Franz Grillparzer's Der arme Spielmann may be considered as eschatological response to the artistic demands of Goethe's time. The "cacophonic" character of the fiddler's playing is an expression of his aesthetic ideas being at odds with his time. By evading the prevailing discourse and creating an alternative world of the absolute in music, the fiddler has an alienating effect, clarifying but also questioning the rules and values of his surroundings. A number of themes and motives, including rejection of the world, self-extinction, the unsuitability in relation to life and art, as well as exaggeration as an artistic device, point towards intrinsic similarities between Grillparzers narrative and Thomas Bernhards novel The Loser (Der Untergeher).