NEH-Cabaret

NEH SUMMER SEMINAR CABARET

Organized by Susan Cocalis

ASTON MAGNA ACADEMY XII (1993)

"SCHUBERT'S WORLD: VIENNESE CULTURE IN THE REIGN OF FRANCIS I (1792-1835)"

Background

During the NEH Summer Seminar, the Aston Magna Academy XII: Franz Schubert & His Times, directed by Professor Raymond Erickson, the participants put together a satirical cabaret for the final evening. The program was intended to parody the form of the seminar itself, the faculty, and the topics that were raised and discussed during the three-week program. The visual aides were intended as parodies of many of the slides presented by guest lecturers or the manner in which they presented the slides. The names used were all plays on the actual staff or the people discussed during the seminar.

The Program

		PARTICIPANTS AT ASTON PARVA Raymond Ericsong, Director of Aston Parva Maureen Marie Antoinette Balkeforte, mezzo-soprano PDQ Schrader-Shoebert, composer, piano Thomas Greggithan, tenor Hildemarthe Ernst, curator, Shoebert Archives Owen Meander, lecturer Waltraud Brathaendl, lecturer Rachel von Raritan, piano I clarinetti di Brunswicknova Jay Petergesang, choral music Lindsay Wienertochter, soprano Kristin de-Muellerin-Lindley, violin Robin Fonda-Tunin, applied music Bonnie Garnicht, piano David Smartikopf, viola Franz Shoebert, composer Karolina von Esterhappy, Laendler-Dame Geraldo Crawfortepiano, bass Malcolm Billious, piano Karl Middleperson, piano Rita Sticklin, lecturer Lawrence Blamer, lecturer Thomas Hick, lecturer Robert Trenton, guitar Daniel Rippleeffekt, piano Amy Shamus, cello Konzertklub der grossen Maenner Linda Laurenz-Welk, piano Carol de Solong, guest Prinz Klemens von Mutternicht, prince Franz von Showbar, friend of Shoebert Wilhelmina von Battacek, Laendler-Dame
PROGRAM		INTERMISSION
Words of Welcome: Raymond Ericksong		Performance: "Cat-Duet." Maureen Balkeforte (mezzo-soprano) & Lindsay Wienertochter (soprano)
Lecture:"Sliding By: Just Plane Vienna." Waltraut Brathaendl		Special Report Aston Parva's Last Testament Amy Shamus
Performance: "Der Hochzeitsbraten." Maureen Balkeforte (mezzo-soprana), Thomas Greggithan (tenor), Geraldo Crawfortepiano (bass), and Rachel von Raritan (piano)		Performance: "The Aston Parva Crowd." Maureen Balkeforte (mezzo-soprano)
Lecture: "Gong with the Winds." Owen Meander		Demonstration: "Shoebert, Beethoven, & Applied Dance." Robin Forte-Tunin
Performance: Konzertklub der grossen Maenner		Lecture: "Trout, Rods, Reels, and Scales: Masculine/Feminine Biederschmidt and Radical Subjectivity." Larry Blamer
Performance: Bonnie Garnicht, Linda Laurenz-Welk, & Malcolm Billious (piano)		Performance: "Forelle Blau." Maureen Balkeforte (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Greggithian (tenor), & Malcolm Billious (piano)
Performance: "Take, o take Those Lips Away"I (Shakespeare) & "The Duchess Possessed" (Caro & Bates). Karl Middleperson (piano) & Maureen Balkeforte (mezzo-soprano)		Lecture:"The Shoebert Archives in New Brunswick and Their Significance for Shoebert Research Worldwide." Hildemarthe Ernst
Lecture/Performance: "A Previously Unknown Version of Shoebert's Erlkoenig." Thomas Hick (scholar), Daniel Rippeleffekt (piano), & Thomas Greggithan (tenor) [see below]		Lecture: "And Yet Another Important Contribution to Shoebert Research." Rita Sticklin
Lecture/Demonstration: "Biedermeier & the Clarinet." I Clarinetti di Brunswicknova		Performance: "Wiener Laendler-Damen": An Operetta in One Act witha cast including Prinz Mutternicht, Shoebert, Franz von Showbar, Wilhelmina von Bettacek, & Karolina von Esterhappy.
Performance: "Opera ohne Worte." Amy Shamus (cello), Kristin de Muellerin-Lindley (violin), & PDQ Schrader-Shoebert (piano)		[Includes the hit tunes: "It's not Overture Until the Fat Lady Sings," "Rhumba Rosamunde," "Forellen-Rag," "Staendchen," "Whips & Chains Polka," and the "Unfinished 8th-Symphony Waltz." ]
Lecture/Demonstration: "Hitherto unknown & unfinished Piano Concerto in B-flat major." PDQ Schrader-Shoebert (lecture, piano), Amy Shamus (cello), Kristin de Muellerin-Lindley (violin), David Smartkopf (viola)		Schluss-Chorale: led by Jay Petergesang
		Dance: "A Little Waltz Music." Linda Laurenz-Welk

The "Erl-Queen"

One example of the type of satire used is the parody of Schubert/Goethe's Erlkoenig, of which we claimed to find a variant (authored by Susan Cocalis in English & German), introduced by Thomas Heck, and sung by Thomas Gregg (tenor) to the accompaniment of Daniel B. Riepel. During the seminar, the critical controversy over Schubert's sexuality, including allusions to his "peacock" (cf. Maynard Solomon), had come up in discussions, and the "Erl-Queen" was the cabaret's response to it. There are also allusions to the secret police (Selnitzky). The text reads as follows and was included in the cabaret program:

Erlkoenigin		Erl-Queen

Wer reitet so spaet durch Nacht und Au? Es ist der Franzl mit seinem Pfau; Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er fasst ihn sicher, er haelt ihn warm.		Who rides so late through night and field? It is Franz with his peacock; He has his arm about the young boy. He holds him securely, keeps him warm.

"Mein Pfau, was birgst du so bang dein Gesicht?"-- "Siehst, Franzl, du den Sedlnitzky nicht? Den Sedlnitzky mit Hohn und Wacht?" "Mein Pfau, das hast du bloss gedacht...		"My peacock, why hide your face in such fear?" "Franz, it's Sedlnitzky, don't you see? Sneering Sedlnitzky with secret police?" "My peacock, you're seeing things...

Du lieber Pfau, komm gehen wir! Gar schoene Spiele spiel' ich mit dir; Die bunte Rinde ist am Strand, Meine Liebe schenkt sie dir als Liebespfand."		My dear peacock, come, let's go! Wonderful games I'll play with you; There is bright "Rinde" at the shore (NJ!) My love gives you this token of my affection."

Mein Franzl, mein Franzl, ach wie mir schmachtet, Wenn so Sedlnitzky auf uns achtet!" "Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Pfau: In duerren Graesern saeuselt der Au."		"My Franz, my Franz, o how I suffer When Sedlnitzky spies on us thus!" "Be quiet, stay quiet, my peacock: The rustling comes from the dry meadow grass."

"Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn? Meine Haescher sollen dich warten schoen; Meine Haescher lassen dich nicht allein, Verhaften, verhoeren und schliessen dich ein!"		"Pretty boy, d'you want to come with me? My officers'll take good care of you; My officers won't leave you alone: They'll arrest, cross-examine, and lock you up."

"Mein Franz! Mein Franz!, uns siehst du nicht dort Sedlnitzky's Haescher am duestern Ort?" "Mein Pfau, mein Pfau, ich seh es genau: Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.		"My Franz, my Franz, don't you see Sedlnitzky's officers there in the gloom?" "My peacock, my peacock, I see very well: It's the old willows that seem so grey.

Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schoene Gestalt; Und bist du nicht willig, so brauche ich Gewalt!" "Mein Franzl, mein Franzl. wie fasst du mich an! Sedlnitzky wird sehen, was du mir getan..."		I love you, your figure excites me; And if you're not willing, I'll take you by force!" "My Franz, my Franz, how are you touching me! Sedlnitzky will see what you've done to me..."

Dem Franzl grausets, er denkt an den Schmach, Wenn das nun bekannt wird, dann gaebe es Krach! Er kommt doch heil nach Wien zurueck Und denkt: "Da hatt' ich wieder Glueck!"		Franz shudders and thinks of the shame. If this gets out, there'll be hell to pay. He returns safely to Vienna, however, And thinks: "I got away with it again!"

The "Forelle blau":

Through the indefatiguable research of Maureen Balke and Thomas Gregg in the New Brunswick Shoebert Archives, we were also able to present a new version of Shoebert's "Forelle blau." Below is a picture of the actual manuscript: