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An epitomy of the 20th century
Joshua Sobol
I see in Alma also a kind of an epitome of our time, of our
modern twentieth century. Because I think that there is maybe
no other period in history where one´s creativity, and
one´s spiritual achievements are what make one into
a cultural hero of the time. And the twentieth century is
very fond of cultural heroes, it looks for them. And I think
that it is because we are living in such a confused, and bewildered
time, that we have lost our orientation, that humanity does
not know where to go, and it needs those mentors. In the past
it was always religion which showed the direction, but with
the twentieth century and after Nietzsche, after "God´s
death", so to speak, as it was experienced by people
like Dostojewsky and others, and expressed by them, our time
more than any other time is looking towards artists to show
the way, and to confront us with our image. To show us who
we are, and to tell us who we are, and how we should live,
and what we should do with our lifes. I think that happened
with the"Beatles revolution" or earlier a little
bit with the"jazz revolution", where the youngsters,
the younger generations are really looking to the musicians
to name their feelings, and to give them a style of life,
and to show them what´s important, and what´s
not important.
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Alma
Mahler |
There was no other period where art was so influential as
it is in our time. And I say it as a father to a rockstar,
my son is a rocker. And through him I could understand what
is the power of rock music on the young generation. Not only
the rock music, but rock culture. And I admire that culture,
I must say. I admire it because it shove aside so much bullshit
which belonged to the old culture. It is thanks to that revolution
which is done by artists in our century. And it all starts
in the roots of the twentieth century - and it starts then,
at the time when Alma lived. And that´s why I think
that Alma with her great thirst to meet those spirits, and
to get in touch with them, and to accompany them on their
way, as she expressed it at the end of her autobiography,
that she had a great merit to help them "to get into
the saddle of their horses" before they took off to their
great trip. Alma is an expression of our time, in that sense.
She is an expression of the spirit of our time, that eagerness,
and that need to be in touch with creativity, with the spirit
of creativity, more than anything. That´s what also
makes of her, I think, a very worthy protagonist of a play
or of our Polydrama.
Paulus Manker
Alma - the first groupie!
< Alma's sacrifice for Mahler
> The curse of Alma's Autobiography
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