The Word is not Enough: Symbol, Myth, and Ritual in Hofmannsthal’s Libretto for Arabella

Abstract

Michael Steinberg claims that the Strauss-Hofmannsthal operas are successful because Hofmannsthal’s fixed, or ‘Apollonian’ libretto is counteracted by Strauss’s dynamic, or ‘Dionysian’ music. This paper challenges this view by looking at Hofmannsthal’s metaphysical writings and his correspondence with Strauss.