Die Geburt der Tragödie (The Birth of Tragedy) by NIETZSCHE, Friedrich - 1872

Leipzig: E. W. Fritzsch, 1872. First edition. Very Good +. Nietzsches First Book Apollo, Dionysus and Wagner!NIETZSCHE, Friedrich. Die Geburt der Tragödie (The Birth of Tragedy). Leipzig: E. W. Fritzsch, 1872. TP + [III]-IV + [1]-143, Octavo. First Edition. Schaberg 20. Printing and the Mind of Man notes, "(Nietzsche's) principle work during the Wagner period, 1868-1878, was Die Geburt der Tragodie aus dem Geist der Musik, 1872. In this he adopted a tragico-pessimistic conceptions of Greek civilization, like Burckhardt but contrary to Grote. This started his career as a critic of modern civilization based on disgust with imperial Germany, Christianity, bourgeois ethics and so on." (PMM 224). In this, his first book, Nietzsche theorized that Greek tragedy was built upon a wedding of two principles that he associated with the deities Apollo and Dionysus. The Apollonian principle is the principle of order, static beauty and clear boundaries. The Dionysian principle, in contrast, is the principle of frenzy, excess and the demolition of boundaries. It is in the subtle interaction of these disparate principles that the greatness of Greek tragedy resides, and by extension, in which the creative spirit still finds its proper soil. The book ended with a long section devoted to Richard Wagner and the importance of his music. When first released, it met with only limited success. Despite Nietzsche's eventual near contempt for the book - from the perspective, naturally, of his later unequalled masterpieces of German prose - it must be considered, along with Aristotle and Hegel, among the greatest contributions to the understanding of Greek tragedy and, in fact, to the Greek way of life in general. CONDITION: Very good in contemporary marbled boards and gilt lettered spine. Appears the spine was restored, with most of original remaining. Lightly foxed, more heavily to title page as usual. Overall,an excellent copy.

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