Hoffmann: works, a complete list, analysis and analysis of books, a brief biography of the writer and interesting life facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann was born in 1776. His place of birth is Koenigsberg. At first, Wilhelm was present in his name, but he himself changed the name, as he loved Mozart very much. His parents divorced when he was only 3 years old and he was raised by his grandmother, his mother's mother. His uncle was a lawyer and a very intelligent man. Their relationship was rather complicated, but the uncle influenced his nephew, on the development of his various talents.

Early years

When Hoffmann grew up, he also decided that he would become a lawyer. He enters the university in Koenigsberg, after training he served in different cities, his profession is a judicial officer. But such a life was not for him, so he began to draw and play music, which he tried to earn a living.

Soon he met his first love Dora. At that time she was only 25, but she was married and had already given birth to 5 children. They entered into a relationship, but they began to gossip in the city, and the relatives decided that it was necessary to send Hoffmann to Glogau to anotheruncle.

The beginning of the creative path

In the late 1790s, Hoffmann became a composer, he took the pseudonym Johann Kreisler. There are several works that are quite famous, for example, an opera written by him in 1812 called Aurora. Hoffmann also worked in Bamberg in the theater and served as a bandmaster, and was also a conductor.

So it happened that Hoffmann returned to the civil service. When he passed the exam in 1800, he began to work as an assessor in the Supreme Court of Posen. In this city, he met Michaelina, with whom he married.

Literary creativity

E. T. A. Hoffmann began writing his works in 1809. The first short story was called "Cavalier Gluck", it was published by the Leipzig newspaper. When he returned to law in 1814, he simultaneously wrote fairy tales, including The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. At the time when Hoffmann worked, German romanticism flourished. If you carefully read the works, you can see the main trends of the school of romanticism. For example, irony, the ideal artist, the value of art. The writer demonstrated the conflict that took place between reality and utopia. He constantly makes fun of his characters, who are trying to find some kind of freedom in art.

Researchers of Hoffmann's work are unanimous in their opinion that it is impossible to separate his biography, his work from music. Especially if you watch novels - for example, "Kreisleriana".

The thing is that the main character in it is Johannes Kreisler (as we remember,is the pseudonym of the author). The work is an essay, their topics are different, but the hero is one. It has long been recognized that it is Johann who is considered the double of Hoffmann.

In general, the writer is a rather bright person, he is not afraid of difficulties, he is ready to fight the blows of fate in order to achieve a certain goal. And in this case, it's art.

The Nutcracker

This tale was published in a collection in 1716. When Hoffmann created this work, he was impressed by the children of his friend. The children's names were Marie and Fritz, and Hoffmann gave their names to his characters. If you read Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, an analysis of the work will show us the moral principles that the author was trying to convey to children.

The short story is this: Marie and Fritz are getting ready for Christmas. The godfather always makes a toy for Marie. But after Christmas, this toy is usually taken away, as it is very skillfully made.

Children come to the Christmas tree and see that there is a whole bunch of gifts, the girl finds the Nutcracker. This toy is used to crack nuts. Once Marie played with dolls, and at midnight mice appeared, led by their king. It was a huge mouse with seven heads.

Then the toys, led by the Nutcracker, come to life and fight with the mice.

Brief analysis

If you make an analysis of Hoffmann's work "The Nutcracker", it is noticeable that the writer tried to show how important goodness, courage, mercy is, that no one should be leftWhatever it was in trouble, you need to help, show courage. Marie was able to see his light in the unsightly Nutcracker. She liked his good nature, and she did her best to protect her pet from the nasty brother Fritz, who always offended the toy.

Despite everything, she tries to help the Nutcracker, gives sweets to the impudent Mouse King, so that he does not harm the soldier. Here courage and courage are shown. Marie and her brother, the toys and the Nutcracker team up to achieve their goal of defeating the Mouse King.

Gold Pot

This work is also quite famous, and Hoffmann created it when French troops led by Napoleon approached Dresden in 1814. At the same time, the city in the descriptions is quite real. The author tells about the life of people, how they rode a boat, went to visit each other, held folk festivals and much more.

Events of the fairy tale unfold in two worlds, this is the real Dresden, as well as Atlantis. If you do an analysis of the work "The Golden Pot" by Hoffmann, you can see that the author describes a harmony that you cannot find in ordinary life during the day with fire. The main character is the student Anselm.

The writer tried to beautifully tell about the valley, where beautiful flowers grow, amazing birds fly, where all the landscapes are simply magnificent. Once the spirit of the Salamanders lived there, he fell in love with the Fire Lily and inadvertently caused the destruction of the garden of Prince Phosphorus. Then the prince drove this spirit into the world of people and told whatSalamander will be the future: people will forget about miracles, he will meet his beloved again, they will have three daughters. Salamander will be able to return home when his daughters find lovers who are ready to believe that a miracle is possible. In the work, Salamander can also see the future and predict it.

Hoffmann's works

I must say that although the author had very interesting musical works, he is nevertheless known as a storyteller. Hoffmann's works for children are quite popular, some of them can be read to a small child, some to a teenager. For example, if you take the fairy tale about the Nutcracker, then it is suitable for both.

"The Golden Pot" is a rather interesting fairy tale, but filled with allegories and double meanings, which demonstrates the basics of morality that are relevant in our difficult times, for example, the ability to make friends and help, protect, show courage.

Suffice it to recall the "Royal Bride" - a work that was based on real events. We are talking about the estate where one scientist lives with his daughter.

Vegetables are ruled by an underground king, he and his retinue come to Anna's garden and occupy it. They dream that one day only human-vegetables will live on the whole Earth. It all started when Anna found an extraordinary ring…

Tsakhes

Besides the tales described above, there are other works of this kind by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann - "Little Tsakhes, nicknamed Zinnober". Once upon a time there was a little freak. Fairy regrettedhim.

She decided to give him three hairs that have magical properties. As soon as something happens in the place where Tsakhes is, significant or talented, or someone like that says, then everyone thinks that he did it. And if the dwarf does some dirty trick, then everyone thinks of others. With such a gift, the baby becomes a genius among the people, he is soon appointed a minister.

New Year's Eve Adventure

One night, just before the New Year, a wandering comrade came to Berlin, where a completely magical story happened to him. He meets Julia, his beloved, in Berlin.

This girl actually existed. Hoffmann taught her music and was in love, but her relatives engaged Julia to another.

The story of the missing reflection

An interesting fact is that in general in the works of the author every now and then the mystical peeps somewhere, and it’s not even worth talking about the unusual. Skillfully mixing humor and morality, feelings and emotions, real and unreal world, Hoffmann achieves the full attention of his reader.

This fact can be seen in the interesting work "The Story of the Lost Reflection". Erasmus Speaker wanted to visit Italy very much, which he was able to achieve, but there he met the beautiful girl Juliet. He did a bad deed, as a result of which he had to go home. Telling everything to Juliet, he says that he would like to stay with her forever. In response, sheasks him to give his reflection.

Other works

I must say that the famous works of Hoffmann are of different genres and for different ages. For example, the mystical "Ghost Story".

Hoffman is very strongly drawn to mysticism, which can be seen in stories about vampires, about a fatal nun, about a sandman, as well as in a series of books called "Night Studies".

An interesting funny tale about the lord of fleas, where we are talking about the son of a rich merchant. He does not like what his father is doing, and he is not going to follow the same path. This life is not for him, and he is trying to escape from reality. However, he is unexpectedly arrested, although he does not understand why. The Privy Councilor wants to find the criminal, and whether the criminal is guilty or not, he is not interested. He knows for sure that every person can find some kind of sin.

In most of the works of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann there is a lot of symbolism, myths and legends. Fairy tales are generally difficult to divide by age. For example, take The Nutcracker, this story is so intriguing, filled with adventure and love, events that happen to Mary, which will be interesting enough for children and teenagers, and even adults re-read it with pleasure.

Cartoons are filmed based on this work, performances, ballet, etc. are repeatedly staged.

On the photo - the first performance of The Nutcracker at the Mariinsky Theatre.

But other works by Ernst Hoffmann may bea bit difficult for a child to understand. Some people come to these works quite consciously to enjoy the extraordinary style of Hoffmann, his bizarre mixture.

Hoffmann is attracted by the theme when a person suffers from insanity, commits some kind of crime, he has a "dark side". If a person has imagination, has feelings, then he can fall into madness and commit suicide. In order to write the story "Sandman", Hoffmann studied scientific works on diseases and clinical components. The novella attracted the attention of researchers, among them was Sigmund Freud, who even dedicated his essay to this work.

Everyone decides for himself at what age he should read Hoffmann's books. Some don't quite understand his overly surreal language. However, as soon as you start reading the work, you are involuntarily drawn into this mixed mystical and crazy world, where a gnome lives in a real city, where spirits walk the streets, and charming snakes are looking for their beautiful princes.