Ödön von Horváth Books
December 9, 1901 – June 1, 1938
Ödön von Horváth is celebrated for his incisive critiques of popular culture and politics, particularly his prescient warnings against the rise of fascism. His narratives often explore the chilling effects of propaganda on society, especially on young minds, portraying the struggle to maintain one's identity amidst oppressive ideologies. Through his distinctive literary voice, Horváth captured the anxieties and moral compromises of his era. His works continue to resonate, offering profound insights into the human condition under political duress.
The Belle Vue
- 88 pages
- 4 hours of reading
Horváth's setting for this black political farce is a seedy hotel in Central Europe in the 1920s where the only guest is a drunken, ageing nymphomaniac - wealthy and despotic. Under her sole occupancy the hotel is falling apart and sliding even deeper into decadence. There is no future and no hope until a young woman arrives with a fortune to spend. What follows is a riot of confusion and mistaken identities, satirising the despair and futility of a continent poised on the brink of fascism.Horváth (1901-1938) was accidentally killed in Paris after fleeing from the Nazis. The Belle Vue , one of 16 plays, was not performed until 1969. This translation marked the British premiere, in a production by the Actors Touring Company.
'Don't spoil her, Oskar, or you'll pay dear for it. You wouldn't believe what I had to put up with in my marriage. Not because madam, my wife, God bless her, was a vicious-tongued cow, but because I was too decent. Never lose your authority! Keep your distance! Patriarchy, not matriarchy! Keep your head up and your thumbs pressed firmly down. Ave Caesar; morituri te salutant!'Set against the sentimental backdrop of the Vienna Woods and to the distant tune of a Strauss waltz, a community steeped in bigotry concerns itself with love affairs, petty squabbles, jealousies and personal tragedy. Meanwhile society at large, haunted by inflation, goes reeling towards Fascism.This energetic, hugely entertaining epic premi�red in Berlin in 1931 as Nazi forces were gaining in strength.Tales from the Vienna Woods, in this new version, was premi�red at the National Theatre on the Olivier stage in October 2003.
Don Juan Comes Back from the War, Figaro Gets Divorced Two modern classics by Austrian dramatist, Ödön von Horváth. Hampton's Don Juan Comes Back from the War was first performed at the Royal National Theatre. Figaro Gets Divorced, in which an aristocratic couple and their two servants are on the run from a revolution, premiered at London's Gate Theatre.
Ödön von Horváth: Hin und her. Posse in zwei Teilen Uraufführung: 13. Dezember 1934, Schauspielhaus Zürich. Vollständige Neuausgabe. Herausgegeben von Karl-Maria Guth. Berlin 2015. Umschlaggestaltung von Thomas Schultz-Overhage unter Verwendung des Bildes: Camille Corot, Die Brücke bei Nantes, 1870. Gesetzt aus Minion Pro, 11 pt.
Die Hardcover-Ausgabe gehört zur Reihe TREDITION CLASSICS des Verlags tredition aus Hamburg, die Werke aus über zwei Jahrtausenden neu auflegt. Ziel ist es, Klassiker der Weltliteratur in gedruckter Form zu bewahren und die Kultur zu fördern, damit sie nicht in Vergessenheit geraten.
