Composers and their stage works 


Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Swiss playwright, novelist and short-story writer. Born 5 January, 1921. Died 14 December, 1990

Stage Works

  1. Komdie (Comedy). Play. Written 1943.
  2. Der Doppelgnger (The Double). Radio play. Written 1946. Published 1961.
  3. Es steht geschrieben (It Is Written). Tragedy. Written 1947. Published 1947. Produced Zurich, Schauspielhaus, Apr. 19, 1947. Early version of Die Wiedertufer.
  4. Der Blinde (The Blind Man). Parable play, or martyr drama. Written 1948. Published 1960 as A Drama. Produced Basel, Stadttheater, Jan. 10, 1948.
  5. Romulus der Grosse (Romulus the Great). Comedy, 4 acts. First version written 1949; second version 1957; third version 1961. Published 1957, 1961. Produced Basel, Stadttheater, Apr. 25, 1949.
  6. Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi (The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi). Comedy, 2 parts. First version: Written 1951. Published 1952. Produced Munich, Kammerspiele, Mar. 26, 1952. Second version: Written 1956. Published 1957. Third version: Written 1969.
  7. Der Prozess um des Esels Schatten (The Trial about the Donkey's Shadow). Radio play. Written 1951. Publised 1958. Based on Christoph Martin Wieland's Die Abderiten.
  8. Nchtliches Gesprch mit einem verachteten Menschen (Nocturnal Conversation). Radio play; later a stage drama, 1 act. Written 1952. Published 1961. Produced Munich, Kammerspiele, July 26, 1952, as Nchtlicher Besuch (Nocturnal Visit).
  9. Stranitzky und der Nationalheld (Stranitzky and the National Hero). Radio play. Written 1952. Published 1961. Produced 1952.
  10. Ein Engel kommt nach Babylon (An Angel Comes to Babylon). Symbolic comedy, 3 acts. First version: Written 1953. Published 1954. Produced Munich, Kammerspiele, Dec. 22, 1953; Zurich, Schauspielhaus, 1953-1954. Second version: Written 1957. Published 1957.
  11. Herkules und der Stall des Augias (Hercules and the Augean Stables). Radio play, 1 act. Written 1954. Published 1959. Produced 1959. Rewritten as a stage comedy, 1 act, 1962. Produced Zurich, Mar. 20, 1963.
  12. Das Unternehmen der Wega (Operation Wega). Radio play. Written 1954. Published 1958. Produced 1955.
  13. Die Panne (Traps). Radio play. Written 1956. Published 1956.
  14. Abendstunde im Sptherbst (An Evening Hour in Late Autumn). Radio play. Written 1956. Published 1959. Produced Berlin, Renaissance-theater, Nov. 19, 1959, in a stage adaptation.
  15. Der Besuch der alten Dame (The Visit). Parable, or tragicomedy, 3 acts. Written 1956. Published 1956. Produced Zurich, Schauspielhaus, Jan. 29, 1956. Original title: Komdie der Hochkonjunktur (Comedy of Business Prosperity).
  16. Frank der Fnfte. Oper einer Privatbank (Frank the Fifth, Opera of a Private Bank). Musical. Written 1959. New ending written 1960. Second version: Written 1964. Produced Zurich, Schauspielhaus, Mar. 19, 1959. Music: Paul Burkhard. Published 1960.
  17. Die Physiker(The Physicists). Comedy, 2 acts. Written 1961. Published 1962. Produced Zurich, Feb. 20, 1962.
  18. Der Meteor (The Meteor). Comedy, 2 acts. Written 1966. Produced Zurich, Jan. 20, 1966. Published 1966.
  19. Die Wiedertufer (The Anabaptists). Comedy, 2 parts. Published 1967. Produced Zurich, Schauspielhaus, Mar. 16, 1967. New version of Es steht geschrieben
  20. Play Strindberg. Play. Written 1968. Published 1969. Produced Basel, Feb. 8, 1969. (Adaptation). Based on August Strindberg's The Dance of Death.
  21. Knig Johann (King John). Play. Written 1968. Published 1968. Produced Basel, Sept. 18, 1968. (Adaptation). Based on William Shakespeare's King John.
  22. Titus Andronicus. Comedy. Written 1969. Published 1970. Produced Dsseldorf, Schauspielhaus, Dec. 12, 1970. (Adaptation). Based on William Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.
  23. Urfaust. Play. Published 1970. Produced Zurich, Oct. 20, 1970. (Adaptation). Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethes Urfaust.
  24. Portrt eines Planeten (Portrait of a Planet). Play. Published 1970. Produced Dsseldorf, Kleines Haus, Nov. 27, 1970; "Zurich version" produced at the Schauspielhaus, Mar. 28, 1971.
  25. Der Mitmacher (The Conformer). Play. Written 1972. Published 1976. Produced Zurich, Mar. 8, 1973.
  26. Die Frist (The Deadline). Play. Written 1977. Published 1977. Produced Zurich, Schauspielhaus, Oct. 6, 1977.

CRITICISM

  • H. Bnziger, Frisch und Drrenmatt, Bern, 1962, 1971 (6);
  • E. Brock-Sulzer, Friedrich Drrenmatt: Stationen seines Werkes, Zurich, 1964;
  • G. E. Wellwarth, The Theater of Protest and Paradox, New York, 1964;
  • U. Jenny, Friedrich Drrenmatt, Velber, 1965 (English translation: Drrenmatt. A Study of His Plays, London, 1978);
  • M. B. Peppard, Friedrich Drrenmatt, New York, 1969;
  • A. Arnold, Friedrich Drrenmatt, New York, 1972;
  • K. J. Fickert, To Heaven and Back: The New Morality in the Plays of Friedrich Drrenmatt, Lexington, 1972;
  • U. Profitlich, Friedrich Drrenmatt, Lexington, 1972;
  • U. Profitlich, Friedrich Drrenmatt: Komdienbegriff und Komdienstruktur, Stuttgart, 1973;
  • Friedrich Drrenmatt: Studien zu seinem Werk, ed. by G. P. Knapp, Heidelberg, 1976;
  • H. Mayer, ber Friedrich Drrenmatt und Max Frisch, Pfullingen, 1977;
  • T. Tiusanen, Drrenmatt: A Study in Plays, Prose, Theory, Princeton, 1977.