Gertrud (Hesse)
Gertrud is a novel by Hermann Hesse , the final version first published in 1910. The novel describes the musician Kuhn's love for the beautiful Gertrud Imthor, for whom he cannot be more than a friend.
action
As a music student, Kuhn chases the pretty Liddy. The flirtatious girl incites him to go on a risky toboggan run in the semi-dark. Kuhn breaks his left leg several times and is lame from then on. The theory teacher at the conservatory tells Kuhn about his talent for composition. As the son of wealthy parents, Kuhn cured himself in Graubünden . He composes the avalanche song . In the last semester, Kuhn met the successful opera singer Heinrich Muoth. The capricious, hard-drinking baritone becomes his friend. Kuhn is the more reserved partner in this firm friendship, which lasted until Muoth's death.
Kuhn learns of the rumor that Muoth is a heartthrob and is beating his mistress; nevertheless the ladies should run after him loyally and devotedly. Kuhn registered the rumor confused. Muoth recognized Kuhn's talent, presented his avalanche song to the public several times and brought the vacant, limping Kuhn to his stage as a violinist in the orchestra. Kuhn understands the importance of the instruments in theater practice and writes a violin sonata .
Over time, Kuhn became known among music lovers and played his work with other professional musicians in the villa of the rich factory owner and music lover Imthor. On this occasion he met Imthor's daughter Gertrud. From then on, Kuhn and the young girl with the high, light as a bird, exquisitely floating voice play music together in the villa. The old Imthor tolerates the developing comradeship between the two and likes to see the friendship. Kuhn is working on his first opera . Gertrud - cheerful, radiant - sings the soprano role wonderfully in private. He kisses her mouth, Gertrud lets it happen quietly and almost solemnly. Kuhn desires Gertrud, but stifles the strong, constantly flaring up feeling in tone fantasies. Because of his crippling he considers himself inferior.
Nevertheless, Kuhn cannot suppress a written declaration of love. Gertrud evades; she wanted to stay with the friendship for the time being. Kuhn respects the negative answer. Muoth is the ideal cast for the male lead in Kuhn's opera. So Kuhn introduces his friend to the Imthors so that Gertrud and Muoth can practice together. The old Imthor is instinctively against Muoth, but reluctantly lets the three young people have their way. Muoth - impartial, reserved, considerate - wins Gertrud's affection to Kuhn's horror. The cripple holds back, but when it is already too late he has to observe fatigue, fear and shyness in Gertrud. He lost her. Gertrud becomes Muoth's wife. Kuhn's opera, with Muoth as a big star, is a success.
Kuhn sees how the couple is suffering, but cannot help, especially since Gertrud asserts that she loves Muoth and will never be unfaithful to him. Gertrud can't stand the marriage. She temporarily moves back to her father. Kuhn thinks of the only kiss he had given Gertrud and, in occasional daydreams , imagines winning her over. However, he also believes that this desire is nothing more than a wishful fantasy. Gertrud remains unreachable. The friend stands in between.
Kuhn travels to Muoth in Munich after he wrote to ask him to visit. Muoth drinks even more heavily than before. The formerly brilliant star sings, in moments of rare sobriety, tolerably on stage. He needs the alcohol and seems to be deliberately ruining himself. Kuhn spends the night in his friend's villa. Muoth puts a hand to himself and dies. Gertrude rushes over and kisses the dead man on the lips.
Kuhn sums up as he grows old: "She is my friend".
The relationship between the first-person narrator Kuhn and his parents is described in subplots. The distant relationship with his wealthy father only changes to mutual understanding shortly before the old man's death. To bind his mother closer to himself and to be there for her becomes an inner need for Kuhn. After an interlude in which the mother tries to maintain the upper-class lifestyle and the usual housekeeping with a distant relative (which is thwarted by the ignorant cousin Scheibner), Kuhn brings his mother to him and lives in a close circle of friends with few friends like him Kapellmeister Teichner, his sister and the manufacturer Imthor.
shape
Kuhn tells his story from a time lag. In doing so, the first-person narrator advances sparingly. That loosens up. Kuhn does not share his first name.
Book editions
Hesse wrote the novel in Gaienhofen in the winter of 1908/09 . Only parts of the original version have survived. The second version was printed in Velhagen & Klasings monthly issues in 1909/10 . The third version was published in 1910 as the first edition by Albert Langen . The German Book Association acquired the publishing rights in 1926 and published the novel twice. The Suhrkamp Verlag included the book in its 1955 edition. The first paperback edition was published by Rowohlt Verlag in 1973 and the second by Suhrkamp in 1983.
- Gertrud. Novel. Langen, Munich 1910.
- Gertrud. Novel. Preface by Hanns Martin Elster . German Book Association, Berlin 1927; New edition ibid. 1951.
- Gertrud. Novel. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1955 (collected works in individual editions).
- Gertrud. Novel. Rowohlt, Reinbek 1973 (159th thousand 1982), ISBN 3-499-11664-2 (= rororo 1664).
- Gertrud. Novel. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1983 (= Suhrkamp Taschenbuch. Volume 890), ISBN 3-518-37390-0 .