The careless Turk, or: who likes to be a grandson?

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Data
Title: The careless Turk, or: who likes to be a grandson?
Original title: Опрометчивый Турка, или: Приятно ли быть внуком?
Genus: comic short drama
Original language: Russian
Author: Kosma Prutkov
Publishing year: 1863
Place and time of the action: St. Petersburg, in Mrs. Razorvaki's salon.
people
  • Famous writer
  • Milovidov
  • Prince Batog-Batyev
  • Kutilo-Zavaldajsky
  • Liebenthal
  • Mrs. Razorvaki , widow
  • Ivan Semënyč

The careless Turk, or: who likes to be a grandson? ( Russian Опрометчивый Турка, или: Приятно ли быть внуком? ) is an absurdly funny short drama by the imaginary writer Kosma Prutkow . It first appeared in the magazine Sowremennik in 1863 . Most of the characters in the drama are taken from the earlier play Fantasie (1851).

action

In the prologue, a 'famous writer' explains that the present piece extends the known genre boundaries. Instead of the usual genres of comedy, tragedy, drama, opera, pantomime, vaudeville or round dance, the genre 'play in conversations according to nature' will now be introduced (also the subtitle in the original: “Естественно-разговорное представление”). After this announcement, Ivan Semënyč takes the stage, starts playing the violin and does without the rosin - no sound can be heard.

The main scene takes place in the salon of the widow Razorvaki in Saint Petersburg . Apparently Semënyč has died in the meantime, because Milovidov repeated an obituary for him with the words: "Итак, нашего Ивана Семеныча уже не существует! .. Все, чито было все, чито чем все, чеген!" Ivan Semenyč is no longer! .. Everything that was pleasant about him has stopped being with him! ”) He is interrupted several times because the other guests indulge in other small talk.

Finally, Milovidov tells how playing the violin without rosin once cost Semënyč a job, and even goes so far that this type of violin playing ultimately brought him underground. Suddenly, however, Semënyč steps into the salon alive and bows to the guests. He tells the widow Razorvaki that he has found out that she has a grandson of Turkish descent. At this exciting point the piece ends with the words: "Here the manuscript unfortunately breaks off, and it is difficult to assume that Kozma Prutkov completed this highly remarkable work."

expenditure

  • The careless Turk, or: who likes to be a grandson? In: Mistake of Death. Russian absurd from 2 centuries. Edited and translated from the Russian by Peter Urban . Frankfurt / Main: Verlag der Autor 1990. pp. 71–79.

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