Old Frankfurt
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| Title: | Old Frankfurt |
| Genus: | comedy |
| Original language: | Frankfurterisch |
| Author: | Adolf Stoltze |
| Publishing year: | 1887 |
| Premiere: | December 31, 1887 |
| Place of premiere: | City Theater Frankfurt am Main |
| Place and time of the action: | Free City of Frankfurt , around 1860. |
| Duration of the premiere | Duration of the performance approx. Three hours |
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Alt-Frankfurt is a comedy in Frankfurt dialect by Adolf Stoltze . The first performance took place in Frankfurt am Main in 1887 . The playing time is about three hours.
The play takes place in the Free City of Frankfurt am Main around 1860, before the annexation by Prussia . The action takes place alternately in the old town , Sachsenhausen and the Frankfurt city forest on the Wäldchestag .
action
First picture
Heinrich, son of the respected Frankfurt merchant family Muffel, fell in love with Lorchen, daughter of the widowed Sachsenhausen vegetable gardener Funk. However, his father plans to marry him to eighteen-year-old Agathe, daughter of his late business partner Schnippel. He discusses the necessary arrangements for the engagement with the widow Schnippel, his partner.
Heinrich writes several business letters and a letter to Lorchen. He instructs the apprentice Schnuckes to deliver them. Schnuckes confused the letters, however, and he also copied them into the journal of the trading house because Heinrich had previously impressed on him not to let any uncopied letters out of the house. Muffel becomes suspicious when he reads this copy; his suspicions are confirmed when Schnuckes comes back with a message from “a young woman on the Römerberg ”.
Second picture
Ms. Muffel lets Theophil Haspel do her hair in her apartment. The hairdresser talks about his passion for the theater and reports that he has often watched Heinrich Muffel stand for hours in the Sachsenhausen Klappergasse in storms and rain. Muffel arrives and finds his worst fears confirmed - his son has an acquaintance with a woman from Sachsenhausen! Together you decide to break this connection.
Agathe returns home by train from the secondary school for girls. The old grouch and her mother try to find an opportunity on which she can meet Heinrich alone. The two greet each other only fleetingly. Instead, she meets Haspel, and they both discover their love for the theater. Haspel plays her a scene from the planned performance of the robbers by Schiller , in which he is supposed to play Franz Moor. When, kneeling in front of Agathe, he passionately declaims: "Franz, the envied, the feared, voluntarily declares himself to be Amalie's slave", Muffel steps in. He misjudges the situation and throws the "barickemaker society" out.
Third picture
Lorchen sits in front of the door on Sunday and cleans vegetables. Babette Strampel arrives and tells her about the calamities Heinrich got into when Agathes arrived. Lorchen, however, is certain of Heinrich's love.
Muffel appears and tries to make the acquaintance of Lorchen. He poses as a hairdresser named Brenneisen and declares to be Heinrich's best friend. He likes friendly Lorchen far better than he wants to admit to himself; When she goes to get him a bottle of apple cider , he says to himself: "Very nice girl, it hates each other to get together when you want to be rough!"
Lorchen brings the apple cider and speaks openly about her love for Heinrich. Muffel is visibly impressed. When Lorchen asks him to do her hair, he is embarrassed. His situation becomes even more complicated when he discovers his wife entering the courtyard from behind. At the last moment he can hide undetected in the cellar.
Ms. Muffel meets Lorchen and her mother, who has just come home from the field. Ms. Muffel tries to persuade the widow Funk that the connection between her daughter and the son of an educated merchant family is out of the question. In doing so, however, she comes across the wrong person: Ms. Funk gives her arrogance a rough rebuff that can only come from a Sachsenhausen vegetable gardener. Ms. Muffel clears the field and has to allow herself to be called: “Come on, come and see the wheelbarrow! And when the brick is not ready enough, the emperor Karl can get out of the way. "
Lorchen is desperate, but is soon comforted when Heinrich arrives and says that his father has to be in the house. You look for him together with the guests who appear in the evening for cider. Suddenly there is a knock on the cellar door from the inside. The company is afraid of a ghost and fled in fright, but only the old grouch appears.
Fourth picture
Purzler, the director of a wandering theater, crouches gloomily in the dungeon under the roof of the Frankfurt flour scales, where he was locked up because of his debts. He wistfully remembers the young woman he recently met on the train. He wrote her a letter on the edge of luck - maybe she can turn his sad fate around!
Agathe appears. With pathetic words he appeals to her to help him escape from his creditors: "The geese saved the Capitol, and you, a swan, a phoenix of art, should be able to do nothing?" In return, he promises to commit her to Theater to help. The romantic prospect of a little drama inspires Agathe. She rushes home to get a file and rope for the escape. Purzler triumphs and shakes his bars: “You shouldn't be blocking my way to freedom for much longer. Weakness, your name is flour scales! "
Enter Ms. Schnippel. She has intercepted Purzler's letter to Agathe and comes quickly to protect her daughter from stupid things and to read her the riot act. In Purzler she recognizes her former admirer Fridolin Schlucker, who, however, had found no favor in front of her uncle's stern eyes because of his dire economic prospects. While Fridolin went to the theater under the stage name Purzler, she married the wealthy Frankfurt merchant Schnippel.
While they reminisce, a terrible thunderstorm is brewing outside. The grouch, soaked to the skin - Purzler's creditor who had him locked up on the flour scales - fled to the ground floor. He wants to speak to his debtor's conscience. Mrs. Schnippel recognizes the voice of her partner and hides under a colter .
Muffel storms in and presents his bills that have been unpaid for years. While he is talking to Purzler, he willingly takes off his hat and coat, apparently to dry them on the ground floor. Instead, he quickly throws it on and flees the house.
While Muffel suspects the fugitive Purzler is still on the ground floor, the short-sighted Dappler appears, the overseer of the flour scales. He thinks Muffel is his prisoner and immediately penetrates him: Visiting hours have long been exceeded, the lady and the gentleman should leave the house immediately. Because the dubious grouch still doesn't understand what is happening to him, the two get into an argument. Schnuckes appears and brings Muffel's hat and coat - a stranger left them at Muffel's house and had the theater director Purzler send them a nice greeting. Dappler discovers the Kolter and unmasked the hidden woman Schnippel. Everyone involved stands there like poodles watered over and realizes that they have been teased.
Fifth picture
The widow Funk's apple wine tavern in Sachsenhausen is very busy. While the guests rant about the upcoming war and astrological prophecies and arrange to meet for the Woods Day , Lorchen lets her tears run wild. She wrote to her beloved Heinrich that after careful consideration she had come to the conclusion that the two did not go together after all.
Ms. Funk asks Niklees Spengler, one of her guests, to do a favor. She sends him to the basement to be bottled. Ms. Funk continues to serve eagerly until a guest complains: "I don't know, he'll come in for a bissi dinn!" Indignantly, she rejects the suspicion, then hurries to the cellar door: "Niklees, heer uff, you notice!"
Heinrich appears to confront Lorchen about the letter. He does not want to accept that Lorchen will dump him. She wavers, but remains steadfast. Agathe appears deeply veiled and explains to Lorchen that she has no interest in Heinrich, but that her love only belongs on the stage. But Lorchen cannot be changed. Heinrich breaks out in anger and storms off. Lorchen is appalled by the consequences of her stubbornness and fears that he might harm himself. She sends Niklees after him.
Haspel, who is sitting among the guests, suddenly recognizes Agathe and courted her. He urges her to join him and take a sip of the dramatic muse and the prestigious future.
Mr. and Mrs. Muffel and Mrs. Schnippel come by outside on a walk. Suddenly Muffel is seized with a burning thirst and the concerns of the women do not deter him from a stop. Ms. Funk, however, recognizes him as the wrong journeyman hairdresser, Brenneisen, and explains that she would rather pour her apple wine into the Main than give it to the man who made her Lorchen unhappy. Muffel is indignant: "Emme local Berjer deny Ebbelwoi ze!" And insists on his citizenship right to a bottle. Against the quarrelsome eloquence of the widow Funk, however, all that remains for him is to withdraw. Agathe, who is startled by the hassle out of their togetherness with reel wants to hastily leave the economy, but is recognized by her mother and together with its companion on Schlafittchen packed. Muffel goes off with the whole company and decides: "Morje is engagement, the story has an end!"
Niklees comes back and brings Lorchen the news that Heinrich is sitting in the inn “To the three rabbits” and is drinking beer after beer.
Sixth picture
Heinrich takes the initiative. Before Muffel's scheduled engagement party, he prepares a bottle of liquorice stock . He paints two skulls on the label and writes: “GIFT. For Mr. Heinrich Muffel, every hour a tablespoon full ”.
Mrs. Schnippel prepares the blackboard. Agathe appears and falls around her mother's neck with tears. She announces that she intends to take a serious step and asks her loving mom for forgiveness. Ms. Schnippel is touched that the good girl has assumed reason and wants to marry Heinrich.
The engagement guests appear and take their seats at the table. While the waiters serve, Muffel gives a soulful speech: "It is the celebration of those hearts that feel what more of two people have grown up to expect". While he is still indulging in memories, he is interrupted by Haspel, who is standing outside in the street and serenading the revered Agathe with his guitar. Full of anger, Muffel grabs the first container he comes across and pours the contents out of the window - it is the May punch of all things!
Furious, he continues his speech and finally asks the company to “raise their glasses” and toast the well-being of the bride and groom - but where is the bride? She is missing! After a hectic search, Muffel finds a letter from Agathes: “Dear mom! The bride of art cannot be absorbed in a prosaic grouch. I'm going to the theater and performing tomorrow. A bay leaf that I send to you is a sign of my success! "
Haspel, the barber, bursts into confusion. He wants to complain about the rough cooling. When he learns of the mishap, he vows to track down the lost woman and bring her back to her mother in order to earn her trust.
Seventh picture
On the Wäldchestag , the Tuesday after Whitsun, the whole city meets at the Oberforsthaus for a folk festival. Ms. Funk and Lorchen serve their cider to the thirsty hikers. When Heinrich suddenly appears, Lorchen is overjoyed.
Muffel, his wife and Mrs Schnippel are there too. However, they have lost sight of each other in the crowd. While Muffel tries to approach an Italian singer (with a Sachsenhausen tongue), Ms. Muffel complains that she has lost her picnic basket with five bottles of Deidesheimer and that she has to make do with the sour cider instead. Fortunately, she has her universal drops with her, which refine every drink.
Ms. Funk recognizes both Muffel and his wife and thinks about giving both of them another opinion. Out of consideration for Heinrich and Lorchen, she refrains from doing so. Then she recognizes the skull on Ms. Muffel's bottle. She believes that Ms. Muffel wants to commit suicide out of jealousy about her husband's advances to the singer and snatches the glass from her. When Mrs. Muffel realizes that she was about to drink poison, she feels death is approaching. She sinks to the ground.
At that moment, the obligatory forest thunderstorm breaks out. While the elements are raging and everyone on the stage is fleeing from the downpour, Heinrich appears and recognizes his bottle with the liquorice stock. He laughs and clears up the mistake, and Ms. Muffel immediately feels like a newborn.
As the thunderstorm clears, Haspel appears. He tracked Agathe down at a dope in Langen and released her from her engagement shortly before her first appearance as the Maid of Orleans in exchange for a penalty of a quarter of cider. Agathe is cured of her theatrical passion. Everyone involved is going home.
Eighth picture
The other day Ms. Funk and Lorchen set up their stand on the Römerberg and sell their vegetables. Heinrich congratulates Lorchen on her birthday.
Mr. and Mrs. Muffel have also decided to take a morning stroll through the market. Ms. Muffel has recognized her hysteria and drawn the consequences: She threw all the medicine bottles into the Kerschel.
The mixed patrol of Prussian, Austrian, Bavarian and Frankfurt soldiers appears on the Römerberg. A crowd forms , and Muffel follows them with interest.
Enter Haspel and Agathe. She urges him to ask her mother for her hand. He should renounce the theater and also give up his job as a hairdresser in order to take a job as a shop clerk at Muffel's.
Suddenly there is a commotion: a passer-by has scolded the Bundestag as a whiner. The patrol followed him to arrest him and lead him to the main guard . It is Muffel who can just save himself at Ms. Funk's booth. With presence of mind, Lorchen throws her coat over him and disguises him with vegetables and salad.
While the patrol has to leave without having achieved anything, Ms. Muffel and Schnuckes come to the stand. They excitedly tell the rumors that are already circulating: Muffel wanted to blow up the Bundestag and was put in iron and taken to the main guard Dungeon thrown!
Muffel throws off his disguise and clears up the mistake. He feels like the hero of the day, just like back in 48 , when he almost saved the Roman . He blesses Lorchen and takes her to his heart as his daughter-in-law. Reel recognizes his opportunity. He asks Muffel for the job of shopkeeper and Frau Schnippel for her daughter. Both agree, touched.
Only Ms. Funk remains skeptical: “No, where am I staying?” Muffel explains: “You will stand up and move in with us. Mei Fraa gives you an hour every day in High German! ”Ms. Funk categorically explains:“ She never lives! ”And the curtain falls.
Reception history
Stoltze wrote the Muffel und Compagnie in 1884 within six weeks. Since his play Eine gute Partie, which premiered on March 19, 1884 at the Frankfurt Theater , failed the audience, he was unable to get his new dialect piece through to the artistic director for three years. Only on New Year's Eve 1887 was it premiered under its new name Alt-Frankfurt in the old Frankfurt Comoedienhaus . The actor Georg Adam Strohecker was the first to cast the Muffel.
During and after the performance the curtain rose 69 times. This success was the breakthrough for Stoltze as a playwright. From then on, the play was staged again and again with great success, including at the Schauspiel Frankfurt and the Volkstheater Frankfurt (most recently in 1977, 1990 and 1999 in productions by Wolfgang Kaus ), as well as recorded several times by the Hessischer Rundfunk for television. Numerous well-known actors worked in the productions, including Mathilde Einzig , Carl Luley , Anny Hannewald , Else Knott , Lia Wöhr , Liesel Christ , Erich Walther and Hans Zürn . In the 1977 television production, Hilde Sicks played the role of Euphrosine Muffel .
In today's performances, the fourth picture and with it the role of theater director Purzler is mostly deleted.
literature
- Waldemar Kramer (ed.): Selected Frankfurt dialect poetry . Waldemar Kramer publishing house, Frankfurt am Main 1966
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ According to the old Frankfurt units of measurement , a bottle has almost exactly 0.45 liters
- ↑ The statue of Emperor Charles had been on the Old Bridge since 1843
- ↑ A quarter corresponds to 16 bottles, that is 7.17 liters