Wittenberg Theater


WITTENBERG THEATER CLOSES 2001
Theater Wittenberg Closes Its Doors –
The Theater Wittenbergs sustaining institution, a special purpose association, has resolved to close the theatre beginning in summer 2001. The decision will affect 156 jobs. A theatre for children and young people and a project-based music theatre will remain in operation.

HISTORY OF THEATER IN WITTENBERG
Wittenberg has a long tradition in cultural events. The City Theatre Mitteldeutsches Landestheater reached a great importance in GDR times. Since 1996, the City proposes Open-Air theatre shows based on the Lutheran history still alive in many historical places of the ancient town. As highlights, in 2001 and 2005, Fernando Scarpa became the artistic director of the “Bühne Wittenberg” (Stage Wittenberg), a project for theatre, art and culture in the whole of Germany which attracts to the City plenty of audience and whose success achieves European echo. Hamlet is said to have studied here.

Nazi Censorship on the Arts and Music – Entartete Kunst

The years 1927-37 were critical for artists in Germany. In 1927, the National Socialist Society for German Culture was formed. The aim of this organization was to halt the “corruption of art” and inform the people about the relationship between race and art. By 1933, the terms “Jewish,” “Degenerate,” and “Bolshevik” were in common use to describe almost all modern art. http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/ARTS/artDegen.htm

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Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass

Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass

On November 9, 1938, the Nazis unleashed a series of riots against the Jews in Germany and Austria. In the space of a few hours, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed. For the first time, tens of thousands of Jews were sent to concentration camps simply because they were Jewish.  This event came to be called Kristallnacht (“Night of the Broken Glass”) for the shattered store windowpanes that carpeted German streets.

“Those that do not learn history are forced to repeat it.” Never forget.

http://www1.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/kristallnacht/homepage.html

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Charlie Rose – Stephen Sondheim / James Lapine

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f60zuJnYrTU

Stephen Sondheim, Composer/Lyricist
James Lapine, Librettist/Director

Sondheim says you can not make an audience like something, but they have to understand the intention. Preview performances focused on making things clear to the audience.

Sondheim On “Send in the Clowns”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWC5qfVnsVs

Stephen Sondheim talks about the writting of Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music – with excerpts of the rehearsal with Sally Ann Howes. Insight into Sondheim’s composing process – he says he does not let lyrics or melody get too far ahead of each other during the writing process.

Sondheim says he likes to know how a song will end when he starts it.

Ivan Rebroff – Evening Bells

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLg0oRC4lUA

The song ‘Evening bells’ in russian (Вечерний звон – Vecherny svon – Abendglocken – Les cloches du soir) by Ivan Rebroff.

This song brings back memories. My father used to endlessly play a record of Ivan Rebroff singing “Evening Bells”. One of my favorite Russian songs.

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