Grillparzer

Grillparzer, FRANZ, an Austrian dramatic poet, for some time popularly regarded as the greatest poet of his nation, was born at Vienna, 15th January 1791, and laboured in the imperial civil service from 1813 to 1856. He died 21st January 1872 at Vienna. Grillparzer first attracted notice in 1816 by a 'fate' tragedy, Die Ahnfrau. His next tragedies, Sappho (1819) and Das goldene Vlies (1821), the latter a trilogy, are beautiful pieces of work, modern in sentiment, classic in style. And the same features, with that of lyric force added, characterise the dramas Des Mccres und der Liebe Wellen (1840) and Der Traum ein Leben (1840). Besides these he wrote the historical plays König Ottokar's Glück und Ende (1825) and Ein treuer Diener seines Herrn (1830), with others. In lyric poetry he likewise produced a good deal of meritorious work; and he wrote one good prose novel, Der Spielmann. A collected edition of his works, including an autobiography, was published in 10 vols. at Stuttgart in 1872, and another of 16 vols. in 1889. See Lives by Faulhammer (1883) and Laube (1884), and works by Volkelt (1889) and A. Farinelli (1895).