Georg Kreisler — The Pessimistic Optimist
In: Fractured Biographies
Author:
Colin Beaven
Colin Beaven
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Georg Kreisler fled Vienna to avoid anti-Semitic persecution in 1938. Since his return from the US to Europe in 1955 he has achieved recognition in the world of German cabaret, but because he has consistently maintained a radically critical view of capitalist society and its interpretation of democracy, the status that his artistic achievements warrant has eluded him. His plays and novels are generally less well-known than the extraordinary range of songs he has written for the cabaret, where his remarkable musical and verbal dexterity as composer, poet, pianist, and performer has produced work of enduring quality and appeal.