Karl Michael von Pauerspach

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Karl Michael von Pauerspach (* before / on February 8, 1737 in Vienna ; † August 9, 1802 in Nuremberg ) was a theater director for Eszterház, writer, lawyer and post commissioner in Regensburg and Nuremberg.

He worked as a theater writer and lawyer a. a. in Vienna, constructed a marionette stage, which was purchased for the Eszterház Palace in 1772 and for which he wrote a number of works, was director of the puppet theater and the Eszterház opera theater as director around 1775 and worked with Joseph Haydn. After a short stay in Vienna in 1778, he moved to Regensburg and finally entered the service of the Princely House of Thurn und Taxis as post commissioner in 1781 and worked in this position in Regensburg and Nuremberg. His name was and still is mistakenly given as "Joseph von Pauerspach / Pauersbach".

Life

Childhood, youth, professional and literary work in Vienna until approx. 1775

Karl Michael von Pauersbach, also spelled “Carl” and “Pauersbach”, was baptized as the first child of the married couple Johann Michael and Theresia Pauersbach on February 8, 1737 in the Schottenkirche in Vienna. His father was ennobled in 1763, and since then the family has called themselves "von Pauersbach / Pauerspach". Nothing is known about his childhood or his education, he emphasized in his résumé in 1797 that he had studied and completed "Jura - Cammeralia - Commissariatica - Politica". After staying in southern Germany, from 1767/68 he worked as the secretary of the Lower Austrian land rights, i.e. in the state government. Despite his (simultaneous) leading artistic and administrative activity in Eszterház, he has been proven in this function until 1775. His main interests were puppets and spoken theater. His first play, the sequel "The Indian Widow or The Stake", a comprehensive redesign of the original by Nicolaus-Etienne Framéry, was premiered with great success on April 26, 1772 at the Vienna Kärntnerthortheater. Of the other works of this first creative period in Vienna, only the “heroic drama” “Zwo Queens. Or competition of female friendship ”- based on a model by Claude-Joseph Dorat - in the repertoire of contemporary theaters for a long time. His pronounced appearance against anti-Semitic tendencies of his time in the comedy “Der honest Bauer, und Großmüthige Jud. or the happy anniversary ”(Vienna 1774).

Activity at Eszterház from 1772 to 1778

Eszterház Castle, puppet playhouse

Pauerspach must have already met puppeteers during his childhood in Vienna, who worked in the immediate vicinity of his home - e. B. on the Freyung or the Judenplatz - occurred. As a result, he constructed a technically highly elaborate puppet stage, which was set up in Brunn am Gebirge, a place southwest of Vienna, and on which he played himself. Presumably through the mediation of the Kees family or Joseph Haydn and on the orders of Prince Nicolaus I. Esterházy, the stage machinery, puppet figures, costumes and text books were bought in 1772 for participation in a festival at Eszterház Castle - from the 19th century. Eszterháza Castle called - transported. On July 23, 1772, the entire inventory was acquired for 300 ducats for the princely court on the condition that Pauerspach directs the theater "Jahr und Tag" himself. An already existing, representative grotto hall near the castle was converted to meet the needs of the puppet stage. The new and architecturally very unusual marionette theater, renowned throughout Europe, opened on September 2nd, 1773 in the presence of the Hungarian Queen Maria Theresa and members of the imperial family with Haydn's puppet opera “Philemon und Baucis” and the prelude “Der Götterrath”. In the years that followed, the puppet theater became an integral part of courtly cultural life, and performances took place every week and were generally free of charge to court employees and residents of the surrounding areas. Performances were supported by thirty to sixty people in the stage area, the stage orchestra consisted of around sixteen musicians each. Pauerspach directed the puppet theater and at the same time the princely opera and initially tried to practice this activity parallel to his official job in Vienna. From spring 1775 he was only artistic and administrative director of the two theaters in Eszterház. One of the highlights of his work was the invitation of the puppet ensemble to a guest performance in Vienna in July 1777, where "Alceste" and the "Hexenschabbas" were performed in the presence of Maria Theresa and her guests in the Schönbrunn Palace Theater. From 1776 the opera house was the focus of his activities, the puppet theater continued to be played regularly until 1777, but only rarely after his departure from Eszterház in January 1778 to 1783.

Return to Vienna and marriage in 1778

In January 1778, Pauerspach took a minor incident as an opportunity to resign together with his future wife Maria Anna Tauber in Eszterház and move to Vienna. The hoped-for success in the Viennese theater scene did not become reality for either of them, Pauerspach's plays were not on the program, and his future wife's singing career was not as successful as hoped. After the marriage on October 18, 1778 in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, the couple moved to Regensburg, the hometown of Maria Anna Tauber, where their son Karl Anselm was born in 1782.

Residence and professional activity in Regensburg and Nuremberg (1778–1802)

In Regensburg, Pauerspach's works were recognized, but from 1781 he finally had to devote himself to the profession of post commissioner in the service of princely Thurn and Taxis. In this function he undertook visitation trips in 1782/83, the detailed protocols of which are essential sources for regional studies in southern Germany. From 1786 Pauerspach officiated in Nuremberg and headed the administration of the moving posts. During these years Pauerspach kept in contact with the respective Prince Esterházy by letter and hoped to return with his family to Eszterház or Eisenstadt. It is noticeable that he often had Hungarian (Burgenland) wine sent from the Eisenstadt area to Nuremberg. He died in Nuremberg on August 9, 1802.

Incorrect name assignment - "Joseph" instead of "Karl / Carl"

Even today his name is often erroneously given in catalogs and in the literature as "Joseph von P." or "Joseph Karl von P." etc. The reason for this is the incorrect name given to "Joseph von P." in Ignaz de Lucas' scholarly lexicon "The learned Austria" published in Vienna from 1776 to 1778. This naming was adopted by other directories, including Constant von Wurzbach for the “Biographical Lexicon of the Austrian Empire”, vol. 21, p. 366. Only in the “Bio-bibliographical literature dictionary of Austria” published by Giebisch-Gugitz in 1964 was the error clearly corrected. In text books and in contemporary sources the spelling "Karl / Carl von P." is clearly documented.

Works

Plays / opera libretti for Vienna and Eszterház

  • The Indian widow. A comedy in one act - aftermath - premier Vienna 1772
  • Schach Hussein a prototype without an afterimage, or the talking lap dog. A fairy tale in dialogue in three acts - drama - premiered Vienna 1773
  • Two queens. Or competition for female friendship. A heroic drama in five acts - play - Premiere Eszterház 1773
  • The honest farmer, and generous Jew. or the happy anniversary. A comedy in three acts - comedy - premiered Vienna 1774
  • The dead man, a Freyer. A comedy in two acts - comedy - premiered Vienna 1778
  • The Lord Godfather. Something for country people and married people. A rural comedy in one act - comedy - premier Vienna 1778
  • Chants to the Alceste. A funny opera seria in three acts - opera libretto (music by K. v. Ordonez, after Chr. W. Gluck) - premiered Vienna 1783
  • Orfeus and Euridice - opera libretto (manuscript) - Regensburg 1783/84

Marionette theater plays / puppet operas for Eszterház

  • The Rehearsal of Love - Puppet Play - UA Eszterház 1774
  • Genovefa - first to fourth part - marionette operetta (music by J. Haydn?) - premier Eszterház 1774/75/76/77
  • Alceste a parody sung tragedy in three acts - marionette operetta (music by K. v. Ordonez, based on Chr. W. Gluck) - premier Eszterház 1775 by Pauerspach
Text book of the marionette opera “Alceste”, title page 1775

Editing with uncertain or only possible assignment to Pauerspach, works with (only) possible cooperation by Pauerspach

  • Der Götterrath - Prelude / Marionette Play (music by J. Haydn) - WP Eszterház 1773
  • Philemon and Baucis or Jupiter's Journey to Earth - marionette operetta / drama with singing (music by J. Haydn) - premier Eszterház 1773
  • Hexenschabbas, a marionette festival in one act - marionette play (music by J. Haydn) - premier Eszterház 1773
  • Philemon and Baucis, original Singspiel in one act - second version / Singspiel (music by J. Haydn) - premier Eszterház 1776
  • The fairy Urgele or what the ladies like - puppet operetta (music I. Pleyel) - premier Eszterház 1776
  • Demophon - puppet play - UA Eszterház 1776

Protocols of the post-visit trips 1782/83

literature

  • Klaus M. Pollheimer: The Marionette Theater in Eszterház. The puppet theater at Eszterház Castle in the time of Joseph Haydn and his founder, Karl Michael von Pauerspach. A contribution to the history of theater and music. Vienna 2016 (Eisenstädter Haydn reports 9), ISBN 978-3-99012-336-2
  • Klaus Pollheimer: Karl Michael (Joseph) von Pauerspach (1737–1802). Attempt of a monograph by the lawyer, castle theater poet and director of the puppet theater in Eszterház. Housework from German studies, masch., University of Vienna, Vienna 1971.
  • Klaus M. Pollheimer: Karl Michael (Joseph) von Pauerspach (1737-1802). The life and work of the founder and director of the puppet theater in Eszterháza, in: Contributions to the history of theater in the 18th century, ed. from the Institute for Austrian Cultural History (Yearbook for Austrian Cultural History, Vol. III), Eisenstadt 1973, pp. 34–78.
  • Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: Haydn's Marionette Operas and the Repertoire of the Marionette Theater at Esterház Castle, in: HJB I (1962), pp. 111-199.
  • Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Marionette Theater at Esterház Palace, in: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, 26th vol., 1971, Issue 5–6, pp. 272–280.
  • Erwin Probst: Karl Ritter von Pauerspach and his Thurn and Taxis post visits 1782/83, in: Hans Dachs to commemorate (negotiations of the Historical Association for Upper Palatinate and Regensburg 106), Regensburg 1966, pp. 261–290.
  • Erwin Probst: Karl Ritter von Pauerspach and his Thurn and Taxis post visits 1782/1783. A main source on the history of the Thurn and Taxis Post in southern Germany (studies and sources on postal history, vol. 2), Kallmünz 1979.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Jürgen Hein: Judenthematik im Wiener Volkstheater, in: Conditio Judaica. Judaism, anti-Semitism and German-language literature from the 18th century to the First World War, interdisciplinary symposium of the Werner Reimers Foundation Bad Homburg vd H., ed. by Hans Otto Horch and Horst Denkler, Tübingen 1988, pp. 164-186; Charlene A. Lea: Tolerance Unlimited: "The Noble Jew" on the German and Austrian Stage (1750–1805), in: The German Quarterly, Vol. 64 / Heft 2, (1991), pp. 166–177, pp. 17th
  2. ↑ See Christoph Meixner: Musiktheater in Regensburg in the age of the Perpetual Reichstag, Sinzing 2008, in several places.
  3. ↑ See Erwin Probst: Karl Ritter von Pauerspach and his Thurn and Taxis post visits 1782/1783. A main source on the history of the Thurn and Taxis Post in southern Germany (studies and sources on postal history, vol. 2), Kallmünz 1979.
  4. ↑ Cf. Ignaz de Luca: Das schehre Österreich, Vienna 1776–1778, vol. I., 2nd piece, p. 10f., Keyword “Pauersbach, Joseph von”. The following information clearly relates to Karl von Pauerspach.
  5. ↑ See Hans Giebisch and Gustav Gugitz: Bio-Bibliographisches Literaturlexikon Österreichs, Vienna 1964, pp. 291f.
personal data
SURNAME Pauerspach, Karl Michael von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Theater director zu Eszterház, writer, lawyer and post commissioner in Regensburg and Nuremberg
DATE OF BIRTH before February 8, 1737
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH August 9, 1802
Place of death Nuremberg