'La Gaya Scienza’ in music: Nietzsche’s Homage to Goethe, Italy, and Lightness in Joke, Cunning, and Revenge

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Abstract

In this article, I argue that Nietzsche’s insertion of the “prelude” Joke, Cunning, and Revenge in The Gay Science is testimony to his attempt to “de-Germanize” and become a “good European” through music and philosophy alike. I consider the rhymes as a libretto or at least a tribute to Italian opera buffa, with which Nietzsche follows Goethe’s objective to “bring home the Italian way to a German composer.” That, at least, was Goethe’s aim with his libretto Joke, Cunning, and Revenge (Scherz, List und Rache).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNietzsche and Music: Philosophical Thoughts and Musical Experiments
EditorsAysegul Durakoglu, Michael Steinmann, Yunus Tuncel
Place of PublicationNewcastle upon Tyne
PublisherCambridge Scholars Publishing
Chapter4
Pages56-70
Number of pages15
ISBN (Print)1527581667, 9781527583719
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2022

Publication series

NameNietzsche Now
PublisherCambridge Scholars Publishing

Keywords

  • Nietzsche
  • Music
  • Goethe
  • La Gaya Science
  • Joke, Cunning, Revenge

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