Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

German poet, playwright, and theatrical reformer, one

of the most prominent figures in the 20th-century
theatre. In his works Brecht have been concerned with
encouraging audiences to think rather than becoming
too involved in the story and to identify with the
characters. In this process he used alienation effects (A
Effekts). Brecht developed a form of drama called epic
theatre in which ideas or didactic lessons are important.

"In order to produce A Effects the actor has to discard

whatever means he has learned of persuading the audience to
identify itself with the characters which he plays. Aiming not
to put his audience into a trance, he must not go into a trance
himself. His muscles must remain loose, for a turn of the head,
e.g., with tautened neck muscles, will "magically" lead the
spectators' eyes and even their heads to turn with it, and this
can only detract from any speculation or reaction which the
gestures may bring about. His way of speaking has to be free
from ecclesiastical singsong and from all those cadences which
lull the spectator so that the sense gets lost." (from A Short
Organum for the Theatre, 1948)

Bertold Brecht was born in Augsburg. His father, a

Catholic, was a director of a paper company and his
mother, a Protestant, was a daughter of a civil servant.
Brecht began to write poetry as a boy, and had his first
poems published in 1914. After finishing elementary
school, he was sent to the Königliches Realgymnasium,
where he gained fame as an enfant terrible.
In 1917 Brecht enrolled as a medical student at the
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. After military
service as a medical orderly, he returned to his studies,
but abandoned them in 1921. During the Bavarian
revolutionary turmoil of 1918, Brech wrote his first play,
BAAL, which was produced in 1923. The play celebrated
life and sexuality and was a great success.
Brecht's association with Communism began in 1919,
when he joined the Independent Social Democratic
party. Friendship with the writer Lion Feuchtwanger was
an important literary contact for the young writer.
Feuchtwanger advised him on the discipline of
playwriting. In 1920 Brecht was named chief adviser on
play selection at the Munich Kammerspiele. As a result
of a brief affair with a Fräulein Bie, Brecht's son Frank
was born and in 1922 he married the actress Marianne
Zoff. In 1924 Brecht was appointed a consultant at Max
Reinhardt's Deutches Theater in Berlin. Brecht´s
success started with TROMMELN IN DER NACHT (1922),
and continued with DIE DREIGROSCHENOPER after John
Gay´s The Beggar´s Opera, which he made with the
composer Kurt Weil. Gay's play, revived by Sir Nigel
Playfair at the Lyric Theatre in London, had been a great
success from 1920. Brecht moved the action to
Victorian times, and instead of mocking the pretentions
of Italian grand opera, he attacked on bourgeois
respectability. Although rehearsals were disastrous, the
audience wanted to hear over and over again the duet
between Macheath and the Police Chief, Tiger Brown.

"Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear -

And he shows them pearly white -
Just a jackknife has Macheath, dear -
And he keeps it out of sight."
(from The Threepenny Opera, 1928)

Around 1927 Brecht started to study Karl Marx's Das

Kapital and by 1929 he had become a Communist. At
the Schiffbauerdam Theater he trained many actors
who were to become famous on stage and screen,
among them Oscar Homolka, Peter Lorre, and the singer
Lotte Lenya, Kurt Weil's wife. With Hanns Eisler Brecht
worked on a political film, Kuhle Wampe, the name
referring to an area of Berlin where the unemployed
lived in shacks. The film was released in 1932 and
forbidden shortly afterward. Brecht's politcally
committed play, DIE MASSNAHME (1930, The Measures
Taken) reflected his antisentimentality and directness,
which even the Communist Party found hard. In the play
a young Communist is murdered by the Party - his
sympathy for the poor and their suffering only
postpones the day of the showdown. The lesson is that
the freedom of the individual must be suppressed today
so that in the future mankind will be able to achieve
freedom.
In the 1930s Brecht´s books and plays were banned in
Germany, performances were interrupted by the police
or summarily forbidden. He went into exile, first to
Denmark, where he lived mostly near Svendborg on the
island of Fyn until 1939, and then to Finland, where he
lived in Iitti in Villa Marlebäck as a guest of the Finnish
author Hella Wuolijoki. The place is in the middle of the
countryside, far from the cities, and perhaps boring for
a person used to lively surroundings. There Brecht
wrote with Wuolijoki the play HERR PUNTILA UND SEIN
KNECHT MATTI (1940), and made his admiring
"surrogate mother" jealous because rumors of affairs
with other women. Brech, who disliked bathing, was
also famous for his promiscuousness.
From Finland Brecht continued with his family through
Russia to the United States, settling in Santa Monica.
Brecht's travelling companion to America was Ruth
Berlau, a Danish actress. Margarete Steffin, a German
proletarian writer and another follower, had died in
Moscow. In the new country Brecht tried to write for
Hollywood, but the only script that found partial
acceptance was Hangmen Also Die (1942). "The
intellectual isolation here is enormous," Brecht
compained. "Compared to Hollywood, Svendborg was a
world center." His ideas, such as "the production,
distribution and enjoyment of bread," were not taken
seriously by movie moguls. In 1947 Brecht was accused
of un-American activities, but managed to confuse with
half-truths J. Parnell Thomas, the chairman of the House
Committee on Un-American Activities, who praised
Brecht for being an exemplary witness. However, he
flew to Switzerland, without waiting for the opening of
his play Galileo in New York.
Between the years 1938 and 1945 Brecht wrote his four
great plays. LEBEN DES GALILEI (1938-39, The Life og
Galileo), which did follow too slavishly the actual
historical person, dealt with the hero's self-
condemnation for giving up his heliocentric theory in
front of the Inquisition. MUTTER COURAGE UND IHRE
KINDER (1939) was an attempt to demonstrate that
greedy small entrepreneurs make devastating wars
possible. "What they could do with round here is a good
war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all
over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is?
No organization." DER GUTE MENSCH VON SEZUAN
(1938-40) examined the dilemma of how to be virtuous
and at the same time survive in a capitalist world, and
DER KAUKASICHE KREIDEKREIS (1944-45),
demonstrating that ownership belongs best to those
who can make humane use of it.
After 15 years of exile Brecht returned to Germany in
1948 and spend a year in Zürich working on Sophocles
Antigone (trans. by Friedrich Hölderin) and on his major
theoretical work A Little Organum for the Theatre. After
Zürich Brech moved in 1949 to Berlin where he founded
his own Marxist theater Berliner Ensemble. His second
wife, Helene Weigel, whom he had married in 1928, was
his chief actress and carried on as a director. Brecht had
with the new authorities of DDR his problems, although
he wrote prose that pleased the censors. In his verse
Brecht cryptically expressed his suspicion about the
regime. "What times are these, when / to speak of trees
is almost a crime / because it passes in silence over
such infamy!," he wrote. To assure for himself freedom
of travel, Brecht took in 1950 Austrian passport.
In West as well as in East Germany Brecht became the
most popular contemporary poet, outdistanced only by
such classics as Shakespeare, Schiller, and Goethe. Jean
Vilar's production of Mutter Courage in 1951 secured
him a following in France, and the Berliner Ensemble's
participation in the Paris International Theatre Festival
(1954) further spread his reputation. In 1955 Brecht
received the Stalin Peace Prize. Next year he contracted
a lung inflammation and died of a coronary thrombosis
on August 14, 1956, in East Berlin.
Brecht's works have been translated into 42 languages
and sold over 70 volumes. He wanted his theater to
represent a forum for debate hall rather than a place of
illusions. From the Russian and Chinese theaters Brecht
derived some of his basic concepts of staging and
theatrical stylization. His concept of the
Verfremdungseffekt, or V-Effekt (sometimes translated
as 'alienation effect') centered on the idea of 'making
strange' and thereby making poetic. He aimed to take
emotion out of the production, persuade the audience
to distance from the make believe characters and make
the actors to dissociate from their roles. Then the
political truth would be more easy to comprehend. Once
he said: "Nothing is more important than learning to
think crudely. Crude thinking is the thinking of great
men."

"His theater of alienation intended to motivate the viewer to

think. Brecht's postulate of a thinking comportment
converges, strangely enough, with the objective discernment
that autonomous artworks presupposes in the viewer, listener,
or reader as being adequate to them. His didactic style,
however, is intolerant of the ambiguity in which thought
originates: It is authoritarian. This may have been Brecht's
response to the ineffectuality of his didactic plays: As a
virtuoso of manipulative technique, he wanted to coerce the
desired effect just as he once planned to organize his rise to
fame." ( Theodor Adorno in Aesthetic Theory, 1997)

Brecht formutated his literary theories much in reaction

to Georg Lukács (1885-1971), a Hungarian philosopher
and Marxist literary theoretician. He disapproved Lukács
attempt to distinguish between good realism and bad
naturalism. Brecht considered the narrative form of
Balzac and Tolstoy limited. He rejected Aristotele's
concept of catharsis and plot as a simple story with a
beginning and end. From Marx he took the idea of
superstructure to which art belongs, but avoided too
simple explanations of ideological world view -
exemplified in the character of the Good Woman of
Setzuan.

For further reading: Brecht: A Choise of Evils by M. Esslin

(1959); Brecht: The Man and His Work by M. Esslin (1959);
Bertold Brecht by R. Gray (1961); The Art of Bertold Brecht by W.
Weideli (1963); Bertold Brecht by F. Ewen (1967); Bertold Brecht
by W. Haas (1968); Understanding Brecht by W. Benjamin
(1973); Brecht as they knew him, ed. by H. Witt (1975); Bertold
Brecht in America by James K. Lyon (1981); Brecht in Exile by
Bruce Cook (1983); Brecht by R. Hayman (1983); Bertold Brecht
by J.Speirs (1987); The Poetry of Brecht, by P.J. Thompson
(1989); Postmodern Brecht by E. Wright (1989); Brecht by Hans
Mayer (1996); Brecht & Co. by John Fuegi (1997); Brecht-
Chronik by Klaus Völker (1997); Bertold Brecht by G. Berg
(1998) - See also: Elias Canetti, Bertold Brecht/Kurt Weil's
Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), performed by The Doors

"Oh! Moon of Alabama

We now must say good-by
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey
Oh, you know why!"
( 'Alabama Song' from Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,
1931)

Mr. Puntila and His Hired Man, Matti (wr. 1940/41, prod.
1948). Based on stories by the Finnish writer Hella Wuolijoki.
Puntila is a rich farmer, who is generous when drunk and mean
and selfish when sober. Puntila wants his daughter Eva to marry a
diplomat but his drunk personality sees a better choice in his
chauffeur and drinking companion Matti. An party is arranged to
celebrate Eva's engagement to a diplomat. When Puntila gets
drunk he insults the fiancé, and wants Matti to marry her. Matti
puts her to the test. She fails to prove herself to be a good
proletarian wife, and Matti leaves Puntila to join his working-class
comrades. - Suom.: Brechtiltä on myös suomennettu kirjoituksia
Aikamme teatterista sekä Runoja 1914-56. Elämäkerroista
mainittakoon Kalervo Haikaran mittava teos Bertold Brechtin
aika, elämä ja tuotanto (1992).

Selected works:

• BAAL, 1918 (published 1922) - trans. in 1964

• DIE HOCHZEIT, 1919 (published 1953 under the title DIE
KLEINBÜRGERHOCHZEIT) - The Petitbourgeois Wedding
• DER BETTLER, ODER DER TOTE HUND, 1919 (published
1953) - The Beggar, or The Dead Dog
• ER TREIB EINEN TEUFEL AUS, 1919 (published 1953) - He
Exorcises a Devil
• TROMMELN IN DER NACHT, written 1919 (produced in
1922) - Drums in the Night
• LUX IN TENEBRIS, 1919 (published 1953) - Light in the
Darkness
• IM DICKICHT DE STÄDTE, 1921/1923 (published 1927) -
In the Jungle of the Cities; In the Swamp
• LEBENEDUARDS DES ZWEITEN VON ENGLAND,
1923/1924 (with Lion Feuchtwanger, based on Christopher
Marlowe's Edward II from 1594 ) - Edward II
• HAUSPOSTILLE, 1927 - A Manual of Piety
• MANN IST MANN, 1927 - Mies kuin mies - A Man's a Man -
• DAS ELEFANTENKALB, 1927 - The Elephat Calf
• KALKUTTA, 4 MAI, 1927 (with Lion Feuchtwanger) -
Warren Hastings
• DIE DREIGROSCHENOPER, 1928 (music by Kurt Weil) -
Kolmen pennin ooppera / Kerjäläisooppera, suom. M. Haavio -
Three-Penny Opera - film 1931, dir. by G.W. Pabst; film 1963, dir. by
Wolfgang Staudte
• HAPPY END, 1929 (with Elisabeth Hauptmann)
• DER FLUG DER LINDBERGH, 1929 - Lindberg's Flight
• AUFSTIEG UND FALL DER STADT MAHAGONNY, 1929
- Mahagonnyn kaupungin nousu ja tuho - Ride and Fall of the
City Mahagonny
• DIE HEILIGE JOHANNA DER SCHLACHTHÖFE, 1929-30
- Teurastamojen Pyhä Johanna - Saint Joan of the Stockyards
• DAS BADENER LEHRSTÜCK VOM EINVERSTÄNDNIS,
1930 - The Didactic Play of Baden
• DER JASAGER, 1931 - He Who Says Yes
• DER NEINSAGER, 1931 - He Who Says No
• DIE MASSNAHME, 1931 - The Measures Taken
• DIE MUTTER: LEBEN DER REVOLUTIONÄRIN
PELEGEA WLASSOWA AUS TWER, 1932 - The Mother:
Life of Revolutionary Pelegea Vlassova from Tver
• DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN DER KLEINBÜRGER, ca.1933
(published 1959) - The Seven Deadly Sins / Anna-Anna
• VERSUCHE, 1930-1933 (vols. 1-7)
• DER DREIGROSCHENROMAN, 1934 - The Three-Penny
Novel
• LIEDER, GEDICHTE, CHÖRE, 1934
• DIE RUNDKÖPFE UND DIE SPITZKÖPFE, 1936 - The
Roundheads and the Peakheads
• DIE GEWEHRE DR FRAU CARRAR, 1937 - Señora Carrar's
Rofles (free adaptation of J.M. Synge's Riders to the Sea from
1904)
• FURCHT UND ELEND DES DRITTEN REICHES,
1935/1938, published 1945 - The Private Life of the Master
Race
• DIE AUSNAHME UND DIE REGEL, 1937 - The Exception
and the Rule
• DIE HORATIER AND DIE KURATIER, 1938 - The
Horatians and the Curatians
• GESAMMELTE WERKE, 1938 (2 vols.)
• LEBEN DES GALILEI, 1938-39 (published 1955) - Galilein
 elämä - The Life of Galileo - film Galileo 1974, dir. by Joseph Losey
• DER GUTE MENCH VON SEZUAN, 1938-39 (published
1953) - Setsuanin hyvä ihminen - The Good Woman of
Setzuan
• SVENDBORGER GEDICHTE, 1939
• MUTTER COURAGE UND IHRE KINDER, 1939 (published
1949) - Äiti Peloton ja hänen lapsensa - Mother Courage and
Her Children (based on Hans Jakob Grimmelshausen's novel
Simplicissimus from 1669) - film 1961, Berliner Ensemble, dir. by
Peter Palitzsch & Manfred Wekwerth
• DAS VERHÖR DES LUKULLUS, 1940 - The Trial of
Lucullus
• HERR PUNTILA UND SEIN KNECHT MATTI, 1940 - Herra
Puntila ja hänen renkinsä Matti (with Hella Wuolijoki) - Herr
Puntila and His Man Matti - film 1957, dir. by Alberto Cavalcanti ;
film 1979, dir. by Ralf Långbacka, starring Lasse Pöysti, Pekka Laiho, Arja
Saijonmaa
• DER AUFHALTSAME AUFSTEIG DES ARTURO UI, 1941
(published 1957) - The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
• DIE GESICHTE DER SIMONE MACHARD, 1941/43
(published 1956) - The Visions of Simome Machard
• SCHWEYK IM ZWEITEN WELTKRIEG, 1941/43
(published 1956) - Shvejk toisessa maailmansodassa -
Schweyk in the Second World War (based on Jaroslav Hašek's
novel The Good Soldier Schweik from 1920-23)
• LEBEN DES KONFUTSE, written before 1944 (published
1958) - The Ginger Jar
• DER KAUKASISCHE KREIDENKREIS, 1944-45 (published
1949) - Kaukaasialainen liitupiiri - The Caucasian Chalk
Circle (based on the Chinese play The Circle of Chalk)
• Selected Poems, 1947
• DIE ANTIGONE DES SOPHOKLES, 1947/48 (published
1948) - The Antigone of Sophocles (based on Friedrich
Hölderlin's translation of Sophocles' drama)
• KALENDERGESCHICHTEN, 1948 - Tales From the
Calendar
• KLEINES ORGANON FÜR DAS THEATER, 1949 - A Little
Organum for the Theatre
• VERSUCHE, 1949-1957 (vols. 7-15)
• DIE TAGE DER COMMUNE, 1948/1949 (published 1957) -
The Days of the Commune (based on Nordahl Grieg's The
Defeat)
• DER HOFMEISTER, 1951 - The Private Tutor (adaptation of
Jakob Lenz's Der Hofmeister from 1778)
• HERRNBURGER BERICHT, 1951 - Report from
Herrnburger
• DER PROZESS DER JEANNE D'ARC ZU ROUEN 1431,
1952 (published 1959) - The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen,
1431 (from Anna Segher's version)
• DON JUAN, 1952 (published 1959, based on Moliere's Don
 Juan from 1665)
• CORIOLAN, 1952/53 (published 1959) - Coriolanus
(adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolianus)
• STÜCKE, 1953-1966 (13 vols.)
• TURANDOT ODER DER KONGRESS DER
WEISSWÄSCHER, 1950-54 - Turandot, or The Congress of
Whitewashers
• PAUKEN UND TROMPETEN, 1955 (with Elisabeth
Hauptmann and Benne Besson) - Trumpets and Drums
(adaptation of George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer from
1706)
• STÜCKE, 1956-59 (12 vols.)
• GESCHICHTEN VOM HERRN KEUNER, 1958
• FLÜHTLINGSGESPRÄCHE, 1961 - Pakolaiskeskusteluja,
suom. Pentti Saarikoski
• Poems of the Theatre, 1961
• Baal and Other Plays, 1964
• Brecht on Theatre, 1964
• The Jewish Wife and Other Short Plays, 1965
• GESAMMELTE WERKE, 1967 (20 vols.)
• Collected Plays, 1971
• ARBEITSJOURNAL, 1973
• Diaries 1920-1922, 1979
• Collected Poems 1913-1956, 1980
• Short Stories 1921-46, 1983
• Letters 1913-1956, 1990
• Poems and Songs from the Plays, 1990
• GROSSE KOMMENTIERTE BERLINER UND
FRANKFURTER AUSGABE, BRIEFE 3, 1998

• ÜBER VERFÜRUNG, EROTISCHE GEDICHTE MIT

RADIERUNGEN VON PABLO PICASSO, 1998