Halunkenpostille

Halunkenpostille is the title of a collection of poetry by the German writer Fritz Graßhoff. It could be translated as Scoundrel's Postil, and it reflects the title of Bertolt Brecht's Hauspostille, a collection of poems, which parodies Martin Luther's Hauspostille, a collection of Bible commentaries. A recording of songs from the Halunkenpostille was subtitled Schräge Songs, halbseidene Lieder und wunderschöne Gedichte, which may be rendered as Cockeyed Songs, Dubious Ditties and Wonderful Poems. The style shows similarities to works by Erich Kästner, Walter Mehring and Joachim Ringelnatz.

Halunkenpostille

First published in 1947, the collection of more than 100 poems, ballads and songs is one of the most successful poetry books of the postwar period. The first printing, by J.A. Keune in Hamburg, was illustrated by Bernd Hering. Carl Lange published it in 1954 with drawings by the author. Many texts were set to music and recorded by renowned artists, both in song and recitation. The total circulation was about 300,000 copies.[1]

Songs from the Halunkenpostille were set to music for example by Siegfried Strohbach, Halunkensongs for baritone, trumpet, violin, accordion, double bass and percussion, published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1956.

Texts from the book were recited and sung on a 1967 recording Halunkenpostille. Schräge Songs, halbseidene Lieder und wunderschöne Gedichte, with music by Hans-Martin Majewski and Norbert Schultze, performed by Hanne Wieder, Hannelore Schroth, Gustav Knuth, Gisela aus Schwabing, Kirsten Heiberg, Ralf Bendix, Jens Brenke, Inge Brandenburg, Werner Schmalenbach and Fritz Graßhoff.

Die klassische Halunkenpostille

Graßhoff wrote a second collection, Die klassische Halunkenpostille. Epigramme und Satiren. (The classical Halunkenpostille, epigrams and satires), translations of Roman authors such as Martial, Catullus and Philodemus, published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch in 1964.

Printed editions

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Kurt Kleiber (30 November 2005). ""Zuerst war ich ein Kieselstein..." / Hommage an den Malerpoeten Fritz Grasshoff (First I was a pebble / homage of the painter-poet Fritz Grasshoff)" (in German). Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Retrieved 23 November 2011.