Alexei Nikolaevich Arbusow

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Grave sculpture of Arbusov in the Kunzewoer cemetery with head

Aleksei Arbuzov ( Russian Алексей Николаевич Арбузов * 13 . Jul / 26. May  1908 greg. In Moscow ; † 20th April 1986 ) was a Russian playwright .

Life

Alexei Arbusow was born in Moscow in 1908. The family moved to Petrograd in 1914 . At the age of 14 he made himself available for extras at the local Marientheater . In 1924 he began studying at the Petrograd Drama School (renamed Leningrad in that year), which he continued and completed a year later in the studio of the Gaideburov Theater. He initially remained a member of this ensemble . He made his debut as a professional actor in 1925 in Sergei Jurin's In Armor of Fame . In 1928 he turned around and directed various Leningrad theaters.

In 1930 he moved to Moscow, where he led several agitation groups . In the same year he wrote his first play Die Klasse , which means the working class . However, the artistic implementation did not do justice to the lofty request - the play failed in the Leningrad Red Theater. While working as a coal miner in Donbass , he wrote the next piece Idylle in 1931 . As head dramaturge of the collective farm theater in the village of Medvedki, he wrote The Third Jahn . With his plays written between 1934 and 1939 - especially Tanja ( Таня ) - he achieved his breakthrough as a dramatist on the professional stages of the country. What these plays and the following have in common is more or less the examination of the intellectual and moral maturation processes of the young Soviet people in socialist society and their contributions.

In 1939 he was a co-founder of the Moscow theater studio, which he directed until 1944. In the years of the Second World War it functioned as a front theater . From the end of the war Alexej Arbusow lived as a freelance playwright in the USSR . His piece Irkutsk History ( Иркутская история ), completed in 1959, achieved particular popularity, even in the West . With this piece, one of the most frequently performed works in contemporary Soviet theater , the Vakhtangov Theater made a guest appearance in 1961 at the “ Theater of Nations ” festival in Paris organized by the International Theater Institute (ITI) . It premiered in the GDR in 1961 and in the FRG in 1965 .

The bizarre fairy tales of old Arbat ( сказки старого Арбата ) from 1970 ushered in the beginning of a new creative period in which he made questions of aging, the balance of life and human happiness the central theme of his pieces in a wise and sometimes ironic way . The previously published play The happy days of an unhappy man ( Счастливые дни несчастного человека , premiered by the Great Gorky Dramatic Theater in Leningrad) is sometimes counted among the most important of his works. The election ( Выбор , premiered by the Vakhtangov Theater), which was presented immediately after Arbat , is also.

Arbusov was secretary of the Writers' Union of the USSR and lived in old age in his native Moscow, where he died in 1986. His grave is in the Kunzewoer cemetery .

Reception and meaning

In 1960, in the high-circulation GDR daily Neues Deutschland , Henryk Keisch attested to the continued phenomenal success of the Irkutsk story and called the piece a work inspired by a “high flow of thoughts and feelings”. The Leningrad romance is a piece full of “human substance, beyond all templates, averse to all moralizing and all dogmatics, ” wrote Balduin Thieme in 1965 in the Sächsisches Tageblatt . Arbusow has " outgrown his Irkutsk story in various ways , such as the skipping of emotions on the audience in terse dialogues, without loss of poetry" shows. In 1969, the GDR's ADN bulletin published the information on The happy days of an unhappy person that it was “a complicated piece” that “somehow attracts and somehow dismisses ...”. In 1971 the ADN put into circulation that the fairy tale of old Arbet was a “masterfully constructed comedy ” that closed “both sadly and optimistically”. The state news agency of the GDR passed a negative judgment shortly after the publication of Die Wahl : “The play Die Wahl , which is not without acumen and to a certain extent claims the generality and universality of the conflict [...], unfortunately does not carry the explosive charge Drama in itself and lacks profound references to the real problems of life. "

In relation to the complete works, Afanassi D. Salynski characterized Arbusow in a GDR publication in 1972 as a “subtle psychologist with an intimate lyrical undertone”. Erika Stephan had already stated this in 1965 in the specialist journal of the GDR theater industry, Theater der Zeit : “Arbusow has long since become the epitome of sensitive, psychologically profound character design.” In 1985, Susanne Rödel explained Arbusow's character expression in her own issued Stücke- anthology in East Berlin Verlag Volk und Welt : "Arbusows pieces do not belong to the milieu drama, his heroes are barely linked to a clearly defined social field. Despite the topicality of the conflict positions, Arbusov's figures are mostly inflated fictional figures. His preference is for those people who have the courage to change their lives completely, to try their own skills to the limit and to recognize the fantastic beauties in everyday life. ”She did not fail to note the worldwide popularity of Arbusov's pieces, especially in the GDR.

In the Federal Republic , the international importance of Arbusow was recognized. He was one of the most frequently performed contemporary Russian authors , as was published in programs , and there are performances in three dozen countries in the West and East , from the USA to Japan.

In the reunified Germany , Reinhard Lauer attributed to Arbusow in his Russian literary history , published in 2000, a "sure feeling for the mood of the times and psychology". In his literary history, Werner Schweikert also referred to a side effect of the reception history of Arbusov, because the much-acted and thus one of the most important Soviet dramatists was reprimanded for "insufficient heroism" and for his formal experiments (choir appearances, big leaps in time, flashback technique , timeline variants etc.) are not welcomed unreservedly.

Quotes

“It seems to me that now, after Tanja , I am writing one and the same play all the time and the following plays are simply acts of this one drama. Every new piece arises, as it were, from what I was not able to fully express before. "

- Alexei Arbusov : 1980

"The theater is a unified and integral organism, the foundation of the stage art is the word, and there is no more important task in the theater than to convey this wealth to the audience with the full power of talent at its disposal."

- Alexei Arbusov : 1980

Works

The works are sorted according to their origin, although the information (year, German title) may differ slightly depending on the source. Alternative title in brackets. The respective German-language editions, which may have appeared soon or years later, are attached.

  • 1930: The class.
  • 1931: idyll.
  • 1932: the third Jan.
  • 1934: Six lovers (three couples).
  • 1935: The long way. Lyrical comedy in three acts (five images). (= Contemporary drama ). German by Erwin Arlt. Henschelverlag, Berlin 1960.
  • 1938: Tanja (The second birth). Dramatic game in four parts (8 pictures). Translated from Russian into German by Alice Wagner. Henschelverlag Art and Society, stage sales department, Berlin 1958 (also with Henschel in 1946).
  • 1940: City in the dawn. Romantic chronicle. From the Russian by Günter Jäniche, verses by WE Bagrizki, retouching Heinz Kahlau . Henschelverlag Art and Society, Stage Sales Department, Berlin 1972.
  • 1942: the immortal.
  • 1943: The little house in Tscherkisiwo (The house on the outskirts).
  • 1947: meeting the youth.
  • 1948: The evening before. ( Based on Turgenev's novel.)
  • 1952: European Chronicle.
  • 1954: Winding paths (years of errors; years of wandering). Play in four acts. German by Peter Trenck . Henschelverlag Art and Society, stage sales department, Berlin 1960.
  • 1959: Irkutsk history. Acting in two parts (= contemporary drama ). German by W. Segler, stage version of the Dresden State Theater . Henschelverlag, Berlin 1961 (pocket book format).
    • Irkutsk history. Acting in two parts. German by W. Segler, stage version of the Dresden State Theater. Henschelverlag Art and Society, stage sales department, Berlin 1963 (stage manuscript).
  • 1960: The Twelfth Hour (The Night Before Immortality).
  • 1961: The prodigal son.
  • 1962: We are expected somewhere (we are expected somewhere).
  • 1965: And again: encounter with young people.
  • 1965: Leningrad Romance (My Poor Marat). Dialogues in three parts (= contemporary drama ). German by Günter Jänische. Henschelverlag, Berlin 1966.
  • 1967: Nocturnal confession.
  • 1968: The happy days of an unhappy person.
  • 1970: Fairy tales from old Arbat. Comedy in two parts. Translated from the Russian by Thomas Reschke . Henschelverlag Art and Society, Stage Sales Department, Berlin 1972.
  • 1971: The choice. Dramatic task in two parts. Translated from the Russian by Thomas Reschke. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Stage Sales Department, Berlin 1971.
  • 1972: In this nice old house. Comedy in two acts (five pictures). Translated from the Russian by Traute and Günther Stein , rewrite of the verses by Heinz Kahlau. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Stage Sales Department, Berlin 1972.
  • 1972: My feast for the eyes.
  • 1973: Sunny - but frost breaks. Comedy in two parts. Translated from the Russian by Thomas Reschke. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Stage Sales Department, Berlin 1973.
  • 1975: evening light. Novella for the theater in two parts (10 pictures). Translated from the Russian by Elke Wiegand. In: Theater der Zeit , issue 5/1975, pp. 47–64.
  • 1976: Old-fashioned comedy. Presentation in two parts. From the Russian by Günter Jäniche, song: Bella Achmadulina , adaptation by Ilse Tschörtner . Henschelverlag Art and Society, Henschel Schauspiel, Berlin 1976. (GDR first performance 1976)
  • 1977: expectation. Drama in three parts and ten pictures. Translated from the Russian by Thomas Reschke. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Henschel Schauspiel, Berlin 1977.
  • 1978: Cruel Games. Dramatic scenes in two parts (11 images). From the Russian by Renate Landa, poems: Igor Schkljarewski, post-poetry: Ilse Tschörtner. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Henschel Schauspiel, Berlin 1978.
  • 1981: memory. Dramatic scenes in two parts. Translated from the Russian by Renate Landa. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Henschel Schauspiel, Berlin 1982.
  • 1983: the winner. Dialogues. Translated from the Russian by Renate Landa. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Henschel Schauspiel, Berlin 1984.
  • 1985: The culprits.

Drama Collections

  • Christel Růžička (Ed.): Soviet Dramas. Publishing house culture and progress, Berlin 1967 (therein: Tanja ).
  • Susanne Wigger (Ed.): Alexej Arbusow. Dramas. With an afterword by Jochen Ziller. Henschelverlag, Berlin 1972 (in it: Tanja , Stadt im Morgenrot , winding paths , Irkutsk story , my poor Marat , fairy tales from old Arbat , the election ).
  • Susanne Rödel (Hrsg.): Soviet time pieces 2. Verlag Volk und Welt, Berlin 1985 (therein: Grausame Spiele ).

Arrangements of Arbusov's works

literature

  • Nadeshda Shelesnowa: masks, people, memoirs. APN correspondent Nadeshda Shelesnowa visited the famous playwright Alexej Nikolajewitsch Arbusow for FREE WORLD. In: Freie Welt , February 4, 1970 (?), Pp. 8-13 ( Homestory ).
  • Oksana Dubrowskaja: Teatr: Enziklopedija . Olma Media Group, Moscow 2002, pp. 31-32. ISBN 978-5-94849-106-6 (Russian).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Susanne Rödel: About the authors . In: Susanne Rödel (ed.): Soviet time pieces 2 . 1st edition. Volk und Welt, Berlin 1985, Arbusow, p. 371-373 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Alexej Nikolajewitsch Arbusow . In: Susanne Wigger (Ed.): Alexej Arbusow. Dramas . With an afterword by Jochen Ziller . Henschelverlag, Berlin 1972, p. 455 f .
  3. ↑ a b c program booklet “Leningrader Romanze”, Theater Bremerhaven Großes Haus , 1971/72 (unpaginated).
  4. ↑ Cover text for The Wide Way (Henschelverlag, 1960).
  5. ↑ Nadeshda Shelesnowa: Masks, People, Memoirs. APN correspondent Nadeshda Shelesnowa visited the famous playwright Alexej Nikolajewitsch Arbusow for FREE WORLD . In: Free World . February 4, 1970, p. 8–13 (unclear information, hence the year of publication possibly later).
  6. ↑ Jochen Ziller: Annotations . In: Susanne Wigger (Ed.): Alexej Arbusow. Dramas . With an afterword by Jochen Ziller. Henschelverlag, Berlin 1972, p. 463 .
  7. ↑ a b c Alexander Schtein: What he writes he sees through the prism of his life . In: The Press of the Soviet Union . 2nd edition. Berlin October 1980, p. 45 f . (Originally Pravda , August 11, 1980; the output could also be “20.”).
  8. ↑ About the authors . In: Christel Růžička (Ed.): Soviet Dramas . 1st edition. Publishing house culture and progress, Berlin 1967, Alexej Nikolajewitsch Arbusow, p. 425 f .
  9. ↑ Walther Pollatschek : Played by laypeople. “Irkutsk History” in the Central House of German-Soviet Friendship . In: BZ May 8, 1961, p. 6 .
  10. ↑ Program “Leningrad Romanze”, Vereinigte Städtische Bühnen Krefeld / Mönchengladbach , undated (unpaginated).
  11. ^ Henryk Keisch in Neues Deutschland from November 1, 1960, quoted from the cover text on the Irkutsk story (Henschelverlag, 1961 edition).
  12. ↑ Balduin Thieme in the Sächsisches Tageblatt of May 5, 1965, quoted from the reception appendix in Leningrader Romance (Henschelverlag, 1966).
  13. ↑ ADN-Bulletin Berlin No. 1 from January 1969 (spelling adjusted).
  14. ↑ ADN-Bulletin Berlin No. 17, no date, 1971 (spelling adjusted).
  15. ↑ ADN-Bulletin Berlin No. 2, no date, 1972 (spelling adjusted).
  16. ↑ Afanassi D. Salynski: The Soviet drama and the communist education of the people . In: About theater in the Soviet Union. Contributions to the design of the schedule, the work of the director and the development of the drama (=  material on the theater. Drama series ). tape 2 , no. 10 . Berlin 1972, The Present on the Stage, p. 55–74 , here p. 63 .
  17. ↑ Erika Stephan in Theater der Zeit , issue 12/1965, quoted from the blurb on Leningrader Romance (Henschelverlag, 1966).
  18. ^ Program booklet "Altmodische Komödie", Fritz Rémond Theater im Zoo , Frankfurt am Main, 1981 (unpaginated).
  19. ↑ Reinhard Lauer: History of Russian Literature. From 1700 to the present . With 33 illustrations. Verlag CH Beck, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-406-45338-4 , Das Drama im Tauwetter, p. 787-789 .
  20. ↑ Werner Schweikert: The Russian and the literatures of the former Soviet republics in German translation. Part I 1880-1965. An overview of their reception in German . Verlag Werner Schweikert, Flein near Heilbronn 2003, ISBN 3-933696-07-0 , Chapter 3.6.3. Soviet literature. Arbusow, A [lexej Nikolajewitsch], p. 227 .
  21. ↑ More exercise. Interview with the Soviet playwright Alexei Arbusow . In: Sunday . No. 44/1980 , November 2, 1980, Abroad, p. 10 (originally Literaturnaja Gazeta ).
  22. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Pieces by Arbusow @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.henschel-schauspiel.de
  23. ↑ КРЕЙТНЕР ГЕОРГИЙ ГУСТАВОВИЧ (Enziklopedija Permski Krai, Russian, accessed July 9, 2020)
personal data
SURNAME Arbusow, Alexei Nikolayevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Arbuzov, Aleksey N .; Arbuzov, Aleksey Nikolaevič; Алексей Николаевич Арбузов (Russian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Soviet-Russian playwright
DATE OF BIRTH May 26, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Moscow
DATE OF DEATH April 20, 1986
Place of death Moscow