Miloš Kirschner

Božena Weleková and Miloš Kirschner (1958)

Miloš Kirschner (born March 16, 1927 in Prague ; † July 2, 1996 there ) was a Czech puppeteer , actor and singer as well as long-time director and main interpreter of the Prague puppet theater Spejbl and Hurvínek .

Life

Kirschner initially studied international law in Prague until he had to finish his studies in 1949 for political reasons. In the early 1950s he was arrested for dissident activity and sentenced to prison. After he was detained, he was transferred to the Czechoslovak Penal Battalion " Pomocný technický prapor " ("Technical Auxiliary Troops "), which had been formed in the 1950s to re-educate dissidents within the Czechoslovak People's Army .

After completing this military service, he was accepted into the "Hurvinek and Spejbl" theater in Prague in 1951. As early as 1952 he took over the leading roles. In 1956, the long-time director Professor Josef Skupa named him his successor. He was not officially appointed director until 1966. Kirschner remained in this position until his death, after which his wife and long-time employee Helena Štáchová took over this position. The characters Hurvinek and Spejbl were taken over by Martin Klásek in 1996 .

Under the direction of Miloš Kirschner, the legendary character of the doll couple Spejbl and Hurvínek developed in the direction we know today. He went into tradition and the present and came up with scenic and thematic innovations. So hand puppets steered from below were used as well as puppets in the shape of the black theater and also trick effects. Kirschner also wrote a large part of the theater's texts, which were mostly very humorous and sometimes quite profound. After Skupa's death in particular, Kirschner initiated a change from the rather crude cabaret humor to finer and more witty tones, and word games became a trademark of the ensemble. Spejbl is no longer a thoroughly stupid and dumb person and the target of ridicule, but becomes a more profound figure, to whom the circumstances and coincidences play unfavorably again and again. Hurvínek, on the other hand, lost much of his exaggerated impudence. In contrast to Josef Skupa, he also spoke his roles in 17 foreign languages, including not only common languages ​​such as German, English and French but also Japanese, Arabic and Flemish. In 44 years on stage, he made guest appearances in 30 countries.

Kirschner also wrote technical articles, wrote scripts and plays. Many of these pieces have been recorded on vinyl. He also participated in the design of the Czechoslovak sandman Večerníček . In addition to the theater, Kirschner was also active on television and radio. He played in films that were shot in Czechoslovakia and abroad. Kirschner has received a number of awards for his work.

Discography (selection)

German

• Spejbl and Hurvínek really big ... , Aria, Prague 1969
• Spejbls Amorosiade , Supraphon, Prague 1974
• Spejbl and Hurvínek on their birthday , Aria, Prague 1975 (with explanatory text by Pavel Grym)
• Hurvinek among the beetles , Supraphon, Prague
• Hurvínek's Snowman , Supraphon, Prague 1977 (also Litera, Berlin 1977)
• Spejbls Herzliche Metaferosen , Aria, Prague 1980 (with explanatory text by Pavel Grym)
• Hurvinek is on vacation , Supraphon, Prague
• Spejbl's vacation with Hurvínek , Supraphon, Prague 1982
• Hurvínek in Dreamland , Aria, Prague 1982

Czech

• 2004: Dobrý večer s Waldemarem - FR, CD - 10. Ach ta láska nebeská - Waldemar Matuška & Miloš Kirschner & Helena Štáchová

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://hurvinkuv.pinknet.cz/02/hurvinek.htm
2. ↑ http://www.libri.cz/databaze/kdo20/list.php?od=k&start=21&count=20
3. ↑ http://www.kvety.cz/web.php/clanky/?clanekid=432  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 21, 2010 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. 

Web links

• Literature by and about Miloš Kirschner in the catalog of the German National Library
• Literature and other media by and about Miloš Kirschner in the catalog of the National Library of the Czech Republic
• Miloš Kirschner in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Website of Helena Stachova about Milos Kirschner (Czech)