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A THEATER PLAY FROM A CONCERT PIECE; POETRY AND RITUAL IN THE GESAMTKUNST WERK? in connection with an oratory about Joan of Arc? To understand this, it might be enough to cite a part from his application for the role of director in Debrecen, titled Community of Art: Theater, one of human culture’s most ancient forms of expression, is based on rite and tradition... According to the most influential reformers of twentiethcentury theater (including Craig, Meyerhold, Artaud, Grotowski, Brook, Kantor, Mnouchkine, Wilson, Vasziliev, Suzuki etc.), modern times must transcend the function of entertainment of civil theater and must create a sacral space for coming times. On one side a world that is old, rich in values, close to our hearts, very human, but somehow very archaic and maybe non-viable exists, and opposite it is a much colder, sometimes cynical, almost inhuman, but elegant and very viable new order, and these two are fighting irreconcilably. In this tragic situation, the only potential answer to NO — the theater of denial — is a positive message, the theater of YES...” Apart from the usual characteristics of Vidnyanszky’s poetical, total theater such as spectacular visuals, complex use of metaphors, and plenty of simultaneous action onstage, Honegger’s expressionist music might have been challenging for the audience that is not used to that style and normally attends concerts rather than theater.”* This might raise a question regarding the choice of venue for the play, as Vidnyänszky, who is an experienced operetta and musical director — see his successful operas The Power of Fate, Lady Macbeth ofthe Mtsensk District, and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, in Debrecen — could have, as an opera director, premiered it in the Opera House or in the Erkel Theater. It is necessary to refer to Vidnyanszky’s orientation toward the synthesis of arts and his statement about consciously trying to eliminate the borders between the genres of theater. Instead of a staged, music-oriented performance, 7 Citing the excerpt from his directorial application: Ibid., 110-111. Similarly, Vidnyänszky expressed strong opposition to the prevailing approach in theater, regarding particularly the play Joan of Arc at the Stake: “Attila Vidnyanszky has emphasized several times already that he wishes to establish the ‘theater of hope’ on the banks of the Danube, opposing the former ‘theater based on provocation.’ Paul Claudel and Arthur Honegger’s oratory titled Joan of Arc at the Stake was an excellent choice for this work. [...] The script of Claudel and the music of Honegger raise the character of Joan to sacral heights again. Attila Vidnyanszky, using lyric words and classical music, made G. B. Shaw’s Joan of Arc obsolete as a part of the theater’s repertoire, which the new director might have considered too profane.” Rechtenwald: Ibid. 28 “Powerful, sometimes bombastic series of visions can be seen on the stage, as if a river of paintings was flowing [...] in front of our eyes, as if we were haunted by a surreal dream, from which waking up is impossible. Vidnyanyszky bombards our senses [...] there is no opera house on Earth that would not be envious of these visuals, in which Vidnyanszky’s constant colleague, Olexandr Bilozub plays a huge part. The musicians in the elevated orchestra pit are important components of the show, all of them can be seen, their faces lit by small lamps, intensely concentrated on their challenging task.” Gabor Béta: Erédemonstrdacié a mdglyan [Demonstration of Power at the Stake], https://nepszava.hu/1004483_erodemonstracio-amaglyan, accessed 28 August 2020.
