Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began work on the novel in the 1770s. An early version of the work remained unpublished during his lifetime until the early twentieth century. This fragment appeared under the title Wilhelm Meister's Theatrical Calling. When the Apprenticeship was completed in the mid-1790s, it took its final shape through the encouragement and criticism of Friedrich Schiller. The novel consists of eight books. The first five books are based on that earlier fragment. A comparison of the two texts reveals numerous verbatim similarities. The sequel, Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, was published in two volumes in 1821 and 1829 respectively.
Night falls over a small town where Wilhelm sits alone with Mignon. She performs her egg dance for him while he watches from a chair. He is so moved by the movement that he realizes his wish to take her as his own child. The young soldier who had constructed the theater and put on the play persuades Wilhelm's father to a repeat performance long ago. That show made Wilhelm curious enough to peek under the curtain. He remembers how those mysteries disturbed him so much that he wanted to be both among the enchanted and the enchanters. Now years later, Mignon sings a song for the zither that reveals clues about her background. Her voice fills the room as she asks if anyone knows the land where lemon trees bloom.
A young Goethe presided over and gave a speech in celebration of Shakespeare's genius on the 14th of October 1771, in Frankfurt. A second simultaneous celebration was held in Strasbourg. England, Martha Winburn (1964). Shakespeare's work began to be translated into German in the 1740s. It attained tremendous popularity and influence in Germany by the end of the century. Jarno introduces the protagonist to these dramas during their travels together. Wilhelm and his theater group give a production of Hamlet with Wilhelm playing the lead role. Goethe has Shakespeare play a prominent role in Wilhelm's growth with the theater group. He rejoiced more that his name was Wilhelm and acknowledged Shakespeare as a namesake, friend, and godfather. The novel depicts the eighteenth-century German reception of William Shakespeare's dramas through extensive discussion within dialogues.
Beethoven composed his Sehnsucht: Gedicht von Goethe viermal in Musik gesetzt von L. van Beethoven, WoO. 134, four settings of Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, in 1808. Franz Schubert set eight poems from the novel, several more than once. His Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister, Op. 62, are a well-known effort dating from 1826. Robert Schumann felt special affection for the novel and set Kennst du das Land from book in his Lieder-Album für die Jugend, Op. 79. In 1849 he composed a cycle, the Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister, Op. 98a, taking that same song as its first. He also completed the Requiem for Mignon, Op. 98b, not a true requiem but a tragic choral work with orchestra setting the passage in book 8 which describes Mignon's funeral. Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon, composed in 1866, was based upon the novel. Tchaikovsky's Op. 6 Romances, from three years later, contain the song None but the Lonely Heart.
The novel has given rise to many pieces of visual art. Mignon is the subject of famous paintings by Schadow and Bouguereau. Scheffer's Mignon desires her fatherland is also well-known. Two films with the name Mignon, hailing from 1915 and 1922, were based upon the novel. Several television films followed these early attempts. The best-known screen version is Wim Wenders's The Wrong Move, a free adaptation with screenplay by Peter Handke and starring Rüdiger Vogler. A contemporary women's choir based at the University of Latvia named Minjona is dedicated to Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. These works reflect how artists have responded to the character who captivated generations of creators across media.
Romantic critic and theorist Friedrich Schlegel judged it to be of comparable importance for its age to the French Revolution and the philosophy of Johann Gottlieb Fichte. Schopenhauer cited Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship as one of the four immortal romances. He says of the book in his Aphorismen zur Lebensweisheit that where we were looking for pleasure, happiness and joy, we often find instruction, insight and knowledge. This idea runs like a bass-note through Goethe's Wilhelm Meister. It is an intellectual novel and is of a higher order than the rest. Andrew Crumey notes that while billed as the classic coming-of-age tale, it's really far more than that. Graham Wolfe has called it theatre-fiction. The work exerted an influence over musicians into the later part of the nineteenth century especially because of its pedigree of settings by earlier Romantics.
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Common questions
When did Johann Wolfgang von Goethe begin work on Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship?
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began work on the novel in the 1770s. An early version of the work remained unpublished during his lifetime until the early twentieth century.
Who encouraged and criticized Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship when it was completed?
The novel took its final shape through the encouragement and criticism of Friedrich Schiller when it was completed in the mid-1790s. The work consists of eight books with the first five based on an earlier fragment titled Wilhelm Meister's Theatrical Calling.
What role does Shakespeare play in the development of Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship?
Goethe has Shakespeare play a prominent role in Wilhelm's growth with the theater group as he rejoiced that his name was Wilhelm and acknowledged Shakespeare as a namesake, friend, and godfather. Jarno introduces the protagonist to these dramas during their travels together and the group gives a production of Hamlet with Wilhelm playing the lead role.
Which composers set poems from Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship to music?
Beethoven composed four settings of Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt in 1808 while Franz Schubert set eight poems from the novel in Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister Op. 62 dating from 1826. Robert Schumann also set Kennst du das Land from book in his Lieder-Album für die Jugend Op. 79 and composed a cycle called Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister Op. 98a.
How did Romantic critics evaluate the importance of Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship?
Romantic critic and theorist Friedrich Schlegel judged it to be of comparable importance for its age to the French Revolution and the philosophy of Johann Gottlieb Fichte. Arthur Schopenhauer cited Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship as one of the four immortal romances and described it as an intellectual novel of a higher order than the rest.