Selmeczi György: Ős-operák (Szent Márton játék)
popular/folk plays
Ist - Saint Martin play | IInd - Saint James play
The clerical and lay genres of archaic Christian communities are offering easily traceable parallels with the musical theatrical genres of later ages, and among them, with operas. The biographies of saints, with their extremely rich and dramatic plots, as well as occasionally vivid, or even humorous traits suggest an astoundingly modern (timeless) musical theatrical language of forms.
Selmeczi György: Ős-operák (Szent Jakab játék)They well document the bi-directional relationship between the religious and “marketplace” theatrical forms, which had eventually led to the birth of opera. The alteration of individual and community utterances, which might be familiar from Christmas pastoral plays (Betlehemes), or even from the formal order of the passion, inherently carry the opportunity for the unfolding of the line of events on stage.
The author makes an attempt to conjure up the world of the saints that might be at times infantile at times deeply philosophical or dramatic, with the toolset of contemporary music and theatre.
Directed by: György Selmeczi
video diary
