Kasperl [1] , or Kasperl , also Kasper (German, Austrian. Kasperl , Kasper , Bavarian. Kaschberl or Kasperle , Schwab. Kaschberle or Kasperli , German-Swiss. Chasperli ) is a comic character of German national folklore and puppet theater (“ Kasperle Theater "- German. Kasperltheater ). As a rule, it is a puppet-doll, “performing” in performances with a rude sense of humor and distinguished by a simple naive character and behavior. It is believed that the image of Kasperl was his forerunner - among others - Gansvurst from the Viennese folk scene. In the German-speaking territories, the theatrical puppet-puppet Kasperl has been known since the end of the 18th century.
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General Information
Casperl is usually dressed in a similar to what Harlequin wears, a colorful suit. He has a long red nightcap on his head, a flat fly swatter (his weapon) in his hand. The face is always stretched in a silly smile, the nose is huge and crooked. In many European countries there are similar folklore characters - Mr. Punch in England, Guignol in France, Jan Klaassen in the Netherlands, Mester Yachel in Denmark, Pulcinella in Italy, Fazulis in Greece, Petrushka in Russia, Vasilasch in Romania.
The Kasperl Puppet Theater presents pieces of fairy-tale content, but with pronounced satirical and clown features. Initially, it was a fair performance with greasy and vulgar humor, designed for young and adult viewers. In the center of the performance stood the comic figure of the Kasperle doll, in its play relying on the long-standing traditions and art of the fair clowns of Europe. As a result, its various national character types (Kasperl in Germany, Punch in England, etc.) developed in its various countries.
A special influence on the image of the theatrical doll Kasperl in the XX century was made by the Khonstein puppet shows, founded in 1921 by Max Jacob in the Ore Mountains . Max Jacob replaced the wildly uncouth “fairground” Kasperl with the rather wise, teaching Kasperl, who was called upon to accustom the little spectator to good behavior. During World War II, Max Jacob with his puppet theater was mobilized, his theater was transformed into a front-line theater.
Characters of the Kasperl Theater
Currently, in the puppet performances of Kasperl, created under the influence of the Honstein performances and designed almost exclusively for children, there is the following standard set of characters:
- “Good and good”: Kasperl, Zeppel (his friend, often the standard of honesty, but at the same time simple), Gretel (Kasperl’s wife and “voice of prudence”), Grandma, Fairy
- "Fair and just": Princess, Prince, King, Chief of the Guard
- "Evil and bad": Witch, Warlock, Devil, Rogue, Crocodile (replaces the Dragon).
Literature
One of the most famous composers of the plays for the Kasperl puppet theater (both for children and adults) was Count Franz von Pocci (who received popular nicknames "Count Kasperl") in Munich in the middle of the 19th century, who created the image of Kasperl Larifari (for example , the play "Castle of owls").
In German classical literature, the image of Kasperl can be found in the novel by Theodor Storm Pole puppeteer ( Pole Poppenspäler , 1875). In the children's novel by Otfried Preußler, the Rogue Hotzenplotz (Der Räuber Hotzenplotz) , published in 1962, Kasperl and his sidekick friend Zeppel are experiencing many wonderful adventures. At the same time, the writer in his narrative uses the entire “ensemble” of traditional heroes of Kasperl-dramaturgy - the Grandmother, the Guard, the Warlock, the Fairy, the Crocodile, etc.
In the 1920s, a series of children's books about Kasperl was created by Josephine Ziba .
See also
- Gignol
- Parsley (character)
Notes
- ↑ Kasperle / B. P. Goldovsky // Office of the Confiscation - Kirgiz. - M .: The Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2009. - P. 414. - (The Great Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 t.] / Ed. Yu. S. Osipov ; 2004–2017, t. 13). - ISBN 978-5-85270-344-6 .