HOFMANNSTHAL, Hugo von, Austrian poet: b. Vienna, 1 Feb. 1874. He belongs to a circle of neo-romantic poets, headed by Stephan George (q.v.), who represent a reaction against the naturalistic movement. Not much is known of his life and very little knowledge of this sort is necessary for the interpretation of his works, as he and his associates sought the sal vation of the poetic art in fleeing from the realities of the present day into the romantic dreamland of the past. Hofmannsthal espe cially is an adept in sensing and reproducing the feelings of characters of by-gone civiliza tions, especially of the Renaissance. He is a child of wealth, lives in Vienna and has made journeys to France and Italy, in which latter country he spends most of his time in Venice. His works have mostly appeared for the first time in costly prints, accessible only to the few. The poets of this group in most cases printed their works privately. They were intended only for a small circulation among the adherents of this movement, as it was held that only they were capable of appreciating them. To under stand the aims and theories of this coterie of poets it is necessary to read their private jour nal fur die Kunst. Hofmannsthal's masters were Keats, D'Annunzio and Swin burne.
His first work, 'Ciestern' (1892), was writ ten when he was but 18 years old. It is in dramatic form but largely lyrical in content A woman deceives her husband and he dis covers her deceit. That is the whole content except the delicate, melidious language of the verse, which was to Hofmannsthal everything. In these lyric-epic verses his real talent is shown. This same word-painting,this same perfection of studied and learned beauty is found in all his earlier dramas, of which 'Der Tor und der Tod' (1893) ; 'Der Tod des Tizian' (1892), and 'Der Abenteurer und die (1899), are the most important. There is lacking all
dramatic action, but one is fascinated by the sweet melancholy of the verse of this master painter of words.
In his later works there is evident more of a tendency to naturalism. This is seen in 'Elec tra' (1903), a free imitation of Sophodes, Was gerettete Venedig> (1904), in which he followed Thomas Otway, and 'Wilms und die Sphinx' (1905). Here we find a naturalism based upon the brutal instincts of the senses. No dramatic talent is shown. There is only a mixture of pleasing sound of musical words together with a sensuous mysticism. Other works of Hof mannsthal are 'Die Frau im Fenster' (1899); Wie Hochzeit der Sobeide' (1899) ; 'Der Kaiser und die Hexe' (1900); Was Bergwerk zu Falun' (1900) ; Was kleine (a puppet play, 1903) 'Odipus der Konig' (1907) ; 'Ausgewahlte (1903) ; 'Was Marchen der 672. Nacht und andere Erzahlungen' (1905) ; 'Unterhaltungen iiber literarische Gegenstande' (1905) ; (Prosaische Schrif ten' (1907) ; Vederman, ein altes Spiel erneuert' (1912) ; 'Ariadne auf Naxos' (1912). and 'Der Rosenkavalier,' an opera libretto with music by Richard Strauss, performed in New York in 1913. Consult Sulzer-Gebing, Emil, 'Hugo von Hofmannsthal, eine literarische Studie> (Leipzig 1905) ; Seiberth, Philip, in 'German Classics' (Vol. XVII, New York 1914). See ELECTRA.