Simbolul

"Simbolul" (Romanian for "The Symbol"; IPA2|sim.'bo.lul) was a Romanian literary and art magazine, published in Bucharest between October and December 1912. Co-founded by writers Tristan Tzara and Ion Vinea, together with visual artist Marcel Janco, while they were all high school students, the journal was a late representative of Symbolism. Other figures associated with the magazine were Adrian Maniu, Emil Isac and Claudia Millian, the wife of poet and Tzara's mentor Ion Minulescu. "Simbolul" also featured illustrations by, among others, Janco and his teacher Iosif Iser.

Despite going through just four issues, "Simbolul" helped the transition toward avant-garde currents in Romanian literature and art, by publishing anti-establishment satirical pieces, and by popularizing modernist trends such as Fauvism and Cubism. Its successors on the local literary scene were Vinea's moderate magazines "Chemarea" and "Contimporanul", while Tzara and Janco evolved to a more radical stance, taking part in founding the avant-garde trend known as Dada.

History

Context

Around 1907, soon after the violent quelling of the peasants' revolt, left-wing authors such as Tudor Arghezi, Gala Galaction, Vasile Demetrius and N. D. Cocea began issuing a series of magazines which, in addition to following a radical political line, accommodated a modernist style. This approach contrasted with the more traditional approach favored by the Poporanists and their "Viaţa Românească" journal. [Cernat, p.29-30] Another important factor in the evolution from Symbolism to radical modernism between 1895 and 1920 was the literary and artistic circle formed around controversial politician and author Alexandru Bogdan-Piteşti, which grouped together many of "Simbolul" 's contributors. [Cernat, p.39-45] Starting in 1910, artistic innovation had also manifested itself in art, with the activities of "Tinerimea Artistică" society and the art chronicles authored by Bogdan-Piteşti, Arghezi and Theodor Cornel. [Cernat, p.45-48] Janco, who was at the time Iser's pupil, exhibited his first drawings at the "Tinerimea Artistică" Youth Salon in April 1912. [Machedon, p.36]

The journal built on the legacy of other short-lived literary publications, in particular "Revista Celorlalţi" and "Insula", both of which had been founded by poet Ion Minulescu. A follower of French Symbolist critic Rémy de Gourmont, Minulescu had previously launched radical appeals to innovation, which some critics consider the first expressions of Romanian avant-gardism, and which established connections not just with Symbolism, but also with the Futurism of Italian writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. [Cernat, p.25-26] However, literary critic Paul Cernat notes, Ion Minulescu "did not have the virtues of an ideologue and a theorist." [Cernat, p.27] Thus, "Simbolul" was called by Cernat "a turning plate between the Symbolism of "Insula" contributors and pre-avant-gardist Post-symbolism." [Cernat, p.48]

Contributors

The three founders of the magazine were all in their teenage years. Tzara, known then under his birth name Samy Rosenstock and his early pseudonym "S. Samyro", was sixteen and probably enrolled at the Sfântul Gheorghe High School. [Cernat, p.48-49] The magazine never published an editorial cassette, but a note in issue 3 mentioned that "all editing aspects are in the care of Mr. S. Samyro". [Cernat, p.48] Samyro debuted as a poet in "Simbolul", contributing Symbolist pieces which, according to Paul Cernat, showed the influence of Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck, as well as that of Minulescu. [Cernat, p.48] In all, Tzara published four poems, one in each issue, pieces which Cernat deemed "naively musical". [Cernat, p.49] These are: "Pe râul vieţii" ("On the River of Life", hosted by the inaugural issue), "Cântec" ("Song"), "Poveste" ("Story") and "Dans de fee" ("Fairy Dance"). [Cernat, p.49] Tzara and Janco were probably the publication's main financial backers. [Cernat, p.50, 99]

Ion Eugen Iovanaki, who later adopted the name "Ion Vinea", was a seventeen-year old from Giurgiu, who studied at the Saint Sava National College, and who first met Adrian Maniu when the latter was employed as his tutor. [Cernat, p.49, 51] According to Cernat, Iovanaki's poems show the influence of Symbolism and its precursor, Parnassianism, being inspired by or adapted from the work of French poets Albert Samain and Charles Baudelaire. [Cernat, p.49] They include the first issue's "Cetate moartă" ("Dead Citadel", with the subtitle "After Albert Samain") and "Sonet" ("Sonnet"), as well as the English-titled "Lewdness", dedicated to an unnamed prostitute, and "Mare" ("Sea"). [Cernat, p.49] The latter was the first in a series dedicated to seascapes and marine art, and referenced Iser's early paintings. [Cernat, p.49]

Maniu and Isac took charge of the political and satirical side of "Simbolul". [Cernat, p.50] Maniu also contributed a series of humorous prose poems, which was later published in his volume "Figurile de ceară" ("The Wax Figures"); they include the "Cântec pentru întuneric" ("Song for When It's Dark"), which is a parody of Macedonski's "Noapte de mai" ("May Night"), replacing the latter's Parnassian metaphors with a seemingly nonsensical imagery, and "Minciune trăite" ("Experienced Lies"), which literary critic Leon Baconsky praises for its "complete liberty of [word] association and metaphoric combinations". [Cernat, p.50]

Vinea's Saint Sava colleague Poldi Chapier, a future journalist, lawyer and promoter of Marcel Janco's art, regularly contributed poetry, considered "rather colorless" by Cernat. [Cernat, p.49] Other poets whose work was regularly published by "Simbolul" included Alfred Hefter-Hidalgo and the brothers Barbu and Theodor Solacolu. [Cernat, p.49]

Alongside the regular or frequent contributors, "Simbolul" attracted established Symbolist writers or other young authors, whose work it only occasionally featured. It was here that Alexandru Macedonski, leader of the local Symbolist group, published "Ură" ("Hatred"), a piece adapted from the Renaissance author Cecco Angioleri. [Cernat, p.49] Minulescu, whose work was by then concentrated on romanza-like poems, contributed the first printed version of his "Romanţa unui rege asiatic" ("An Asian King's Romanza"), and his wife Claudia Millian published two erotic poems—"Ţie, obsesia mea" ("To You, My Obsession") and "Folozofie banală" ("Banal Philosophy"). [Cernat, p.49]

The other authors who sent poems to be published by "Simbolul" were N. Davidescu, I. M. Raşcu, Eugeniu Ştefănescu-Est, Constantin T. Stoika, Şerban Bascovici, Alexandru Viţianu and George Stratulat. [Cernat, p.49] An additional contributor was Alexandru Coşbuc, the son of poet George Coşbuc, who published a poetic prose fragment in "Simbolul" 's first issue; this was one of the few texts published by the young author, who died three years later in a car accident. [Cernat, p.50] In his old age, Vinea also recounted that his colleague Jacques G. Costin, who became known as a Surrealist author, was also supposed to publish in "Simbolul", but the magazine ceased print before he could submit his works. [Cernat, p.51]

"Simbolul" was illustrated by several graphic artists. In addition to regularly-submitted drawings by Janco, noted for their accomplished stylization, it featured sketches by Iser, Maniu and Millian. [Cernat, p.50]

Polemics and advocacies

Starting with it first reviews in the Romanian press, "Simbolul" became in cultural polemics with other cultural venues. The magazine's first issue was welcomed by the mainstream cultural journal "Noua Revistă Română", which was edited by philosopher Constantin Rădulescu-Motru—the publication nonetheless commented that "Simbolul" was "not at all Symbolist". [Cernat, p.49] Its modernism was viewed with suspicion by the Poporanist "Viaţa Românească". The Poporanists' press review alleged that "Simbolul" was a sign of "alienation". [Cernat, p.49] Among the targets of "Simbolul" 's criticism was epigramist Cincinat Pavelescu, an adversary of new trends who was mockingly defined as "if not a Symbolist, then at least a Futurist "à outrance" [French for "to the uttermost"] ". [Cernat, p.49] Throughout its short existence, "Simbolul" popularized modernist trends and satirized the traditionalist and mainstream authors. In its third issue, an unsigned article recommended readers to purchase the book on Cubism authored by French painters Jean Metzinger and Albert Gleizes, whom the author described as "two of the most outstanding representatives of the new current." [Cernat, p.49]

In large part, Emil Isac's articles were answers to criticism from the nationalist press. Born in Austro-Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, Isac had immigrated into the Romanian Kingdom and begun his career as a dramatist with the controversial play "Maica cea tânără" ("The Young Nun"). [Cernat, p.50] Accused of blasphemy, the author was also suspected of being Jewish by the antisemitic section of the public opinion, who implied that his name sounded Hebrew. [Cernat, p.50] In his "Protopopii familiei mele" ("My Family's Protopopes"), a piece of avant-garde writing, Isac made reference to this rumor and dismissed it. [Cernat, p.50]

Legacy

The collaboration between Tzara, Vinea and Maniu continued for a while after "Simbolul" was no longer in print. Their style evolved from late Symbolism to adopt a more experimental approach. [Cernat, p.51-54] Mainly influenced by Fauvism and Imagism, he passed through a stage in World War I when, like Alexandru Bogdan-Piteşti, he supported the Central Powers during their occupation of southern Romania. [Cernat, p.54] Progressively after the war ended, Maniu broke with radical modernism, eventually rallying with the traditionalist circle formed around "Gândirea" magazine. [Cernat, p.53-54]

Ion Vinea went on to publish articles in N. D. Cocea's magazines "Facla" and "Rampa", building a reputation for his modernist literary criticism. [Cernat, p.60-81] In 1915, with Cocea's assistance and the participation of Tristan Tzara and Poldi Chapier, he set up another important modernist magazine, titled "Chemarea". [Cernat, p.97-108] He and Tzara were vacationing together in Gârceni and the Black Sea coast, writing poems which showed similarities in style, but also differences in radicalism—with Tzara moving closer to the avant-garde than Vinea was. [Cernat, p.108-110, 116-120] In Tzara's case, Cernat argues, this evolution implied "playful detachment", first evidenced in his known piece "Verişoară, fată de pension" ("Little Cousin, Boarding School Girl"). [Cernat, p.49]

In 1915, Tzara and Marcel Janco, together with Janco's brothers Georges and Jules, settled in neutral Switzerland. There, together with Hugo Ball and other Western Europeans, they staged experimental shows at the Cabaret Voltaire, and later took part in founding the anti-establishment, anti-art and radical avant-garde current known as Dada, of which Tzara became an international promoter. [Cernat, p.110-116, 120-130; Machedon, p.36-37] In 1922, Vinea became the co-founder of "Contimporanul", one of the most influential modernist journals of the interwar period. He was joined in this effort by Marcel Janco, who had parted with Dada and adopted a style inspired by Constructivism, remaining hostile to his former collaborator Tzara. [Cernat, p.115, 130, 137-138, 153] Most of the "Simbolul" writers became regular or occasional contributors to Vinea's new magazine. [Cernat, p.50-51]

The "Simbolul" contributors had contrasting attitudes about their 1912 debut. During the 1930s, Janco recalled: "We were the founders of the "Simbolul" review, the pioneers of a revolutionary era in Romanian art." [Machedon, p.36] However, in his maturity, Tristan Tzara felt insecure about the quality of his literary contributions to his poems, and, in a letter to his Romanian editor and Surrealist writer Saşa Pană, asked for them not to be republished as a volume. [Cernat, p.49]

Notes

References

*Paul Cernat, "Avangarda românească şi complexul periferiei: primul val", Cartea Românească, Bucharest, 2007. ISBN 978-973-23-1911-6
*Luminiţa Machedon, "Romanian Modernism: The Architecture of Bucharest, 1920-1940", MIT Press, Cambridge, 1999. ISBN 0-262-13348-2

External links

*it icon [http://www.unifi.it/letrum/CMpro-v-p-1227.html "Simbolul"] , [http://www.unifi.it/letrum/CMpro-v-p-1020.html "Tristan Tzara"] , [http://www.unifi.it/letrum/CMpro-v-p-1029.html "Ion Vinea"] —entries in [http://www.unifi.it/letrum/ "Cronologia della letteratura rumena moderna (1780-1914)" database] , at the University of Florence's Department of Neo-Latin Languages and Literatures