''Dionysian Dithyrambs'' (), also called ''Dionysus-Dithyrambs'', is a collection of nine

poems 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 ...

written in the second half of 1888 by

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

under the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

of Dionysos. The first six poems (''Zwischen Raubvögeln, Das Feuerzeichen, Die Sonne sinkt, Letzter Wille, Ruhm und Ewigkeit'' and ''Von der Armut des Reichsten'') were published in the 1891 edition of '' Also sprach Zarathustra''. The other three poems (''Klage der Ariadne, Nur Narr! Nur Dichter!'' and ''Unter Töchtern der Wüste'') are compositions drawn from those found in '' Also sprach Zarathustra'' only slightly altered. ''Ruhm und Ewigkeit'' was published at the end of the 1908 first edition of '' Ecce Homo''; however, it is now deemed to be a requisite part of ''Dionysos-Dithyramben''.

Musical settings

André Casanova included text from ''Dionysos-Dithyramben'' in his Third Symphony, in 1964. Wolfgang Rihm composed an opera, '' Dionysos'', and compiled his own

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

from the ''Dionysian Dithyrambs''. It premiered at the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

on 27 July 2010.Ashley, Tim
"Rihm: Dionysos review
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 28 November 2013

Notes

References

Editions

* Friedrich Nietzsche: ''Sämtliche Werke. Kritische Studienausgabe in 15 Bänden. KSA.'' Vol. 6: ''Der Fall Wagner. Götzen-Dämmerung. Der Antichrist. Ecce homo. Dionysos-Dithyramben. Nietzsche contra Wagner.'' Ed. by Giorgio Colli and Mazzino Montinari. 10th edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch-Verlag, München u. a. 2011, , pp. 377–410.

External links

* {{Nietzsche Poetry by Friedrich Nietzsche