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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 October 2010
A Play-by-Play history of King Lear in Germany, France, and Italy would be a dull thing; but a discussion of the special qualities found in the tragedy at historic theatrical moments can illuminate both the work of art and the cultural and artistic environment in which it was presented.
The German productions offer the best example of the range of possibilities found in Lear in Continental theatre because the play has had there its longest history of production, outside of England.
The data for this essay was drawn from three main references: histories of the theatre, acting, and actors in the three countries; communications from colleagues; and—most extensively—research in periodical records. The first references are in the standard bibliographies; but scholars may be interested in the special periodical sources explored. The performances in the West of Rossi (1876 and 1882) and Salvini (1883–6) were extensively described in American and English newspapers, among them: Athenaeum, Academy, London Daily News, Boston Evening Transcript, Era, Evening News (London), Edinburgh Evening News, London Figaro, Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, Observer, Referee, Saturday Review, Scotsman, Times (London and New York), The Theatre, New York World. The performances of Antoine (1904) and Dullin (1945) in Paris were reported in Le Figaro, Le Monde Illustré, Le Galoise, Journal des Debats, L'Intransigeant; and in L'Action, Les Libertes, Le Monde, Arts, L'Hebdomaire du Tempts, Carrefour, L'Aurore, La Depeche de Paris, L'Aube, Le Populaire. The performances of Olivier (1946) and Scofield (1963) in Paris were reported in many, of these latter journals. German publications consulted included Berliner Tageblatt, Berliner Morgenpost, Deutsche Zeitung, Berliner Borsen-Zeitung, Neue Freie Presse, Deutsche Allgemaine Zeitung, Volkische Beobachter, and, of course, Shakespeare Jahrbuch. The English reviewers were, on the whole, far the best reporters of theatrical experience, the Germans the least useful.
