Das 1601 in Sarnen an zwei Tagen aufgefuhrte Bruderklausenspiel des Sarner Pfarrers Johann Zurflu... more Das 1601 in Sarnen an zwei Tagen aufgefuhrte Bruderklausenspiel des Sarner Pfarrers Johann Zurflue behandelt das Leben und Wirken des heiligen Niklaus von Flue. Neben der Erstedition des altesten deutschsprachigen Bruderklausenspiels bietet das Buch Kommentare zum historisch-politischen Kontext der Auffuhrung und zur zeitgenossischen Tradition der Heiligenspiele, erganzt durch Ausblicke auf weitere Dramatisierungen des Stoffs und die Rezeption der Bruderklausenspiel-Tradition im 20. Jahrhundert. Das Spiel wurde im September 1601 hochstwahrscheinlich auf dem Sarner Dorfplatz aufgefuhrt. Es behandelt das Leben des Obwaldner Eremiten mit allen wichtigen Episoden: seine Heirat mit Dorothee Wyss, den Beschluss, Eremit zu werden, die Reise ins Burgund sowie die Niederlassung im Flueli-Ranft und das dortige Leben. In einer bunten Szenenfolge werden das Leben der Bevolkerung in der Fruhen Neuzeit, das Wirken Niklaus von Flues sowie – in klamaukigen Teufelsszenen – die damals herrschenden Angste vor der Verdammnis vorgefuhrt. Eindrucklich wird die Wirkung der Worte Niklaus von Flues auf die Bevolkerung im alltaglichen, aber auch auf die personifiziert auftretenden Kantone im politischen Leben der Zeit dargestellt. Das in einer einzigen Handschrift uberlieferte Sarner Bruderklausenspiel vermittelt spannende Einblicke in die damalige Theaterpraxis.
The mode of embodiment of 'potestas' and 'violentia' in medieval and early modern... more The mode of embodiment of 'potestas' and 'violentia' in medieval and early modern theatre depends mainly on its local political context, the intentions of the initiators and the environment of authors and performers. Against the background of the power struggle between emerging patricians and the clergy of the monastery, the staging of a vernacular play around 1480 in the centre of Lucerne seems to be a demonstration of power and the claiming of a voice concerning religious matters on the part of the secular elite. Among scholars the „Donaueschingen“ passion play is subject of an ongoing controversy because of its particular cruelty. The comparison of 'violentia'-scenes on stage with contemporary customs reveals that the performed cruelty was not the result of uncontrolled sadistic behavior, but followed the strictly ritualized patterns of the effective practice of justice. There is a strong evidence that Diebold Schilling, priest, court scribe and occasional war correspondent was the author and presumably also the director of the 'violentia'-scenes of the Donaueschingen play
Zurflües Bruderklausenspiel ist im Kontext der Luzerner Theatertradition des 16. Jahrhunderts ent... more Zurflües Bruderklausenspiel ist im Kontext der Luzerner Theatertradition des 16. Jahrhunderts entstanden. Es steht in der Tradition der Heiligenspiele von Beromünster/Luzern und ist in Bezug auf die Struktur und Inszenierung von den religiösen und weltlichen Luzerner Weinmarktspielen beeinflusst
Religious and profane theatrical events in Lucerne are probably the best documented in Europe. Fr... more Religious and profane theatrical events in Lucerne are probably the best documented in Europe. From sources dating back to the 12th century we learn that during the Easter Triduum various kinds of ritual practice were held within the premises of the monastery “im Hof”. While monks were celebrating the adoratio, depositio and elevatio crucis and the visitatio sepulchri hidden from the public, the faithful commemorated the passion and resurrection of Christ with processions and prayers in front of sculptured and painted passion scenes and a temporarily put up holy sepulcher. The first record of the staging of a vernacular resurrection play in front of the parish church dates from 1453; the earliest text and a stage plan of a vernacular passion play is handed down around 1470. During the 16th century we can observe a growing frequency of testimonials of staging activities. Besides the long established tradition of passion plays we encounter other types of religious plays such as biblical plays, an Antichrist and Last Judgment play, saints plays and various kinds of carnival plays. The preferred location during the 16th was the wine market, the new center of the bourgeoisie. With the shift of the stage from the religious sphere (monastery, parish) to the mercantile center we notice a change of the mode of performance: the processional theatre is replaced by the simultaneous stage with the division of actors and spectators. In my paper I will analyze the interrelation of the stage arrangements and religious, social and political developments. I also focus on decorations, props and costumes related to the different venues and modes of performance
Saint plays tend to involve characters and themes related to everyday life, local history and pop... more Saint plays tend to involve characters and themes related to everyday life, local history and popular traditions to a much greater extent than religious plays treating scriptural material: because of this orientation towards the conditio humana, comedy and entertainment gain in importance. This contribution deals with saint plays from Switzerland, where the genre emerged only decades after the Reformation, much later than in other German speaking countries. As the veneration of saints was banned by Swiss reformers like Zwingli and Calvin, the staging of saint plays was an exclusively Catholic practice, closely connected to the Counter-Reformation and its endeavours to reform the ecclesiastical and spiritual life. This paper focusses on the comic interludes St Wilhelm by Jakob Wilhelmi, and Brother Klaus by Johannes Zurflüe, and compares the staging of these saint plays with the contemporary carnival play Convivii Process of Renward Cysat. There are clear similarities: both saint plays and the carnival play stage the comical and the sacred side by side, and both aim to change the viewers’ behaviour by promoting a lifestyle based on moderation and piety
Das 1601 in Sarnen an zwei Tagen aufgefuhrte Bruderklausenspiel des Sarner Pfarrers Johann Zurflu... more Das 1601 in Sarnen an zwei Tagen aufgefuhrte Bruderklausenspiel des Sarner Pfarrers Johann Zurflue behandelt das Leben und Wirken des heiligen Niklaus von Flue. Neben der Erstedition des altesten deutschsprachigen Bruderklausenspiels bietet das Buch Kommentare zum historisch-politischen Kontext der Auffuhrung und zur zeitgenossischen Tradition der Heiligenspiele, erganzt durch Ausblicke auf weitere Dramatisierungen des Stoffs und die Rezeption der Bruderklausenspiel-Tradition im 20. Jahrhundert. Das Spiel wurde im September 1601 hochstwahrscheinlich auf dem Sarner Dorfplatz aufgefuhrt. Es behandelt das Leben des Obwaldner Eremiten mit allen wichtigen Episoden: seine Heirat mit Dorothee Wyss, den Beschluss, Eremit zu werden, die Reise ins Burgund sowie die Niederlassung im Flueli-Ranft und das dortige Leben. In einer bunten Szenenfolge werden das Leben der Bevolkerung in der Fruhen Neuzeit, das Wirken Niklaus von Flues sowie – in klamaukigen Teufelsszenen – die damals herrschenden Angste vor der Verdammnis vorgefuhrt. Eindrucklich wird die Wirkung der Worte Niklaus von Flues auf die Bevolkerung im alltaglichen, aber auch auf die personifiziert auftretenden Kantone im politischen Leben der Zeit dargestellt. Das in einer einzigen Handschrift uberlieferte Sarner Bruderklausenspiel vermittelt spannende Einblicke in die damalige Theaterpraxis.
The mode of embodiment of 'potestas' and 'violentia' in medieval and early modern... more The mode of embodiment of 'potestas' and 'violentia' in medieval and early modern theatre depends mainly on its local political context, the intentions of the initiators and the environment of authors and performers. Against the background of the power struggle between emerging patricians and the clergy of the monastery, the staging of a vernacular play around 1480 in the centre of Lucerne seems to be a demonstration of power and the claiming of a voice concerning religious matters on the part of the secular elite. Among scholars the „Donaueschingen“ passion play is subject of an ongoing controversy because of its particular cruelty. The comparison of 'violentia'-scenes on stage with contemporary customs reveals that the performed cruelty was not the result of uncontrolled sadistic behavior, but followed the strictly ritualized patterns of the effective practice of justice. There is a strong evidence that Diebold Schilling, priest, court scribe and occasional war correspondent was the author and presumably also the director of the 'violentia'-scenes of the Donaueschingen play
Zurflües Bruderklausenspiel ist im Kontext der Luzerner Theatertradition des 16. Jahrhunderts ent... more Zurflües Bruderklausenspiel ist im Kontext der Luzerner Theatertradition des 16. Jahrhunderts entstanden. Es steht in der Tradition der Heiligenspiele von Beromünster/Luzern und ist in Bezug auf die Struktur und Inszenierung von den religiösen und weltlichen Luzerner Weinmarktspielen beeinflusst
Religious and profane theatrical events in Lucerne are probably the best documented in Europe. Fr... more Religious and profane theatrical events in Lucerne are probably the best documented in Europe. From sources dating back to the 12th century we learn that during the Easter Triduum various kinds of ritual practice were held within the premises of the monastery “im Hof”. While monks were celebrating the adoratio, depositio and elevatio crucis and the visitatio sepulchri hidden from the public, the faithful commemorated the passion and resurrection of Christ with processions and prayers in front of sculptured and painted passion scenes and a temporarily put up holy sepulcher. The first record of the staging of a vernacular resurrection play in front of the parish church dates from 1453; the earliest text and a stage plan of a vernacular passion play is handed down around 1470. During the 16th century we can observe a growing frequency of testimonials of staging activities. Besides the long established tradition of passion plays we encounter other types of religious plays such as biblical plays, an Antichrist and Last Judgment play, saints plays and various kinds of carnival plays. The preferred location during the 16th was the wine market, the new center of the bourgeoisie. With the shift of the stage from the religious sphere (monastery, parish) to the mercantile center we notice a change of the mode of performance: the processional theatre is replaced by the simultaneous stage with the division of actors and spectators. In my paper I will analyze the interrelation of the stage arrangements and religious, social and political developments. I also focus on decorations, props and costumes related to the different venues and modes of performance
Saint plays tend to involve characters and themes related to everyday life, local history and pop... more Saint plays tend to involve characters and themes related to everyday life, local history and popular traditions to a much greater extent than religious plays treating scriptural material: because of this orientation towards the conditio humana, comedy and entertainment gain in importance. This contribution deals with saint plays from Switzerland, where the genre emerged only decades after the Reformation, much later than in other German speaking countries. As the veneration of saints was banned by Swiss reformers like Zwingli and Calvin, the staging of saint plays was an exclusively Catholic practice, closely connected to the Counter-Reformation and its endeavours to reform the ecclesiastical and spiritual life. This paper focusses on the comic interludes St Wilhelm by Jakob Wilhelmi, and Brother Klaus by Johannes Zurflüe, and compares the staging of these saint plays with the contemporary carnival play Convivii Process of Renward Cysat. There are clear similarities: both saint plays and the carnival play stage the comical and the sacred side by side, and both aim to change the viewers’ behaviour by promoting a lifestyle based on moderation and piety
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