johann Georg Hamann
Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leading figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G ...
(1730–1788):
** ''Sokratische Denkwürdigkeiten für die lange Weile des Publikums zusammengetragen von einem Liebhaber der langen Weile'' (1759)
** ''Kreuzzüge des Philologen'' (1762)
*
Johann Jakob Wilhelm Heinse (1746–1803):
** ''Ardinghello und die glückseligen Inseln'' (1787)
*
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He wa ...
(1744–1803):
** ''Fragmente über die neuere deutsche Literatur'' (1767–1768)
** ''Kritische Wälder oder Betrachtungen, die Wissenschaft und Kunst des Schönen betreffend, nach Maßgabe neuerer Schriften'' (1769)
** ''Journal meiner Reise im Jahre'' (1769)
** ''Abhandlung über den Ursprung der Sprache'' (1770)
** ''Von deutscher Art und Kunst, einige fliegende Blätter'' (1773)
** ''Volkslieder'' (1778–79)
** ''Vom Geist der Hebräischen Poesie'' (1782–1783)
** ''Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit'' (1784–1791)
In music
The
Classical period music (1750–1800) associated with ''Sturm und Drang'' is predominantly written in a
minor key
In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in Western classical music, jazz music, art music, and pop music.
A particular key features a '' tonic (main) note'' and it ...
to convey difficult or depressing sentiments. The principal
themes tend to be angular, with large leaps and unpredictable
melodic
A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term c ...
contours.
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
s and
dynamics change rapidly and unpredictably in order to reflect strong changes of emotion. Pulsing
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular r ...
s and
syncopation
In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
are common, as are racing lines in the
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
or
alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
registers. Writing for string instruments features
tremolo
In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are multiple types of tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note, an alternation between two different notes, or a variation in volume.
Tremolos may be either ''measured'' ...
and sudden, dramatic dynamic changes and accents.
History
Musical theater
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, moveme ...
became the meeting place of the literary and musical strands of ''Sturm und Drang'', with the aim of increasing emotional expression in
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
. The obligato recitative is a prime example. Here, orchestral accompaniment provides an intense underlay of vivid tone-painting to the solo
recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name recitativo () is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines ...
.
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; ; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of th ...
's 1761 ballet, ''
Don Juan
Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women.
The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...
'', heralded the emergence of ''Sturm und Drang'' in music; the program notes explicitly indicated that the D minor finale was to evoke fear in the listener.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...
's 1762 play, ''
Pygmalion'' (first performed in 1770) is a similarly important bridge in its use of underlying
instrumental music
An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer t ...
to convey the mood of the spoken
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
. The first example of
melodrama
A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
, ''Pygmalion'' influenced
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
and other important German literary figures.
Nevertheless, relative to the influence of ''Sturm und Drang'' on literature, the influence on
musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an Originality, original piece or work of music, either Human voice, vocal or Musical instrument, instrumental, the musical form, structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new pie ...
was limited, and many efforts to label music as conforming to this trend are tenuous at best.
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, the center of German/Austrian music, was a cosmopolitan city with an international culture; therefore, melodically innovative and expressive works in minor keys by
Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
or
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
from this period should generally be considered first in the broader context of musical developments taking place throughout Europe. The clearest musical connections to the self-styled ''Sturm und Drang'' movement can be found in
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
and the early predecessors of
program music
Program music or programmatic music is a type of instrumental art music that attempts to musically render an extramusical narrative. The narrative itself might be offered to the audience through the piece's title, or in the form of program not ...
, such as Haydn's
''Farewell'' Symphony.
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
,
Weber, and even
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
have elements of ''Sturm und Drang.''
Haydn
A ''Sturm und Drang'' period is often attributed to the works of the Austrian composer
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
from the late 1760s to early 1770s. Works during this period often feature a newly impassioned or agitated element; however, Haydn never mentions ''Sturm und Drang'' as a motivation for his new compositional style, and there remains an overarching adherence to classical form and motivic unity. Though Haydn may not have been consciously affirming the anti-rational ideals of ''Sturm und Drang'', one can certainly perceive the influence of contemporary trends in
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
on his instrumental works during this period.
Mozart
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's
Symphony No. 25 (the "Little" G-minor symphony, 1773) is one of only two minor-key symphonies by the composer. Beyond the atypical key, the symphony features rhythmic syncopation along with the jagged themes associated with ''Sturm und Drang''. More interesting is the emancipation of the
wind instruments
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch ...
in this piece, with the violins yielding to colorful bursts from the oboe and flute. However, it is likely the influence of numerous minor-key works by the Czech composer
Johann Baptist Wanhal
Johann Baptist Wanhal (12 May 1739 – 20 August 1813) was a Czech composer of the Classical period. He was born in Nechanice, Bohemia, and died in Vienna. His music was well respected by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beetho ...
(a Viennese contemporary and acquaintance of Mozart), rather than a self-conscious adherence to a German literary movement, which is responsible for the harmonic and melodic experiments in the Symphony no. 25.
Notable composers and works
*
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque and Classical period. He was the fifth ch ...
**Symphonies, keyboard concertos and sonatas including Symphony in E minor Wq. 178 (1757–62)
*
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a German composer of the Classical era, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his early musical training from his father, and later from his half-brother, Carl ...
**
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...
in G minor Op. 6 No. 6
*
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (21 June 1732 – 26 January 1795) was a German composer and harpsichordist, the fifth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, sometimes referred to as the "Bückeburg Bach".
Born in Leipzig in the Electorate of Saxony, he w ...
**
Oratorio
An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble.
Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
''Die Auferweckung des Lazarus''
**
Cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
''Cassandra''
*
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (22 November 17101 July 1784) was a German composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was the second child and eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. Despite his acknowledged genius as an improviser ...
**Adagio und Fuge in D minor Falk 65
*
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
**
Symphony No. 39 in G minor (1767)
**
Symphony No. 49 in F minor ''La Passione'' (1768)
**
Symphony No. 26 in D minor ''Lamentatione'' (1769)
**
Symphony No. 52 in C minor (1771)
**
Symphony No. 44 in E minor ''Trauer'' (''Mourning'') (1772)
**
Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor ''Farewell'' (1772)
**String Quartet No. 11 in D minor, Op. 9 No. 4 (1769)
**String Quartet No. 19 in C minor, Op. 17 No. 4 (1771)
**String Quartet No. 23 in F minor, Op. 20 No. 5 (1772)
**String Quartet No. 26 in G minor, Op. 20 No. 3 (1772)
**Piano Sonata Hob. XVI/47 in E minor (1765-67)
**
Piano Sonata Hob. XVI/20 in C minor (1771)
**Piano Sonata Hob. XVI/44 in G minor (1771-73)
**Piano Sonata Hob. XVI/32 in B minor (1774-76)
*
Joseph Martin Kraus
Joseph Martin Kraus (20 June 1756 – 15 December 1792), was a German-Swedish composer in the Classical era who was born in Miltenberg am Main, Holy Roman Empire. He moved to Sweden at age 21, and died at the age of 36 in Stockholm. He has been ...
**Symphony in C minor ''Symphonie funebre''
**Symphony in C-sharp minor
*
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
**
Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183 (1773)
**String Quartet No. 13 in D minor, K. 173 (1773)
**
Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 (1778)
**
Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310 (1778)
*
Johann Gottfried Müthel
**Works for keyboard
*
Johann Baptist Wanhal
Johann Baptist Wanhal (12 May 1739 – 20 August 1813) was a Czech composer of the Classical period. He was born in Nechanice, Bohemia, and died in Vienna. His music was well respected by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beetho ...
**Symphony in D minor (Bryan d1)
**Symphony in G minor (Bryan g1)
**Symphony in A minor (Bryan a2)
**Symphony in E minor (Bryan e1)
*
Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
**Works for keyboard
In visual art
The parallel movement in the visual arts can be witnessed in paintings of storms and shipwrecks showing the terror and irrational destruction wrought by nature. These pre-
romantic works were fashionable in Germany from the 1760s on through the 1780s, illustrating a public audience for emotionally provocative artwork. Additionally, disturbing visions and portrayals of
nightmares
A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations o ...
were gaining an audience in Germany as evidenced by
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's possession and admiration of paintings by
Fuseli capable of "giving the viewer a good fright." Notable artists included
Joseph Vernet
Claude-Joseph Vernet (; 14 August 17143 December 1789) was a French painter. His son, Carle Vernet, was also a painter.
Life and work
Vernet was born in Avignon. When only fourteen years of age he aided his father, Antoine Vernet (1689–1753) ...
,
Caspar Wolf,
Philip James de Loutherbourg
Philip James de Loutherbourg, RA (born Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg; 31 October 174011 March 1812) was a French-born British painter who became known for his large naval works, his elaborate set designs for London theatres, and his invent ...
, and
Henry Fuseli
Henry Fuseli ( ; ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain.
Many of his successful works depict supernatural experiences, such as '' The Nightmare''. He pr ...
.
In theatre
The ''Sturm und Drang'' movement did not last long; according to Betty Waterhouse it began in 1771 and ended in 1778 (Waterhouse v). The rise of the middle class in the 18th century led to a change in the way society and social standings were looked at. Dramatists and writers saw the stage as a venue for critique and discussion of societal issues. French writer
Louis-Sébastien Mercier
Louis-Sébastien Mercier (6 June 1740 – 25 April 1814) was a French dramatist and writer, whose 1771 novel '' L'An 2440'' is an example of proto-science fiction.
Early life and education
He was born in Paris to a humble family: his father was ...
suggested that drama be used to promote political ideas, a concept that would develop many years later. After the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, which ended in 1763, German spirit was extremely high and Germans felt a sense of importance on a grander stage. The aristocracy gained power as the ruling class, furthering the divide and increasing tensions between the classes (Liedner viii). With these new ideals came the sense that a new form of art capable of dethroning the extremely popular French neoclassicism was needed.
Johann Georg Hamann
Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leading figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G ...
, a noted German philosopher and a major promoter of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement, “defended the native culture of the
Volk
The German noun ''Volk'' () translates to :wikt:people, people,
both uncountable in the sense of ''people'' as in a crowd, and countable (plural ''Völker'') in the sense of ''People, a people'' as in an ethnic group or nation (compare the E ...
and maintained that language, the root of all our experience, was richer in images and more powerful prior to the ‘
abstract’ eighteenth century” (Liedner viii). Germany did not have a common state entity; instead, the nation was broken into hundreds of small states. The ''Sturm und Drang'' movement was a reaction to this lack of political unity for the German people and often dealt with the idea of living life on a smaller scale and the desire to become a part of something bigger.
The ''Sturm und Drang'' movement also paid a lot of attention to the language of a piece of literature. It is no wonder that
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, with his brilliant use of language, originality with complex plot lines and subplots, and multifaceted characters from all social classes, was seen as a model for German writers (Wilson and Goldfarb 287). Many writers of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement considered themselves to be challengers of the Enlightenment. However, the movement is actually a continuation of the
Enlightenment
Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to:
Age of Enlightenment
* Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
. Many ''Sturm und Drang'' plays showed interest in how society affects the individual, a common theme in many Enlightenment plays as well. However, ''Sturm und Drang'' “makes its own distinctive contribution to 18th-century culture, bringing attention to the power of the environment as well as to the contradictory and self-defeating attitudes present in every segment of society” (Liedner ix). Far before its time, the divergent style of ''Sturm und Drang'' shrewdly explored depression and violence with an open plot structure (Liedner ix). The ''Sturm und Drang'' movement rebelled against all the rules of neoclassicism and the enlightenment, first recognized
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
as a “genius” of
dramaturgy
Dramaturgy is the study of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. The role of a dramaturg in the field of modern dramaturgy is to help realize the multifaceted world of the play for a production u ...
, and provided the foundation for 19th-century
romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
. Writers such as
Heinrich Leopold Wagner
Heinrich Leopold Wagner (19 February 1747 – 4 March 1779) was a German dramatist of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Wagner was born in Strasbourg as the eldest son of a merchant. After his school years in Strasbourg, he studied Law. In 1773 ...
,
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
,
Lenz,
Klinger, and
Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
used episodic structure, violence, and mixed genres to comment on societal rules and morals, while doubting that anything would change. The ''Sturm und Drang'' movement was brief, but it set a fire that still burns intensely today.
Six main playwrights initiated and popularized the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement: Leisewitz, Wagner, Goethe, Lenz, Klinger, and Schiller. The theatre director
Abel Seyler
Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the dev ...
, the owner of the
Seylersche Schauspiel-Gesellschaft
The Seyler Theatre Company, also known as the Seyler Company (German: ''Seylersche Schauspiel-Gesellschaft'', sometimes ''Seylersche Truppe''), was a travelling theatrical company founded in 1769 by Abel Seyler. It was one of the most famous and ...
, had an important role in promoting the ''Sturm und Drang'' poets.
Johann Anton Leisewitz
Johann Anton Leisewitz was born in Hanover in 1752 and studied law. He is remembered for his single complete play, ''
Julius of Taranto'' (1776), which is considered the forerunner of Schiller's work ''
The Robbers
''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first dramatic play by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim and was inspired by Leisewitz's earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It was wr ...
'' (1781).
Johann Anton Leisewitz
, ''Encyclopædia Britannica
The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
'' He was married to Sophie Seyler, the daughter of theatre director Abel Seyler
Abel Seyler (23 August 1730, Liestal – 25 April 1800, Rellingen) was a Swiss-born theatre director and former merchant banker, who was regarded as one of the great theatre principals of 18th century Europe. He played a pivotal role in the dev ...
.
Wagner
Heinrich Leopold Wagner
Heinrich Leopold Wagner (19 February 1747 – 4 March 1779) was a German dramatist of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Wagner was born in Strasbourg as the eldest son of a merchant. After his school years in Strasbourg, he studied Law. In 1773 ...
was born in Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
on February 19, 1747. He studied law and was a member of the literary group surrounding Johann Daniel Salzmann. He was a dramatist, producer, translator, and lawyer for the traveling Abel Seyler theatre company. Wagner was best known for his two plays, ''Die Reue nach der Tat'' (“The Remorse After the Deed”) in 1775 and ''Die Kindermorderin'' (“The Childmurderess”) in 1776. Child murder
Pedicide, also known as child murder, child manslaughter or child homicide, is the homicide of an individual who is a Age of majority, minor. In many legal jurisdictions, it is considered an Aggravation (law), aggravated form of homicide. The a ...
was a very popular topic in the 18th century and all of the major ''Sturm und Drang'' writers used it as a subject in their writings (Waterhouse 97). ''Die Kindermorderin'' was one of the most traditional plays of the ''Sturm und Drang''. Although sharing aspects of neoclassical plays, such as a fairly simple plot and very few changes in the setting, it breaks away from the neoclassical idea that the protagonist must be of noble descent. Instead, this play shows how the aristocracy disrupts the lives of middle class characters (Liedner xii). This play also uses a vast array of colorful language to demonstrate the variety of characters and their social statuses. Another common theme seen in ''Die Kindermorderin'' is the idea of society hindering change. Groningseck, a lieutenant, seems to be willing to look past social norms and break down walls between the classes, but a fellow officer, Hasenpoth, betrays him (Liedner xii).
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
was born in August 1749, in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. He wrote his first important play, Götz von Berlichingen
zu Hornberg (, ; 15 November 1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand (German language, German: Eisenfaust), was a 16th-century Germany, German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary and poet. He wa ...
in 1773, in Shakespearean style, a defining characteristic of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement (Wilson and Goldfarb 287). Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
was considered a genius among German playwrights, and was idolized for his “shattering of the dramatic unities of time, place and action; and his sharply individualized, emotionally complex characters” (Waterhouse v). Goethe was well known for his staging as well as his long dramatic poem Faust (Goethe's Faust
''Faust'' ( , ) is a tragedy, tragic Play (theatre), play in two parts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, usually known in English as ''Faust, Part One'' and ''Faust, Part Two''. Nearly all of Part One and the majority of Part Two are written in rh ...
) (Wilson and Goldfarb 287). Goethe was the director of theatre at the Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...
Theatre where he eventually ran the entire company. He went to Italy for two years to collect himself and while there discovered the beauty of the Greek and Roman ruins. After this trip he returned with interest in classical ideas and writing, and a new form of writing emerged called Weimar Classicism
Weimar Classicism () was a German literary and cultural movement, whose practitioners established a new humanism from the synthesis of ideas from Romanticism, Classicism, and the Age of Enlightenment. It was named after the city of Weimar in th ...
.
Lenz
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (; ; 23 January 1751 ( OS 12 January 1750) – 4 June 1792 .S. 24 May 1792 was a Baltic German writer of the ''Sturm und Drang'' movement.
Life
Lenz was born in Seßwegen (Cesvaine), Governorate of Livonia, Russia ...
was born in Sesswegen, now Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
, on the January 23, 1751. He studied theology and philosophy at the University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg () was the university of Königsberg in Duchy of Prussia, which was a fief of Poland. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant Reformation, Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke A ...
. His first poem, Die Landplagen (“Torments of the Land”), emerged in 1769. He went on to write “Notes on the Theatre”, The New Menoza and Der Hofmeister (“The Tutor”) in 1774, Pandemonium Germanicum in 1775, and Die Soldaten (“The Soldiers”) in 1776 (Liedner xi). Lenz took Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
’s popular idea of plot being more important than character and reversed it, as well as reclassified the distinctions between comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
and tragedy
A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...
. In Lenz’s works, tragedies feature characters that make decisions that cause events, and in comedies a resolute milieu pushes and pulls the character through events (Liedner xi). The Soldiers is most likely Lenz’s most distinct example of ''Sturm und Drang'' literature. It centers on an idea of degradation of civilians by soldiers, but more specifically the seduction and abuse of young women by soldiers. Illustrating an undesirable, conflicted character with no power over her situation who does whatever she can to get through her current state, The Soldiers displays a “well-observed world where one’s identity is fluid – and hopelessly entangled in the social and linguistic environment” (Liedner xi). This idea of feeling unable to change one's situation is typical of many ''Sturm und Drang'' plays. Lenz's use of reserved dialogue, open form, violence, and a combination of comedy and tragedy precursors the works of contemporary authors such as Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...
and Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...
(Waterhouse v).
Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (17 February 1752 – 9 March 1831) was a German dramatist and novelist. His play ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776) gave its name to the Sturm und Drang artistic epoch. He was a childhood friend of Johann Wolfgang vo ...
was born in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
on February 17, 1752. He was born into a humble family and struggled financially after the death of his father. He studied law at Giessen
Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the Germany, German States of Germany, state () of Hesse, capital of both the Giessen (district), district of Giessen and the Giessen (region), administrative region of Giessen. The population is appro ...
with the financial help of Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
’s family. He also worked with the Abel Seyler troupe for a year and a half (Pascal 132). Although famous for his ''Sturm und Drang'' style plays, many of his earlier plays were very classical in style. Some of Klinger’s works include Die Zwillinge (1776), Die neue Arria (1776), Simsone Grisaldo (1776), and Stilpo und seine Kinder (1780). Klinger’s most famous play, ''Sturm und Drang'' (1776), is the seminal piece of literature associated with the ''Sturm und Drang'' epoch. Strangely, the play is set in revolutionary America, not Germany. We see allusions to Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
’s Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
through the feuds of the households, as well as All's Well That Ends Well
''All's Well That Ends Well'' is a play by William Shakespeare, published in the First Folio in 1623, where it is listed among the comedies. There is a debate about the date of its composition, with possible dates ranging from 1598 to 1608. ...
in some of the character’s names (Liedner xiii). Klinger utilized a defining characteristic of ''Sturm und Drang'' when he mixed aspects of comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
and tragedy
A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...
throughout the play, stating “ the deepest tragic emotion continually alternates with laughter and joviality" (Liedner xiii).
Schiller
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
was born in Marbach on November 10, 1759. He studied medicine at Karlsschule Stuttgart, a prestigious military academy founded by the Duke of Württemberg
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...
. He developed a strong relationship with Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
, one of the most influential writers of the time (Wilson and Goldfarb 287). They were particularly interested in questions concerning aesthetics
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
. This relationship led to an epoch known as Weimar Classicism
Weimar Classicism () was a German literary and cultural movement, whose practitioners established a new humanism from the synthesis of ideas from Romanticism, Classicism, and the Age of Enlightenment. It was named after the city of Weimar in th ...
, a style that integrates classical, romantic and Enlightenment ideals (Leidner xiv). Following Schiller's plays ''Die Räuber
''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first dramatic play by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim and was inspired by Leisewitz's earlier play '' Julius of Taranto''. It was wr ...
'' ("The Robbers") and ''Kabale und Liebe
''Intrigue and Love'', sometimes ''Love and Intrigue'', ''Love and Politics'', or ''Luise Miller'' (, ; literally "''Cabal and Love''") is a five-act play written by the German dramatist Friedrich Schiller. His third play, it was first performed ...
'' ("Intrigue and Love"), he went on to become a major poet as well as to write famous essays and Weimar Classical drama (Leidner xiv). ''Die Räuber'' tells the story of two brothers, the younger of which is infuriated by how society favors the first-born child and he acts on his feelings without any regard to societal rules or social standing. In act five, his views on God “represent the most blasphemous attack on religion in German literature up to that time… ndis a masterful work of social dynamics that takes deep German patterns of sensibility into account” (Leidner xiv).
See also
*Antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
*Jena Romanticism
Jena Romanticism (), also the Jena Romantics or Early Romanticism (''Frühromantik''), is the first phase of Romanticism in German literature represented by the work of a group centred in Jena from about 1798 to 1804. The movement is considered to ...
*Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...
—his opinions influenced the theatre practitioners who began the movement of ''Sturm und Drang''
Notes
References
*Baldick, Chris. (1990) ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms''. Oxford: Oxford University.
*Brown, A. Peter. (Spring, 1992). ''The Journal of Musicology'', Vol. 10, No. 2. pp. 192–230.
*Buschmeier, Matthias; Kauffmann, Kai (2010) ''Einführung in die Literatur des Sturm und Drang und der Weimarer Klassik''. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.
*Heartz, Daniel and Bruce Alan Brown. (Accessed 21 March 2007). ''Sturm und Drang'', Grove Music Online, "http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?section=music.27035"
*Heckscher, William S. (1966–1967) Simiolus: ''Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art'', Vol. 1, No. 2. pp. 94–105.
*Leidner, Alan. (March 1989). C. PMLA, Vol. 104, No. 2, pp. 178–189.
*Leidner, Alan C. Sturm Und Drang: The German Library. 14. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1992. Print.
*Pascal, Roy. (April 1952). ''The Modern Language Review'', Vol. 47, No. 2. pp. 129–151.
*Preminger, Alex; Brogan, T. V. F. (eds.). (1993) ''The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics''. Princeton: Princeton University.
*Waterhouse, Betty. Five Plays of the Sturm und Drang. London: University Press of America, Inc, 1986. v. Print.
*Wilson, Edwin, and Alvin Goldfarb, comp. Living Theatre: History of Theatre. 6th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2012. Print.
*Wright, Craig and Bryan Simms. (2006). ''Music in Western Civilization''. Belmont: Thomson Schirmer.
External links
BBC audio file
Radio 4 discussion programme ''In our time''.
Sturm und Drang. Literary Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturm Und Drang
German philosophy
Early modern history of Germany
Submovements of Romanticism
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
18th-century theatre
18th-century German literature
Quotations from literature
1770s neologisms
1770s quotations
Criticism of rationalism