Jedermann

Jedermann (pronunciation: yédeurmanne, each man or each one of us in German) are a play of Hugo von Hofmannsthal in form of mystery. It is subtitled " The mystery of died of the man riche" ( Das Spiel vom Sterben of the reichen Baskets ).

The first representation took place on February 1st 1911 with Berlin under the capital of the circus Zirkus Schumann in a setting in scene of max Reinhardt. It is traditionally taken again each year since 1920 at the time of the Festival of Salzburg whose Hofmannsthal was one of the initiators.

Origin and form

On the model of the theatrical style of the end of the the Middle Ages called mystery, but calling upon modern means, the part reveals God, the Mort, the Diable among other allegorical characters. It is a translation and adaptation of a work in English, Everyman, has morality play , printed with London in 1490, itself resting on a Dutch part original of Macropedius Elckerlijc (like Homulus and Hecastus ) and imprégée of stylistic effects drawn from the Chanson de geste. Hofmannsthal also took as a starting point the Comedi vom sterbend reichen Menschen (comedy of the dying rich person) of Hans Sachs.

Summary: the main character called Jedermann (each and everyone) is found suddenly vis-a-vis Dead which wants to confront it with its Creator. He needs a witness of his kindness but nobody wants to accompany it; only its Good works and the Foi can convince it to become again a Christian good and save thus it eternal Damnation.

The detailed screen

God seeing that it any more is not respected decides to send Death on the Earth to recall his power to humanity. He gives to Dead the order to go to find each one (Jedermann) and to bring it in front of his supreme judges.

One day, „Jedermann “orders with its Majordome to bring a gold bag to him to pay the ground which he wants to buy. It wants to make there make a pleasure and pleasure garden for its mistress (the character called Buhlschaft). It comes across a neighbor pauper who asks him for alms. But Jedermann gives him only one small part of a Schilling. When the neighbor calls upon his Christian kindness and recalls that it was itself rich, Jedermann drives out it.

A little later it meets one of its Débiteur S which requests it to tear the letter of Créance. But Jedermann refuses there and the fact of throwing in prison. Jedermann does not know any pity but the wife of the crying debtor so bitterly, it agrees to pour a pension so that it can provide for its needs and those of her children to him.

After this meeting, Jedermann does not want any more to see the garden and decides to go to find its Maîtresse . Hardly left the house, it meets its mother which reproaches him like often its negligent attitude towards God.

His/her left mother, her mistress is able to take it along to the festival organized in her honor. During the festival, Jedermann feels weak and has strange appearances. Nobody hears the bell that Jedermann hears without stop. When he says that his name is called, its mistress thinks that he has fever. While being turned over he sees behind him an unknown which claims to be the Mort and invites it to prepare for its last voyage. It is only in this moment that Jedermann becomes aware of its bad nature and he begs Death to leave him time to seek a friend who will testify in his favor in front of the divine court. After protracted negotiations, Death gives him one hour.

First of all, he asks a Ami , (the character called Geselle , i.e. Compagnon) if this one does not want to render a service to him because he must leave for a long voyage. The Friend declares being ready to render any service to him but retracts and refuses when he learns that he should accompany it in front of the divine court. Its two nephews do not act differently. Feeling abandoned all, he wants at least to carry his money in the Kingdom eternal. Leaving its trunk, Mammon , the character representing the richness, also refuses him to accompany it.

Jedermann is from now on only and desperate. He hears a weak voice which calls it. Being turned over, he sees a frail woman who tells him being her Bonnes works and wants to accompany it well in beyond. It is however too weak because he always neglected it. It is ready to request her sister the Foi to do it in its place.

The Faith points out the immense kindness of God to him and advises in Jedermann to require grace of him. Jedermann is hung up again with this last hope and tests, helped by a Moine , to find the driving way with God after last years in the impiété.

On this, the Devil comes, sure to be able to carry in Enfer the Âme charged with Péché S of Jedermann but it must be acknowledged overcome when it discovers that she escapes to him by the Grâce from God. A little later Jedermann returns washed from its sins and can be finally presented in front of God accompanied by Good works and the Faith.

Genesis of work

The Jedermann part is the result of a project which evolved/moved during approximately eight years. Hofmannsthal made first outlines in April 1903. A first version of 1905 is preserved, very different from the final version of 1911. Hofmannsthal wrote that it had carried this project by hanging many years to him until to have felt what the desire for returning justice to this old topic sufficiently matured, which it comes from itself, ressuscite without external pressure (ihn „gewähren lassen ohne Einmischung, wiederherstellen ohne Willkür “, writes he in 1911).

The version gone back to 1905 is still in prose and the language is modern. The place of the action is indicated as being a garden close to Vienna. Jedermann is a rich person real owner and Mammon is its servant. This fragmentary version is composed of four dialogs that Jedermann continues with Mammon, Death, the Parents and the Friend.

This fragment seems to reflect of very close the personal situation of Hofmannsthal. At the summer 1091, he had married and moved in a house. He was financially independent thanks to the fortune inherited his father.

In the same way, the death of Hofmannsthal in 1904 shows through also clearly.

The dialog with the Friend is certainly inspired by his friendship with Stefan George which had almost definitively ended.

The dialog starts with the evocation of their “marvellous youth”. It continues on the injunction to carry out the dreams of this time and finishes with the end of the friendship. One year later, in March 1906, Hofmannsthal and George put an end to a 15 years friendship.

Representations of Jedermann to the Festival of Salzburg

The first had taken place on August 22nd, 1920 in a setting in scene max Reinhardt. The idea first of Reinhardt was to make play the part on the square of the cathedral which had found “its place natural” according to him. The the Middle Ages and the time Baroque, the church and the cemetery, the monks and the musicians contributed to environment. Hofmannsthal still wrote: “the statues of the marble Saints five meters height between which the actors appeared and disappeared very with turn seemed to repeat quite naturally the call of the name „JE-DER-MANN! '' launched since the turns of the church located at side, since the Hohensalzburg fortress, the cemetery Saint-Pierre (Petersfriedhof) of opposite, to return the echo of the bumblebee at the end of the part, the solemn entry of the six angels by the gate in the weakening day, the Franciscains monks observing the spectacle since their whole, the clergy posted with the hundred windows of the Saint-Pierre cloister, all was natural, symbolism, the tragedy, the funny one, the music. ”

Until 2001, the various settings in scene respected this concept of origin except notorious for Leopold Lindtberg. Since 2002, Jedermann is played in a modernized version of Christian Stückl, which introduced in 2003 electric lighting to make night representations. The 500e took place on August 5th 2003. Jedermann is played on many scenes as well by troops of professionals as amateurs, sometimes even in versions in local dialect.

To be selected to play the main role of Jedermann is regarded in the theater world as an honor makes only the largest actors of the scene. The other parts, especially that of the Mistress, are also played traditionally by actors of big class.

List actors having incarnated Jedermann with the Festival of Salzburg:

List actresses having incarnated the Mistress:

  • Johanna Terwin (1920, 1921)

  • Dagny Servaes (1926-37)
  • Grete Zimmer (1946)
  • Elf Gerhart (1947)
  • Maria Becker (1948, 1949)
  • Judith Holzmeister (1950, 1951)
  • Lola Müthel (1952)
  • Heidemarie Hatheyer (1953-55)
  • Martha Wallner (1956-59)
  • Sigrid Marquardt (1960)
  • Ellen Schwiers (1961, 1962)
  • Maria Emo (1963)
  • Anna Smolik (1964)
  • Eva Kerbler (1965, 1966)
  • Nadja Tiller (1967, 1968)
  • Christiane Hörbiger (1969-72, 1974 alternation with Shepherd)
  • Nicole Heesters (1973)
  • Senta Berger (1974 alternation with Hörbiger, 1975-78, 1980-82)
  • Christine Buchegger (1979)
  • Marthe Keller (1983-86)
  • Elisabeth Trissenaar (1987-89)
  • Sunnyi Mix (1990-93)
  • Maddalena Crippa (1994-97)
  • Sophie Kings (1998)
  • Dörte Lyssewski (1999-2001)
  • Veronica Bottle pincers (2002-04)
  • Nina Hoss (2005, 2006)
  • Marie Bäumer (2007)

List directors of Jedermann to the Festival of Salzburg:

  • max Reinhardt (1920, 1921,1926-1937)

  • Heinz Hilpert (1946)
  • Helene Thimig (1947-1951, 1963-1968)
  • Ernst Lothar (1952-1959)
  • William Dieterle (1960)
  • Gottfried Reinhardt (1961, 1962)
  • Leopold Lindtberg (1969-1972)
  • Ernst Haeussermann (1969-1983)
  • Gernot Friedel (1984-2001)
  • Christian Stückl (2002-2004, 2007)
  • Martin Kušej (2005), Henning Glass of bier (2006: direction of the resumption of the setting in scene of Stückl)

External bond

Jedermann: symbol of Salzburg and social phenomenon in Austria

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