Kupfer worked in the tradition of realistic directing, as developed by Walter Felsenstein and practised especially at the Komische Oper Berlin. The works are interpreted with a focus on implications drawn from them; actions on stage, conflicts and the development of drama are related to the score and to the logic of relationships between the characters. Kupfer always worked individually with the singers, including the choir members, requesting talent for acting and rendering credibility to the actions. Kupfer supported Giorgio Strehler's belief in a "human theatre" ("menschliches Theater"). The characters are, in the tradition of Bertolt Brecht's method of dialectic theatre, always placed in historic political context, which determines their actions at least partly.[23]
Productionsedit
The Akademie der Künste lists several of his productions, including:[24]
Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 2005)[40]
Awardsedit
Kupfer was a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, the Freie Akademie der Künste in Hamburg, and the Sächsische Akademie der Künste in Dresden.[2] His awards included:[24]
2005: Silbernes Blatt of the Dramatiker Union [de]
Bibliographyedit
Dieter Kranz [de]: Harry Kupfer inszeniert an der Komischen Oper Berlin. Richard Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg 1981; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail, 1982; Giacomo Puccini La Bohème, 1982; Aribert Reimann Lear, 1983; Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, 1983; Modest Mussorgski's Boris Godunov 1983; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Così fan tutte 1984 (Theaterarbeit in der DDR 11, Documentation), Berlin 1987.[3]
Dieter Kranz: Der Regisseur Harry Kupfer „Ich muß Oper machen“ Kritiken, Beschreibungen, Gespräche. Berlin 1988.
Dieter Kranz: Berliner Theater. 100 Aufführungen aus drei Jahrzehnten, Berlin 1990
Dieter Kranz: Der Gegenwart auf der Spur. Der Opernregisseur Harry Kupfer. Henschel, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-89487-522-4
Further readingedit
Canning, Hugh (20 July 1989). "Underworld politics". The Guardian. London. p. 28. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Page, Barnaby (28 October 1985). "Opera outshines topless moments". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton. p. 44. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Kenyon, Nicholas (30 July 1989). "Master of Guts and Fantasy". The Observer. London. p. 41. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Obituariesedit
"Harry Kupfer, 84, German opera director". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. 4 January 2020. p. A5. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Referencesedit
^ ab"Harry Kupfer ist tot". Der Spiegel (in German). Hamburg. dpa. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
^ abcd"Kupfer, Harry". bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de (in German). Retrieved 11 August 2018.
^ abHerbort, Heinz Josef (1978). "Oper: "Der fliegende Holländer" in Bayreuth: Senta, ein Psycho-Drama". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 18 September 2018.
^Luehrs-Kaiser, Kai (12 August 2015). "Harry Kupfer wird 80 – Im Sitzen kann man keine Opern inszenieren". Die Welt (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
^Breiholz, Jochen (August 2002). "The Age of the Director (VI): The Rise and Fall of Harry Kupfer". andante.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^Bernheimer, Martin (15 August 1988). "In Bayreuth, staging a run-and-roll 'Ring'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. p. 25. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^Bernheimer, Martin (14 August 1988). "Kupfer's Controversial New Ring in Bayreuth : High-Tech Kitsch". The Los Angeles Times.
^Greenfield, Edward (4 August 1988). "Hollow Ring". The Guardian. London. p. 17. Retrieved 20 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Edward Greenfield finds little to applaud as Harry Kupfer's controversial new Ring cycle finishes at Bayreuth
^Levin, Bernard (3 September 1988). "Wagner, twaddle and mustard". The Times. p. 35.
^ abBreiholz, Jochen (4 October 2000). "Vergangenheitsbewältigung ohne Nazi-Mantel". Die Welt. Hamburg. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^ abErnst, Michael (1 October 2018). "Dummes Volk: 'Moses und Aron' an Dresdens Semperoper". neue musikzeitung. Regensburg. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^ abGojowy, Detlef (2002) [1 December 1992]. "Schuhu und die fliegende Prinzessin, Der ('The Bird-Man and the Flying Princess')". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
^ abHerbort, Heinz Josef (22 November 1991). "Der Mythos und die Wirklichkeit". Die Zeit (in German). Hamburg. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^Hanssen, Frederik (17 September 2008). "Marianne Fischer-Kupfer ist tot". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^"Danke, Harry Kupfer!". B.Z. (in German). Berlin. 18 July 2002. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^Cooper, Michael (3 January 2020). "Harry Kupfer, Director and 'Opera King of Berlin,' Dies at 84". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
^Millington, Barry (9 January 2020). "Harry Kupfer obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
^Kranz, Dieter (2005). Der Gegenwart auf der Spur. Der Opernregisseur Harry Kupfer. Berlin: Henschel. pp. 9–10. ISBN 3-89487-522-4.
^Yan Tax Archived 2 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Salzburg Festival
^Pachl, Peter P. (8 June 2009). "Harry Kupfer inszeniert Hans Pfitzners "Palestrina" als Stalinistisches Gleichnis". neue musikzeitung (in German). Regensburg. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^Ackermann, Klaus (15 January 2013). "Prokofjews "Der Spieler" / Reif für die Anstalt". Offenbach Post (in German). Retrieved 4 October 2018.
^ abHanssen, Frederik (12 August 2015). "Harry Kupfer zum 80. Geburtstag Die Kunst ist seine Heimat". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^Mahlke, Sybill (4 August 2014). ""Der Rosenkavalier" bei den Salzburger Festspielen – Endlich nicht mehr stubenrein". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^Hanssen, Frederik (4 October 2016). "Harry Kupfer und sein "Fidelio" – Treu und Glauben". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^Schreiber, Wolfgang (27 November 2016). "Liebe statt Sex". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^Badelt, Udo (18 June 2018). "Hochamt der Apokalypse". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^Quantrill, Peter (August 2002). "Record of the Month". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.