Authors

Kieko Kamitake¹;  ¹ Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan

Discussion

To create a scenario for R. Strauss’ new opera ‘Elektra’, H. Hofmannsthal aimed at reconstructing this Greek tragedy to modernize it and to give it reality. For this purpose, it was necessary for him to free himself from Apollonian viewpoints of Greek tragedy constructed by Winckelmann’ and Goethe’s humanistic thoughts. This was in order to regain the primary image of Europe, which had been excluded in the rationalism of Christianity in Europe. With Lucian’s ‘On Dancing’, Hofmannsthal reached a conclusion that the substance of Greek tragedy should be found in the restrained gestures, which were used in religious ceremonies during the time of ancient greek. He has reflected this in his new opera ‘Elektra’.

Meyerhold, a great Russian-Soviet theatre director and producer, famous for his provocative experiments dealing with gestures and symbolism in unconventional theatre, had been familiar with Hofmannsthal’s works for a long time. In 1912 he decided to premiere ‘Elektra’ for his new opera project at the Mariinsky theatre. Hofmannsthal succeeded in modernizing the plot of ‘Elektra’ by pursuing the real image of Europe. Taking into account that background, Meyerhold consulted an archeologist B. Bogaevsky in order to learn the latest results of the excavation at Mycenae and reflected them in the premiere of ‘Elektra’. He faithfully recreated not only the costumes and scenery of ancient Mycenae, but also the restrained gestures of “hands dancing”, which led Meyerhold to the unique idea of biomechanics afterwards.

This paper examines the influence of Hofmannsthal’s ‘Elektra’ on Meyerhold; by firstly clarifying Hofmannsthal’s initiative in modernization of Greek tragedy, and then analyzing how Meyerhold realized it in the premiere of ‘Elektra’. The consideration of the development of Meyerhold’s theatrical theory, and how it was influenced by the practice of ‘Elektra’, will be given.