In 1932 Thomas Mann received a box, inside which there were the ashes of his masterpiece, The enchanted mountainpublished in 1924 From their point of view Hitler’s supporters were right to give flame that book, because With unprecedented power he forced the reader to ask uncomfortable, profound, necessary questions. He forced to think and make fundamental life choices.
The same questions that brought archive to work intensely on the text, bringing it on stage in three parts over the three-year period 2022-2024 in highly symbolic places, such as the Germanic military cemetery of the Passo della Futa, on the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, and in the monumental complex of San Michele in Bosco at the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna. That project – which obtained the UBU prize – It has now been revised and rewritten to become a unique show that, in an exciting 5 and a half hours theatrical marathon, was represented at the Arena del Sole in Bologna on 22 and 23 March last.
The bet of Gianluca Guidotti and Enrica Sangiovanni to concentrate such a rich, multifaceted and complex text in a closed scenic space and in a limited time he asked first of all A new dramaturgy and a new direction And, secondly, a series of theatrical “finds” that made the show at the same time sustainable and engaging. A bet widely won. The entire theater – audience and stage, the latter at times divided into several sections by mobile curtains – is exploited by the actors who, at certain times, almost mix with the public, making the idea that plastically concrete that All those present – actors or spectators makes no difference – are involved in the adventure of the young Hans Castorp who goes to Davos, in the Swiss mountains, to visit the cousin, being treated in a sanatorium. He should have stopped for just three weeks, he will remain for seven years, during which, through the meeting with memorable characters, he will come into contact with the most important ideas of the century: from nihilism to socialism, from hedonism to humanism …
In addition to the total use of the space, there are many other expedients put in place by the direction to win the challenge: aesthetically suggestive choreography, ballets, cinematographic scenes in slow motion, music (largely performed live by the cellarist Francesco Canfailla), Video (perfectly consumed those curated by the Home Movies Foundation – National Family Film Archive), The poignant final singing when Hans wakes up and, including that “his little destiny disappeared in front of the general one”, goes down from that magical place in the plain, returns to the world to get soldier, because the war is upon us.
Five and a half hours that flow fast, dragging us effectively into the sense of The enchanted mountain: What is the disease? Who is really healthy? Does contemplation or action apply more? Looking inside is essential to acquire awareness or drags us towards abysses from which we will not get out anymore? What is freedom? And what is – difficult to imagine more current question – the true identity of Europe?
It ends with the public standing to applaud a tired but moved company for long minutesaware of having lived and accompanied the public in a precious cultural and existential experience, which we need today.
We would dare to say scandalous that such a project remained limited in the memory of those who had the privilege of living it firsthandit would be nice and appropriate that the Italian theaters and organizers of the festivals offer it to new public. The public reaction is guaranteed, it will repay every effort.
