affectation
Affectedness (more commonly used as an adjective affected ) denotes a disparaging, artificial or unnatural behavior . The older meaning of affectation (more common for it was affectation ) until the 19th century was more related to a certain affection, a tendre . The term goes back to the Latin afficere (to add, to act, to stimulate) or affectus (passion, desire).
In both the 18th and 19th centuries, affectation was seen as a game and stylistic device of the manners of verbal and non-verbal communication ; it was developed, for example, in the Rococo as a fan language in order to give the interlocutor (also ambiguous) signs. The anti-aristocratic bourgeoisie despised it as a vain gimmick ( see also Stutzer ).
Today, affectation is sometimes seen as a clear sign of insecurity or a lack of self-confidence .
The term “affectedness” is also used with regard to the theories of acting, such as the turning away from affected play in the 18th century. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing , Francesco Riccoboni and Pierre Rémond de Sainte-Albine are representatives of this term .
"The Art of Acting" by Riccoboni
Francesco Riccoboni was one of the founders of the theory of realistic acting.
According to Riccoboni, there are three principles of acting:
"" You have to imitate nature at all times "→ imitation of nature ≠ realistic depiction of reality →" real life [...] needs artistic formation. ""
"The forced is the greatest of all mistakes, regardless of whether it is the meanest." → The forced results from the actors' orientation towards court etiquette in French classicism. "
"Taste alone must keep us within the narrow limits of truth."
The "affectation" plays a major role in the sense that Riccoboni rejects "real feeling". It requires the actor to create the soul of the role through the performance and in the performance and bring its feelings to life. “It is precisely through the representation that the actor becomes the role himself.” This means that Riccoboni's text is like a guide for actors, because it clearly draws a line between the educated bourgeoisie and the “rabble”. Riccoboni distinguishes between two emotional states: love and anger. All other emotions such as tenderness, strength, anger and delight result from this. These emotional states of the actors cannot be natural because they last for a short time, which means that they always have to stay with the soul, only the body is with the person to be played. It is also important to find a balance between too weak and too strong an expression. The expression must never appear exaggerated, it must always appear natural in contrast to the emotional states.
The emotional actor in Pierre Rémond de Sainte-Albines
The work “Le Comédien”, which is relevant for “affectation”, contains the requirements for the actor and his craft. In the first part the natural characteristics of the actor are explained, the second part is related to the art that has to end these natural characteristics.
"It is true that nature must turn the system into an actor, art alone must complete its training."
The Sainte - Albines theory is important, which states that the "hot actor" plays out of sensation. If the actor does not have this feeling, he is at most a "declamator".
Hamburg dramaturgy with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
In the “Hamburg Dramaturgy” too, “affectation” is in constant interrelation with other terms such as “sensation” and “morality”. Lessing goes into more detail in his work on "sensation": He is of the opinion that the actor does not always have to feel the words he understands. Even if he has feelings, this is the most controversial of an actor's talents. If the actor wants to imitate something, he has to feel the emotions himself - of course, the facial expressions and gestures have to be adapted. The second important term is "soul - morality": soul and morality are in a relationship and must therefore always balance each other. In addition, morality demands a gathering of the soul, but this must be associated with “enthusiasm” and “serenity”, ie “fire” and “cold”. That means that this “fire” of an actor has to be used sensibly, not too much.
Quotes
"Real nature is never, but affectation is everywhere ridiculous."
"Affecting any quality, boasting about it, is a self-admission that one does not have it."
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ^ Riccoboni, François, Die Schauspielkunst, trans. v. GE Lessing, Berlin: Henschel 1954.
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ↑ Piens, Gerhard; “Introduction” to The Art of Acting; Ed .: Gerhard Piens; Berlin: Henschel; 1954.
- ↑ Pierre Rémond de Sainte-Albine, “Le Comédien”, in two parts, Paris, 1747.
- ↑ Roselt, Jens, "Souls with Method - Acting Theories from Baroque to Post-Dramatic Theater", Berlin, 2005.
- ↑ Gotthold Ephraim Lessing 1767: "Hamburgische Dramaturgie" (3rd-5th piece), edited by Klaus L. Berghahn, Phillip Reclam Jun. Verlag Stuttgart 1925.