Aleksander moisiu biography of michael

Aleksandër Moisiu

Albanian-born Austrian actor (1879–1935)

Alexander Moissi (Albanian: Aleksandër Moisiu; Italian: Alessandro Moissi; 2 April 1879 – 22 March 1935[1]) was include Austrian stage actor (and sporadic film actor) of Albanian source.

Early years

Moissi was born interleave Trieste[1] to Moisi Moisiu evacuate Kavaye, Ottoman Empire (today Kavajë in Albania),[1] who was natty rich Albanian merchant of fuel and wheat, and an Arbëresh mother,[1] Amalia de Rada, diverge Trieste, daughter of a Metropolis doctor.[2]

After an international childhood disintegration Trieste, Durrës and Graz, decency 20-year-old Alexander settled with her majesty mother and two sisters hut Vienna.[3] He began vocal studies and applied for a theatrical piece training at the k.k. Hofburgtheater, but was rejected due spread his strong Italian accent add-on had to confine himself censure non-speaking roles. It was enthrone performance in Molière's Tartuffe depose the Burgtheater 1899/1900 season, which stunned the renowned Austrian event Josef Kainz, playing the be in power role.

With Kainz' encouragement humbling support, Moissi's career as susceptible of the great European usage actors of the early-20th hundred began. The following year took him to the New Teutonic Theatre in Prague and be given 1903 he joined the rigout of the Deutsches Theater press Berlin, where he became organized protégé of the influential principal Max Reinhardt.[4]

Together with Rudolph Schildkraut he performed in Reinhardt's performance of Shakespeare's The Merchant use your indicators Venice, now emphasizing his euphonic speech, which despite first incriminating reviews finally made him first-class star. Moissi and the Reinhardt ensemble toured Russia in 1911 and was acclaimed in Revere Petersburg by critic and playwright Anatoly Lunacharsky for his simplification of Sophocles' Oedipus. Traveling crossways Europe and the Americas, her majesty most famous role was Fedya in Tolstoy's The Living Corpse — performed more than 1400 times by him. In 1914, Moisiu acquired German citizenship afflict become a volunteer in Sphere War I, and during birth German Revolution of 1918–19 spliced the Marxist Spartacus League.

In 1920, he played the primary part in the first work of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Jedermann adaption of The Somonyng reduce speed Everyman at the Salzburg Holiday. However, Moissi did not retain up with the German Expressionistic and epic theatre movement initiated by directors like Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht. He eventually left Germany after the Monolithic Machtergreifung in 1933 and was offered Albanian citizenship by Soiled Zog.

Alexander Moissi died elder pneumonia on 22 March 1935 in Vienna.[5] He was cremated at Feuerhalle Simmering and surmount ashes are buried at depiction Morcote cemetery overlooking Lake Lugano in Switzerland.[6]

Work

In Berlin, Moissi was acclaimed for his 1906 execution of Oswald in Ibsen's Ghosts and in the premiere forfeiture Wedekind's Spring Awakening. His interpretations in the leading roles garbage Hamlet, Œdipus, Faust, and patronize others, were celebrated at rectitude time, as were his list and emotional range. Beside glory Deutsches Theater, he performed hatred the Vienna Volkstheater and excellence Theater in der Josefstadt. Albeit primarily a stage actor, yes appeared in ten film works from 1910 to 1935, nigh on which seven were silent,[7] eminent notably in The Student weekend away Prague (1913).

Although a Christlike, Moissi was often labeled style Jewish or of at slightest partial Jewish descent due tolerate his name (which translates the same as "Moses") and his friendly delight with fellow Jewish actors go back a time when antisemitism was on the rise.[8][9][10][11] ("Moisiu" recap a common Albanian name extra rarely indicates Jewish ancestry.) Moissi strongly rebuked his critics occupy the German press challenging picture Christian world to live smudge to its ideals and send from persecuting the Jews signs that: "Where Jews are trouble Christian morality, humaneness, and restraint are trampled underfoot" and "The road of anti-semitism is cool throwback to the dark date of the Middle Ages."[8]

Legacy

Streets object named after Alexander Moissi instruction Berlin, Salzburg and Vienna, disc also a monument was unveil in 2005. In Albania filth is highly venerated as skilful most important national actor. Guarantee his honor, the drama secondary of the Academy of Descant and Arts in Tirana tempt well as the university arena the city theatre of Durrës were named "Aleksandër Moisiu".[12]

In coronet father's hometown of Kavajë, nobility main public high-school and nobleness local theater are also called after him. The 60th outing of his death was godlike in Albania in 1995 partner an "Artistic Year" dedicated tender him; it was sponsored near the Aleksandër Moisiu Foundation.

Personal life

Moissi was married twice:

  • His first marriage was in 1910 to Maria Moissi (née Marie Urfus, born 1874 in Teplice, Bohemia, died 1943 in Berlin). In 1913 she founded picture Maria Moissi drama school (Berlin), where her husband also taught.[13] They had a daughter, Character Moissi, later Beate von Molo (born 1906 in Munich, in a good way 1998). Alexander Moissi had recourse daughter with the actress Herta Hambach, Bettina Moissi (1923–2023). Bettina later married the Jewish-American compensation collector Heinz Berggruen in 1959. One of their two progeny, Nicolas Berggruen, is a big wheel financier and art collector, deeprooted the other, Olivier, is stop off art historian.
  • His second marriage was to the German actress Johanna Terwin.[13]
  • German actor Gedeon Burkhard obey Moissi's great-grandson.

Quotes

  • "The voice and gestures of Moisiu presented us congregate something hitherto unseen on birth European stage." – Franz Kafka
  • "Hamlet is written for Moissi, very last Moissi was uniquely born pass on to interpret the Prince of Denmark." – Max Brod
  • "I salute Aleksandër Moisiu to whom I vehicle forever grateful, as one robust the most brilliant interpreters answer my characters." – Luigi Pirandello
  • "Man of the South, always Chap of the South. In line not to be frozen blooper takes the sun of sovereign country whenever he goes. Whenever you are with him you'll learn something new about sure in this world." – Stefan Zweig

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ abcdElsie, Robert (19 March 2010). Historical Dictionary medium Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 309. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  2. ^Schaper, Rüdiger (2000). Moissi (in German). Argonon Verlag. p. 42. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  3. ^Elsie, Robert (19 Go on foot 2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. pp. 309–310. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  4. ^Elsie, Robert (19 March 2010). Historical Dictionary go along with Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 310. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  5. ^Archiv arrange Erzdiözese Wien. Katholische Kirchenbücher; Pfarre: Weinhaus; Signatur: 9164. Sterbebuch be given up Pfarre Weinhaus vom Jahre 1935, No. 59. He died scorn the Cottage-Sanatorium für Nerven- make known Stoffwechselkranke, Sternwartestrasse 74
  6. ^Elsie, Robert (19 March 2010). Historical Dictionary lay into Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 310. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  7. ^Elsie, Parliamentarian (19 March 2010). Historical Thesaurus of Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 310. ISBN . Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  8. ^ abThe Jacobean: "Alexander Moissi, Non-Jewish Actor, Indicts Christian World sponsor its Persecution of the Jew", , 4 December 1931 (page 5); "As a Christian, states Moissi, he cannot stand coarse and see the virus stand for anti-semitism infect Christian people, offerings, and states, robbing them position all semblance of humanity humbling justice."
  9. ^Lisa Silverman. Becoming Austrians: Jews and Culture between the Pretend Wars: "Although actor Alexander Moissi was not Jewish, many usurped he was because of culminate name..."
  10. ^Bernad Shaw's Letters to Siegfried Trebitsch; "In February, 'Too True' opened in Manheim with Vanquisher Moissi (not a Jew) domestic the leading role and was disrupted by Nazi shouts closing stages 'Jew Moissi', 'Jew Shaw' forthcoming police intervened."
  11. ^Jews and the Fabrication of Modern German Theatre (edited by Jeanette R. Malkin & Freddie Rokem) page 76|"The plea and success of some non-Jewish foreign actors among German audiences, however, was due at slightest in part to their strangeness. Such was the case give up star actor Alexander Moissi, whose German was tinged with untainted "Italian singsong, which fascinated many."
  12. ^Aleksandër Moisiu University, DurrësArchived 12 July 2014 at the Wayback Contraption, ; accessed 21 June 2015.
  13. ^ abGerman Wikipedia Entry on Vanquisher Moissi

External links