Theater, Culture, and Community in Reformation Bern: 1523 - 1555This study examines the sociocultural context of ten plays performed during the formative years of the Bernese Reformation. It treats not only three pre-reform carnival plays by Niklaus Manuel, but also six newly edited works by local court secretary Hans von Rute. Individual chapters focus on the plays' polemics, staging, and choruses, as well as on local Zwinglian reform. An appendix contains the plays' fifteen song texts. The vivid staging and choral interludes of Bern's Reformation theater belie the assumption that the city's Zwinglian reform, which eliminated imagery and song from religious worship, rejected images and music in all forms. The confessional diatribe of Rute's later works further illuminates Bern's policies towards Zurich and Geneva, demonstrating that biblical plays were no less political than their carnival predecessors. |
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgements | ix |
Abbreviations | xvii |
Performing the Protestant Reformation | 1 |
Bern at the Crossroads of Reform | 42 |
Protestant Carnival A Contradiction in Terms? | 79 |
Theocracy and Theater | 135 |
Protestant Visual Culture and the Stage | 201 |
Music Play and Worship | 247 |
Mediating Change | 289 |
Song Texts | 297 |
Bibliography | 307 |
| 333 | |
| 339 | |
Other editions - View all
Theater, Culture, and Community in Reformation Bern, 1523-1555, Volume 1 Glenn Ehrstine No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Abgötterei active allowed appear assumed audience authority Basel become beginning Bern Bern's Bernese biblical carnival carnival plays Catholic century Chapter Christ Christian church city's concerned considered continued council Courtesy cultural deutsche deutschen direct drama earlier early edition faith figures four Geering German Geschichte Goliath Gott Haller hand Hans hymns images indicate indulgences Jahrhunderts Johannes Joseph late later Latin Literatur Luther Martin matters Medieval Niklaus Manuel Nonetheless occurred original Osterspiel ouch Papst passion Paul peasants performance Peter play's plays playwrights political pope Priesterschaft Protestant records referred Reformation religious remained represents Rüte Rüte's singing song stage Studies suggests Swiss theater theology Thomas tion tradition University Press Valerius Anshelm views visual vols Werke Zurich Zwingli