Passion Play Oberammergau: political and entertaining
Created: 05/15/2022, 17:57
By: Simone Dattenberger
Passion Play Oberammergau: Frederik Mayet played Jesus at the premiere.
© Matthias Balk
Oberammergau has a new passion.
On Saturday, May 14, 2022, the production by director Christian Stückl celebrated its premiere in the Passionstheater.
Read our review here:
They attach two ladders to the longitudinal beam.
The man in front pulls the nail out of the injured man's ankles with difficulty but gently.
The man behind climbs up to the crossbeam with a roll of cloth.
He unwinds a piece, first loops it around the wood and under the dead man's armpit.
The white track becomes longer, the other piece of wood becomes a support, the second armpit is lifted, the nails are removed from the wrists.
First one arm falls around the man on the ladder, finally the crucified Christ falls on his chest.
Silence.
A scene of pain, of coming to terms with the catastrophe - and full of infinite tenderness.
The mother looks on, composed, because she can bury her son's body, because her trust in her son's words of promise, her trust in God, will be strengthened again.
Passion Play Oberammergau: Corona forced the postponement
On Saturday, May 14th, 2022, after two years of Corona fears and rescheduling, the people of Oberammergau were able to celebrate the premiere of the new passion play.
1400 adults and 400 children - 300 people could no longer keep their promise from 2020 - played, sang, made music for themselves and their guests: two and a half hours in the afternoon and almost three hours at night.
The play “The Pest” usually tells how the vow came about in 1633.
2019 is a long time ago, and so the oath is quoted at the beginning with a short scene.
The choir and the people become a visual unit in the sparse robes, which are based on old rural clothing (there was no such thing as opulent costumes).
The vocal power of the choir (a good 120 people), which the audience succumbs to, ensures opulence and amazement, although the text can almost never be understood (acoustics? sound system?).
It is sung with honest pathos, without bombast.
The newly added Jewish songs are particularly moving.
The basic composition comes from Rochus Dedler (1779-1822), which has been repeatedly revised, now by Markus Zwink, the musical director and spiritus rector of the oratorio-like form of presentation.
Hageneier has said goodbye to the stage architecture of 1930 with its shadowy alleys and houses and installed buildings with a classicist touch, central buildings and columned niches.
The central backdrop can be theater, temple, square.
This once again postulates the dramatic distance: Yes, it is about a vow, a spiritual act;
yes, it is a amateur game.
BUT: Yes, we Oberammergauers also have the right to create art.
That's not megalomaniac;
Rather, they are part of the historical development of mankind: the arts grew out of religious activity.
Christian Stückl is director of the Passion for the fourth time
Since 1990, Stückl has also continued his interventions in the text and his stagings on the basis of tradition, which can only live because he and his comrades-in-arms have transformed it.
This year the colors of the robes are paler, the themes of exploitation, hunger, occupation terror and violence against women are blacker.
At the same time, the spirit of the Enlightenment shines brighter.
The alternation of singing, which is supposed to explain the symbolically oblique commentaries of the "Living Pictures" on episodes from the Old Testament, and scenes from the game is largely adhered to.
However, Stückl often relies on smooth transitions, whereby the "action" can also solidify into a tableau vivant.
Passion Play Oberammergau: The "Living Pictures" impress.
© ANDREAS MAYR
This is wonderfully clear before the break.
Moses kneels before the burning bush.
God wants him to be emancipated from Pharaoh.
When the “Living Picture” has disappeared from the stage, gigantic lengths of fabric flood out at this point.
Until you know it, the tent represents the Last Supper.
Judas and Jesus fight about the right way - war against enemies or love of enemies -;
the director takes a lot of time for the washing of feet in beautiful silence;
the breaking of bread and drinking of wine is free of kitsch, until everything culminates in Jesus' panic on the Mount of Olives, in his consent to the passion and arrest.
And there's always a man sitting by the side whom only Jesus sees.
He knows this is God's Word.
David Bender gives this a clear, definite punch.
Meanwhile, in the decisive scene, Frederik Mayet as the premiere Jesus has to make his most severe emotional storms believable.
After twelve years, Mayet again portrays the Son of God. He was already mature at that time;
it has now been expanded by many layers of intellectuality.
As a revolutionary who doesn't fit into any of the patterns expected by people and therefore still overwhelms everyone today, he has to cope with powerful, difficult text surfaces in the first part.
Arguing, disputing, arguing – Stückl 2022 focused on all of this.
His perpetual engagement with the gospels is reflected - sometimes too long - in many scenes (theological adviser: Ludwig Mödl from the Munich Heilig-Geist-Kirche).
He was mature even then;
it has now been expanded by many layers of intellectuality.
As a revolutionary who doesn't fit into any of the patterns expected by people and therefore still overwhelms everyone today, he has to cope with powerful, difficult text surfaces in the first part.
Arguing, disputing, arguing – Stückl 2022 focused on all of this.
His perpetual engagement with the gospels is reflected - sometimes too long - in many scenes (theological adviser: Ludwig Mödl from the Munich Heilig-Geist-Kirche).
He was mature even then;
it has now been expanded by many layers of intellectuality.
As a revolutionary who doesn't fit into any of the patterns expected by people and therefore still overwhelms everyone today, he has to master powerful, difficult text surfaces in the first part.
Arguing, disputing, arguing – Stückl 2022 focused on all of this.
His perpetual engagement with the gospels is reflected - sometimes too long - in many scenes (theological advisor: Ludwig Mödl from the Munich Heilig-Geist-Kirche).
Arguing – Stückl 2022 focused on all of this.
His perpetual engagement with the gospels is reflected - sometimes too long - in many scenes (theological advisor: Ludwig Mödl from the Munich Heilig-Geist-Kirche).
Arguing – Stückl 2022 focused on all of this.
His perpetual engagement with the gospels is reflected - sometimes too long - in many scenes (theological advisor: Ludwig Mödl from the Munich Heilig-Geist-Kirche).
How do you truly apply God's Word?
How can political necessities be combined with this?
Isn't Judas right after all?
He wants to fight against the Roman occupation – like the Ukrainians do against the Russians today.
This Passion is very theological, very political.
Stückl makes no concessions.
Spiritual folklore does not exist.
No pious emotional balm.
No indulgence is granted.
Thinking, discussing and acting is required.
In the beginning was the word – and word should become deed.
Passion 2022: The crowd scenes are even more exciting
The production is entertaining and moving.
Cengiz Görürs Judas grabs you with passion.
Walter Rutz' Joseph of Arimathea tears across the stage as the defender of Jesus.
Peter Stückl - yes, the dad - is an impressive, evil Annas and Andrea Hecht a strong, clear mother Maria.
You would have to name all of them, whether in the 20 main roles or 120 supporting roles.
They convince because they burn with conviction for the passion.
And Christian Stückl keeps an eye on them as individuals and in this year's even more exciting mass scenes.
Passion Play Oberammergau: applause after the premiere
Enthusiastic applause erupted at 11 p.m. on Saturday, although this is not traditionally appropriate at the Passion.
But everyone was so happy.
The angel had just coolly postulated the resurrection and Mary of Magdala (Barbara Schuster) her happiness in faith.
