THEATRE IN GERMAN LANGUAGE

The course of Theatre in German Language is a core educational activity of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in "Languages, Civilisation and Science of Language" (Literary-Cultural curriculum and Political-International curriculum) and provides a a specific knowledge of German Culture, Literature and Language according to the aims of the Bachelor's Degree Programme.

Aims of this course are 1) the analysis of the phenomenon of revolution in German drama at the beginning of the 19th century and during 20th century, and particularly the representation of the French Revolution (for more details about the programme see "Contents" and "Referral texts"); 2) the comprehension of German "Revolutionsdramen" in their cultural and historical context; 3) the ability to develop critical and methodological instruments to comprehend and analyze the texts in a competent and autonomous way; 4) the ability to understand and use the original language learnt by an accurate reading of the texts, an oral presentation in German, an introduction to scientific writing in German and a specific pratical workshop about German drama with the collaboration of external experts.

Students of the literary-cultural curriculum have to be familiar with the contents of German literature 2.
Students from other courses have to be familiar with the contents of German literature 1 (class 1 or 2).
Other students and Erasmus students are kindly asked to contact the lecturer.

Revolution in German Drama

What relation do Germans have with “revolutions”? In a critical historical moment, after the capitulation in 1945, Thomas Mann (in exile in the United States) in his conference "Deutschland und die Deutschen" said that Germany had never known a real revolution. According to Mann, the political spirit of revolution had never been compatible with German culture, a culture which had always been essentially conservative, even in its most revolutionary moments.
Aim of this module is that of discussing Mann´s assumption by providing an overview on German „revolution dramas“ in the 19th and 20th centuries. The module will analyse some key literary works of this age: "Dantons Tod" by Georg Büchner (1835), "Der grüne Kakadu" by Arthur Schnitzler (1898), "Masse Mensch" by Ernst Toller (1919), "Trommeln in der Nacht" (1919) and "Die Maßnahme" by Bertolt Brecht (1930), "Marat/Sade" by Peter Weiß (1964), "Toller" by Tankred Dorst (1968) and "Der Auftrag" by Heiner Müller (1979). In particular the module will focus on the different ways in which these works concentrate on the historical phenomenon of revolution and in which they reflect on its moral legitimation as well as on the mechanisms of power and violence on which revolution is based.

1.

Bertolt Brecht, Trommeln in der Nacht;
Bertolt Brecht: Die Legende vom toten Soldaten
Bertolt Brecht, Die Maßnahme;
Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod;
Tankred Dorst: Toller. Szenen aus einer deutschen Revolution;
Heiner Müller, Der Auftrag;
Arthur Schnitzler, Der grüne Kakadu;
Ernst Toller, Masse Mensch. Ein Stück aus der sozialen Revolution des 20. Jahrhunderts;
Peter Weiß, Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats, dargestellt durch die Schauspielgruppe des Hospizes zu Charenton unter Anleitung des Herrn de Sade.

All editions all fine.
Important: Students are advised to procure "Dantons Tod" before the beginning of the first class.

2.

Deutsche Revolutionsdramen, herausgegeben und eingeleitet von Reinhold Grimm und Jost Hermand, Frankfurt a. M. : Suhrkamp Verlag, 1968 (pp.7-15);

Valentina Ferreri, La rivoluzione nel teatro di Ernst Toller, Lang 2009 (pp. 13-41, 75-109, 369-381);

Simonetta Sanna, L’altra rivoluzione. La morte di Danton di Georg Büchner. Carocci, Roma 2010;

Jost Hermand, Trommeln in der Nacht (1919). Die "schäbigste" Variante aller möglichen Revolutionsdramen? in: Die Toten schweigen nicht: Brecht-Aufsätze, Lang 2010, pp. 19-26;


3.

Anton Reininger, La letteratura tedesca dal Settecento ai nostri giorni, 3. edizione, Rosenberg & Sellier, Torino 2005 (parts).

Students who cannot read the handbook and the critical literature in Italian are kindly asked to contact the lecturer.

An oral exam divided into three parts:
- a translation of a text passage from German into Italian;
- a brief presentation of an aspect of the course in German;
- a general check about the whole programme.

Front lectures and seminars.

Italian

1. An introduction to scientific writing will be part of this course.
2. A practical workshop on contemporary German Theatre will be part of this course (to be confirmed).
3. Students who cannot attend the lessons have also to read:
Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz: Der Hofmeister (https://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/der-hofmeister-5196/1 ).
Bertolt Brecht: Der Hofmeister, Suhrkamp edition.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development