René Morax

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René Morax (born May 11, 1873 in Morges ; † January 3, 1963 there , entitled to live in Mex , from 1953 from Morges) was a Swiss playwright , stage director and theater director .

Life

René Morax grew up with his brothers Jean and Victor as the son of a canton doctor. He studied humanities at the University of Lausanne and had stays in Berlin , Paris and London . He was a bachelor.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the canton of Vaud in 1903, he staged his drama La Dîme , with which he gained international attention. When he and his brother Jean took on artistic responsibility for the Fête des Vignerons (winegrowers' festival) two years later (1905) , René Morax was encouraged to stand up for the Swiss folk theater in French . He opened the Théâtre du Jorat in Mézières in 1908 . He wrote most of the pieces for this wooden festival theater, which had astonishingly good acoustics, but also often worked with Gustave Doret . In 1913 he was one of the founding members of the Cahiers vaudois .

The themes of his dramas are based on the Bible, are historical or Romanesque legends. But the village or military fluctuation is also represented. Space was also given to the puppet theater. Every two years there was a performance - with the exception of the two world wars. Thus fifteen works were created between 1908 and 1947. Some of them have become famous.

Together with the patron Werner Reinhart , he took a trip to India in 1919 , which shaped his work. His most famous work, Le roi David (1921), which was set to music by Arthur Honegger , was particularly influenced by his stay in Asia.

In 1942 he received the Drama Prize of the Welti Foundation for his play Job le vigneron and was one of the pioneers of modern stage poetry from the French-speaking world.

In 1936 he was made an honorary citizen of Mézières.

Works

  • 1902: Les quatre doigts et le pouce
  • 1903: La Dime , setting by Alexandre Denéréaz
  • 1908: Henriette
  • 1910: Aliénor , setting by Gustave Doret
  • 1911: Orphée
  • 1912: La nuit des Quatre Temps
  • 1914: Tell
  • 1921: Le roi David , bibl. Drama set to music by Arthur Honegger
  • 1923: Davel
  • 1925: Judith
  • 1937: La Servante d'Évolène , set to music by Gustave Doret
  • Roméo and Juliette
  • La terre et l'eau
  • La Belle de Moudon
  • Charles le téméraire
  • La lampe d'argile

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Morax, René
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss playwright, stage director and theater director
DATE OF BIRTH May 11, 1873
PLACE OF BIRTH Morges
DATE OF DEATH January 3, 1963
Place of death Morges