Subject
Austrian drama -- Translations into Finnish Books
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Ludwig Anzengruber
Omantunnon mato: 3-näytöksinen (4 kuvaelmaa) kansannäytelmä lauluineen
"Omantunnon mato: 3-näytöksinen (4 kuvaelmaa) kansannäytelmä lauluineen" by Ludwig Anzengruber is a folk play written in the early 20th century. This dramatic work explores themes of conscience, morality, and redemption through characters from rural society, particularly focusing on the wealthy peasant Aapeli Torkkola and his interactions with family and local associates. The play incorporates songs, giving it a lively and engaging atmosphere, and delves into the personal struggles of its main characters. The opening of the play introduces us to Torkkola, who is depicted as a rich peasant wallowing in despair, feeling burdened by an unspecified inner conflict. His attempts to engage in mundane tasks are met with resistance from those around him, indicating a backdrop of community dynamics and personal turmoil. As Torkkola interacts with his sister Tilta, the servant Taavetti, and his brother-in-law Nykänen, their conversations reveal a blend of humor and serious contemplation about sin, personal accountability, and the essence of faith. These exchanges set the stage for deeper character development and the unfolding narrative surrounding Torkkola's internal struggle with morality and the expectations of those in his life.
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Jokamies : $b Vanha näytelmä rikkaan miehen kuolemasta
"Jokamies: Vanha näytelmä rikkaan miehen kuolemasta" by Hugo von Hofmannsthal is a morality play written in the early 20th century. It reimagines the medieval Everyman story: a prosperous man is summoned by Death to render an account of his life before God. The drama follows the wealthy Jokamies as he searches for companionship and help on his last journey, finding that worldly ties fail while spiritual virtues may endure. Expect allegorical figures and a sober meditation on wealth, repentance, and salvation. The opening of the play sets a sacred frame: God laments human forgetfulness and sends Death to summon a rich man to judgment. Jokamies boasts of his wealth, spurns a needy neighbor, and coldly defends usury; his mother urges him toward repentance and marriage, but he turns instead to revels with his beloved and friends. In the midst of a feast he hears ominous calls; Death appears and commands him to come at once, granting only a brief chance to find a companion. His closest friend and two cousins refuse to go; his servants flee; even Mammon rises from his treasure chest to mock him and deny aid. At last a frail figure—Good Deeds—answers his call, revealing herself weakened by his neglect yet willing to help if she can. The excerpt closes with her urging him toward true contrition as his reckoning nears.
Karl Schönherr
Vuoristokansaa : $b 1-näytöksinen murhenäytelmä
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Franz Grillparzer
Unelma-elämä : $b Nelinäytöksinen näytelmäruno
"Unelma-elämä : Nelinäytöksinen näytelmäruno" by Franz Grillparzer is a four-act verse drama written in the early 19th century. The work dramatizes the temptations of ambition and the tension between dreamed glory and humble contentment, following the impetuous Rustan, his devoted Mirza, and the goading servant Zanga amid the courtly world of Samarkand and Princess Gülnare. It is a moral tale of self-fashioning, reputation, and conscience beneath the glitter of heroic deeds. The opening of the play shows Mirza anxiously awaiting the hunter Rustan at a mountain cottage, while her father Massud laments Rustan’s restless, glory-hungry spirit—stoked by the crafty Zanga. Returning defiant, Rustan resolves to leave despite their pleas; as night falls, music and a stage transformation carry him into a new scene near Samarkand, where he revels in “freedom” and opportunity. When a king is pursued by a giant serpent, a mysterious mountaineer actually slays the beast, but Rustan—prodded by Zanga—accepts the credit and wins the favor of the king and Princess Gülnare; later, fearing exposure, he fights the stranger on a bridge and stabs him, the man plunging into the river. As celebrations begin, news of a murdered body found by the water spreads; a mute old father seeks justice, the king’s suspicions stir, and an old crone presses a “remedy,” leaving Rustan cornered between his soaring fortunes and the consequences of his deed.
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