French mystery drama in the mirror of the twentieth century

The mystery of the XIV–XVI centuries — Ludus (Latin) — was "action", "performance", "synthetic theatrical genre formed on the verge of the XIV century." ^{[1, p. 215]}. Embodying the medieval character of the French and English cultural tradition, the mystery genre came into contact with both forms of Latin liturgical chants and folk game and song-and-dance forms (laudas, planctus and the lamentations of the Virgin Mary). The authoritative historian of French literature, philologist G. Lanson, noted that the term mystere has nothing to do with the designation of a church service, but comes from the Latin ministerium, i.e. "execution" ^{[2, pp. 91-94]}.

All known legends from the beginning of time (Creation of the World) to the end of the world (The Last Judgment) in the mysteries are presented "in persons." The poetic texts of the mysteries tell about the trials that arise on a person's life path, about events of a spontaneous nature and supernatural origin. Here is the Babel of Babel, and the seal of Cain, and the flood, and manna from heaven, as well as episodes from the New Testament. Depending on the presented plot, the mysteries are divided into cycles; cyclicity is an archetypal feature of this genre.

The famous historian-medievalist, Professor of the Sorbonne R. Fossier, called the staging of the mysteries "a manifestation of collective social behavior devoid of any personal initiative" ^{[3, p. 227]}. In the book "People of the Middle Ages" the researcher told about the origins of the mystery: "Perhaps this phenomenon originates in the antics of traveling troupes of "jugglers" (joculator, the one who is fooling around), "trouvers" (trobador, the one who finds and invents), who performed in city squares with self-composed "farces" or "soti"; unless they put the scenery on the stage, where they showed the masterpieces of their "craft" (metier) (ministerium, where the erroneous name "mystery" came from). <...> The performance was free, it was transported from city to city, it went on for many days, [and] the plot was adjusted according to the will of the actors who changed during the tour" ^{[3, p. 227]}. The mysteries presented on the occasion of the solemn arrival of the king or in connection with a special date of the church calendar created an atmosphere of celebration. R. Fossier noted: "The success of the theater was so great that we have sent "petitions" to the authorities to give permission to stage the play" ^{[3, p. 227]}.

The Origins of Mystery Theater in France and in England

The mystery experienced a flourishing period in the second half of the XIV — mid XVI century. In France, the "undying elements of the archaic" (the expression of M. M. Bakhtin) passed into the mystery from the genre widespread in the XIII century, which was called "miracle" ("miracle"). Mirakli are dramatic plays with text in Old French and liturgical chants in Latin. The basis of the miracle is the processing of legends about miraculous phenomena in the lives of saints with the participation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the sacred space of the miracle, where the sacrifice takes place, the hero of the work experiences a mystical revelation; a miracle happens to him.

The miracles retained elements of earlier genres — the Latin liturgical drama of the IX–XII centuries and the paraliturgical drama of the XIII century; laypeople also took an active part in the performances of the paraliturgical dramas along with the priests. Therefore, the paraliturgical drama contained texts in Latin and in the native language. These genres are the origins of mystery theater. The continuity of genre elements of this kind was defined by the researcher M. M. Bakhtin as "the memory of the genre" [Cit. according to: 4, p. 178]. The mysteries of the XIV–XVI centuries, thus, retained deep connections with the origins of the mystery theater.

In England, where the mysteries were called Corpus Christi Play ("The Play of the Body of Christ"), the mysteries of the York and Chester cycles, as well as the mysteries from Coventry, Newcastle and Norwich, were widespread. Some features of the mystery theater continued to exist in the plays of later times – Shakespeare, Milton and Byron. "During Shakespeare's youth, mysteries were staged regularly and with great success in the cities of England, and it can be assumed that he saw them more than once and remembered them well. <...> The Mystery Theater was undoubtedly an important predecessor of Shakespeare's theater," summed up literary critic A. N. Gorbunov ^{[5, p. 767]}.

Mystery Drama

Researcher of the French drama of the XIV–XVI centuries A.D. Mikhailov pointed out the trend of "worldliness" that passed through the XIV–XV centuries ^{[1, p. 215]}. The mysteries were composed by educated clerics to maintain the religious piety of the laity. Mystery dramas were often remade; at the same time, the names of the authors of the works were not preserved.

Like the miracles, the mysteries contain a special semantic and compositional element — the sacred space. Thanks to the intervention of heavenly forces, a "sacrifice" takes place here — a miraculous transformation of a sinner into a righteous man, a righteous man into a martyr, and a martyr into a saint; the executioners and persecutors of a pious person suffer punishment, becoming prey to hell. The action thus develops simultaneously in three dimensions (on earth, in Paradise, in the underworld); these dimensions are called the spatial vectors of the mystery. The semantic landmarks in the content of the mystery drama are identity and difference, dualism (virtue and evil, blinding light and pitch darkness, earth and sky, God and the devil). The content of the mystery drama corresponds to the canon of Holy Scripture. The mystery of the XIV–XVI centuries reveals that, in the consciousness of man, being is "revealed" as a divine revelation.

Educational Function of the Mystery Drama

Empathizing with the main character of the narrative, viewers in the process of showing events change their attitude towards him, moving from condemning the transgressions of a repentant sinner to compassion, and then to joy over the miraculous transformation of a person whose soul aspires to God. Like the ancient tragedy, the purpose of which, according to Aristotle, is catharsis, the mystery drama performs a moral function, fixing "moralism" as one of its defining features.

In 1310, the "Mystery of the Passion of Christ" was presented in Rouen; in 1435, the "Mystery of the Siege of Orleans" was repeatedly given there, the author of which is presumably Jean Mille; the text of the latter's work contains 20529 verses. Among the actors are the forces of Heaven: the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christ, Saints Michael, Evert and Aignan; one of the characters of the mystery is the defender of France, the Maid of Orleans — Joan of Arc. The action of the mystery, played by amateur actors and invited persons from among the townspeople, was based on alternating fragments of acting, recitation and singing.

The participation in the representations of the "ambivalent" image of the devil, the integration into the mystery of the structural section of the "diableria" that excites the imagination of viewers is discussed in the chapter 3 by M. M. Bakhtin "Francois Rabelais and the Folk Culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance": "The Diableria was a folk-festive area part of the mystery" ^{[6, pp. 384-385]}. Bakhtin clarifies: "The devils acted and spoke contrary to the official Christian worldview: that's why they were devils. They made incredible noise and shouted on stage, especially if there was a "big diableria" (i.e. with the participation of four or more devils)" ^{[6, p. 385]}. The description of the appearance of this character completes the characterization of the diableria: "The image of the devil in the diableria was usually decorated in a carnival way" ^{[6, p. 386]}.

A mockingly ironic and skeptical description of the Prologue from a theatrical play in the genre of morality, given on January 6, 1482 at the Palace of Justice, is given at the beginning of the novel "Notre Dame de Paris" by V. Hugo. (The genre of morality, which flourished in the XIV–XV centuries, continued to exist in the XVI century.). Hugo also mentioned a mystery accompanied by the playing of musical instruments, called "The Righteous Judgment of the Virgin Mary." (Hugo says that on the same day there was a festive election of the Pope of the Jesters). The character in Hugo's novel, the poet Gringoire, included in the work the image of antiquity — the Roman emperor, which was not a violation of the framework of this typically medieval theatrical genre, but it was in the order of things. In the Prologue of moralite, there are allegories: the peasantry, trade, nobility and clergy. "Allegorism" is a characteristic feature of some literary genres of the Middle Ages (morality, mystery drama, farce). In Hugo's novel, the mystery is shown as an utter hodgepodge and tasteless in literary terms.

On the Censorship of Mystery Dramas by the Church

The church authorities censored the texts of mystery dramas and did not prevent church servants from playing roles in plays, but girls and women could not take part in mystery productions. They could perform the mystery in a particular city of France only according to the decision of an official church person – a bishop or archbishop.

An authoritative researcher of the history of music, Jules Combarye noted that the attitude of the church authorities to the staging of the mysteries changed from tolerant to containing specific prohibitions. If in the XIV century the church allowed some "freedoms" enjoyed by lay people in the church, by the XV century representatives of the secular class were forbidden to sing in liturgical choirs. In 1527, the bishop approved every planned performance ^{[7, p. 314]}. This fact indicates the leading role of the church in the organization of public life in the Middle Ages.

Elements of Commonality and Differences in the French and English Representations of the Mysteries

The reconstructions of the performances undertaken by scientists allow us to compare the elements of the productions of the mysteries of the XIV–XVI centuries in France and in England. Preparation for the performances began in the days of Great Lent and continued until the feast of Pentecost.

In France, according to G. Lanson's description, the stage for the presentation of the mystery was spacious — from thirty to fifty meters wide. The places on the stage where the action of the mystery took place were called "camps" (fr. mansion). "All the camps through which the action moved and where it was supposed to go were simultaneously present on the stage, displaying not only tangible realities of life, but also imaginary pictures of the existence of the inhabitants of the other world. Typical examples of the mystery camps were the palace located along the stage (in the center), a prison with a dungeon and a tavern (on the sides). In the “Mystery of the Passion of Christ,” the central position on the stage was occupied by the Jerusalem Temple, on both sides of which were the desert and the sea. Heaven was located in the upper space of the stage, hell was located below," explained Lanson ^{[2, p. 91]}.

In England, the rehearsals of mystery performances were conducted by an authorized pageant-master from one or another guild of artisans, responsible for finances, as well as for the maintenance of mobile stage carts, and for the purchase of props and costumes. The same pageant-master, who was available in each guild, chose an educated church minister who led the rehearsals. The mystery was played out on a mobile stage - a cart "located on a special platform with four wheels, which was carried around the city manually, without the help of animals" ^{[5, p. 780]}. Such movement was explained by the narrowness of the streets of medieval York. A fragment of the text of the mystery drama dedicated to the presentation of the picture of the Last Judgment, preserved in the York Guild of Cloth Merchants, contained a description of a special superstructure on the platform that resembled a residential building: "On its upper floor there was a "sky" with red and blue clouds, golden stars and a rainbow made of wood. There were also figurines of artificial angels who "ran through the sky" with the help of ropes. There was also a special device, a kind of special machine, resembling a basket, where the actor who played God was sitting. This basket was lowered down to the ground floor, where the main action took place, and lifted up with ropes. And even below the first floor there were the "gates of hell", where the unforgiven sinners went" ^{[5, p. 780]}. The stage space thus recreated elements of the system of sacred, mundane and infernal images.

The "Mysteries of the Passion of Christ" were staged everywhere on the feast day of Corpus Christi, celebrated on the first Thursday after the feast of the Trinity and the next day, on Friday. "Studying the formation and development of mystery drama, the newest researchers also drew attention to the possible influence of the secular medieval theater that existed at that time, mimes and jugglers, as well as farces and interludes, the English texts of which have practically not reached us, but which we can judge by their Latin and French counterparts," noted philologist A. N.. Gorbunov ^{[5, p. 778]}.

The Image of the World in the Mystery Drama

The magic of the word in the mystery and the conventions in the design of the stage space of performances give the viewer the opportunity to perceive simultaneously the world in the past, present and in the future. If the authors of ancient tragedies considered the problem of the interaction of man and the world as the relation of the macrocosm to the microcosm, then in the mystery drama of the Middle Ages "the motley human world with its colors" (expression S. S. Averintseva) received interpretation through the prism of Holy Scripture. In the XIV–XVI centuries, the image of the world was perceived by man as a metaphysical (comprehensive) whole. In the system of relations between man, the world and God, everything is interconnected; the connection of events and their participants is subject to divine laws.

The mystery model of the world created by the popular imagination is comparable to the subjects in the paintings of the masters of the Flemish school of painting – Jan van Amstel, Jos van Kleve, Cornelius Engelbrechsen, Frans Floris, Martin van Heemskerk, Jan Mostart, and Pieter Brueghel the Elder.

The great Catholic poet and playwright of the twentieth century, Paul Claudel, in the poem "Preface to the Satin Slipper", conveyed the essence of the metaphysical image of the world, pointing out the special connection between the individual elements on the paintings of Flemish artists of the XV–XVI centuries: "On them / You can see the execution of a bishop under the wings of windmills, / Or great events from both Testaments and the lives of saints. / And in the depths, there is a woodcutter with a bundle and a peasant on the arable land. / Falconry, tree, sailboat, tower. / An angel in the sky is playing a viola, another has a bowl and a lowered wing. / And a lot of funny scenes that can only be seen through a magnifying glass" (poet, translator O. A. Sedakova) ^{[8, p. 31]}.

Authors of Mystery Dramas of the XV–XVI Centuries

Arrays of texts of mystery dramas (up to 50,000 verses) were created, with rare exceptions, by different authors. The famous theologian and musician Arnul Greban (1420-1471) had an outstanding talent as a playwright. In the middle of the XV century, his "Mystery of the Passion of Christ" was a success. The work includes fragments from the Old and New Testaments (scenes of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel). The mystery drama of Greban talks about the sacrificial feat of Christ. In an exalted tone, the content of famous gospel texts is presented here: the good news to the Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Christ, the adoration of shepherds, the cruel actions of Herod, and the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. The mystery drama of Greban contains a description of the mournful procession to Golgotha, the execution of Christ and mourning the death of the Savior. The general character of the narrative is contrasted by an episode of the household plan, which tells about the conflict of Roman soldiers during the division of Jesus' clothes. Following the mention of the betrayal of Judas, an allegorical figure of Despair enters into action, which conducts a dialogue with the traitor of Jesus.

Literary critic A.D. Mikhailov described Greban's mystery drama as follows: "Greban's poems are marked by musicality, which also applies to mass scenes; for example, in the scene of the adoration of shepherds, where each new character, entering, repeats the last phrase of the previous one, which gives the scene a polyphonic sound and a peculiar rhythm. Greban had the ability to portray characters: he succeeded in the images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, King Herod" ^{[1, p. 216]}. The features of the literary style of A. Greban's mystery drama named by the researcher are comparable to the earlier achievements of the composers of the Franco-Flemish school, who combined the professional polyphony of polyphonic music with figurative intonation elements of folk song, and liturgical Latin with texts in their native language. The convergence of poetry with music is a remarkable feature of the mystery drama of the XIV—XV centuries, which gained European fame along with the achievements of musicians of the Franco–Flemish school of composition and the system of ideas of Italian Renaissance humanism. In the XV century, the French mystery drama became part of the pan-European cultural context.

The author of the "Mystery of the Destruction of Troy," Jean Mille (1428-1466), witnessed the production of this work in Orleans (ca. 1452). The implementation of the ideas and images of antiquity points to the assertion in the mystery drama Mile signs of a mature French Renaissance. Revived in the middle of the XV century, Latin, as well as the reorientation of European politics after the end of the Hundred Years' War (1453), historians and literary critics consider an essential sign of the development of drama in the XV century. "The events of national history also became the subjects of mysteries," the researcher A.D. Mikhailov noted, citing as an example the "Mystery of St. Louis" staged in 1470. The famous representative of fine literature Jean Michel (1435-1501), the author of the "Mystery of the Passion of Christ" staged in Angers in 1485, worked in the genre of mystery drama.

A significant number of mysteries belong to the pen of Pierre Gringor (1475-1539), who was a contemporary of the poets of the Pleiades and the work of playwrights of the XVI century (S. Etienne, J. Bourgeois, J.-F. de Mem, M. de Saint-Jelly, M.-A. Muret). Gringor created performances for high-ranking foreign guests of King Louis XII.

The Departure of the Mystery Drama from the Historical Stage

In 1548, the Parliament of Paris banned the giving of mysteries, and the staging of performances disappeared from the everyday life of medieval life. Over the course of two centuries, the genre of mystery drama has developed a narrative strategy, a tendency to discover the didactic meaning of action, a generalized system of symbols and traditional types of sound space and stage design. The famous Italian writer and researcher-medievalist U. Eco drew attention to the global perspective of time, the sacred nature of texts and the large–scale coverage of elements that determined the theatrical nature of the mystery drama of the XIV-XVI centuries: "The history of the world, mediated by biblical synthesis, is imprinted in a number of images" ^{[9, pp. 144-145]}.

The metaphysical picture of the world captured in the mystery drama of the last third of the XVI century also reflects the aesthetic facet of human life. According to the thought of W. Eco, aesthetic experience "... does not involve focusing on the autonomy of a work of art or natural reality, but consists in capturing all the supernatural connections between the object and the cosmos, in seeing any particular thing as an ontological reflection of God's communion with the world" ^{[9, p. 39]}.

Invariant Signs of the Mystery. Evolution of the Genre

The features of mystery dramas are mentioned by researchers J. Combarrier (1913), G. Lanson and P. Tufro (1953), G. Wickham (1987), S. Mazuer (2015), allowing us to note the similarity of individual genre features. The archetypal feature of the mysteries / mystery dramas of the XIV–XVI centuries is syncretism (the term of A. N. Veselovsky). The essence of this phenomenon is determined by eclecticism, mixing, the initial fusion of gesture and meaning, dance and pantomime, acting and singing, stage speech and music for the stage.

The semantic and expressive functions are performed in the mystery by the characters-allegories, symbolic attributes, as well as theatrical accessories: masks, costumes, wigs. The result of the synthesis of elements of different arts was characterized by U. Eco: "Semantic elements act together and provide didactic content" ^{[9, p. 145]}.

The Specifics of the Evolution of the French Mystery Drama

The genre of mystery / mystery drama had a discrete character of development: after its heyday in the XIV–XVI centuries, its evolution stopped, and the break lasted for more than three hundred years. In the XVII–XIX centuries, certain elements of the mystery drama (including "archaic elements") were "pushed out of real existence into the subconscious of culture" ^{[4, p. 188]}. The intra-genre metamorphosis of the mystery drama is due to the loss of the deep connection of the mystery with the meanings of the texts of Holy Scripture. Christian ideas about the eternal life of the soul, and the Christian idea of the synthesis of time and eternity ceased to dominate the content of the works.

The metamorphosis of the mystery that took place in the last third of the XIX century was associated with the evolution of musical drama. A new flowering of the mystery genre came in the twentieth century, when a significant number of works were created in the genre of mystery musical drama. The periods of discrete development of the mystery are conventionally shown in Diagram 1.

Scheme 1. The Discrete Nature of the Evolution of the Mystery

The intra-genre metamorphosis of the mystery is due to the changes that have occurred in modern times in the systems of relations between man, God and the world, man's views on the world order. The mystery drama involved in the interpretation of these relations, as can be assumed, in the new historical conditions revealed a desire not only to establish a connection with the spiritual quest of the modern era, but also to strengthen the position of Christianity.

On Changing the Functions of Music in the Synthesis of Elements of Musical Drama

Let us pay attention to music — a stable component of the mystery as "a drama in which there is music" (definition by J. Combarrier) ^{[7, p. 314]}. The vector of development of the French mystery drama of the last third of the XVI century indicates the direction to a musical drama capable of transmitting the nonverbal. The specific weight of music and its functions changed during the evolution of the mystery drama. While maintaining the interaction of the vocal (liturgical text in Latin) and verbal (dramatic text pronounced in the native language) characteristic of the mystery drama, the number of musical fragments that filled the time when the scenery was changing on the stage increased. In such episodes, the purpose of music was to express the meaning of what was happening, and to generalize the stage situation.

In the course of the evolution of musical and theatrical genres, the functions of the musical design of the stage action changed. Music performed the tasks of detecting the psychological states of the characters, outlining their characters. Accompaniment in solo parts has been replaced by the art of expressing the psychological subtext of what is happening on the basis of methods of immanent development of musical fabric. In the last third of the XIX century, the evolution of musical theater was at the stage of close interaction between music and dramatic action. The modern idea of the structure of the world and the new poetic thinking of the era of late Romanticism brought to the fore the musical and historical development of musical drama based on the idea of the synthesis of arts. Discovering the inner world of a person has established itself as a priority task of music.

The Mystery Variety in R. Wagner 's Gesamtkunstwerk

A kind of musical drama of the last third of the XIX century was "Parsifal" (1882) — the pinnacle of R. Wagner's creative evolution and an apology for his religious and philosophical beliefs. The composer defined the genre of this musical drama in this way: "a solemn stage mystery."

Written in 1849, Wagner's musical-theoretical work "A Work of Art of the Future" contains a remarkable judgment that explains the mystical basis of the musical drama "Parsifal": "A work of art is a living embodiment of religion" [Cit. according to: 10, p. 277]. "Parsifal", like the previously created musical drama "Tannhauser" (1845), conveys the triumph of the ethical aspects of Christianity in the form of Gesamtkunstwerk — a synthetic work of art. In the mirror of Wagner's mystery, one can distinguish the "memory of the genre" — signs of the mystery drama of the XIV–XVI centuries. The appeal to mythological, heroic images and mystical phenomena, as well as to religious experiences, is the main thing that corresponds in "Parsifal" with the mystery dramas of the past.

According to H. S. Chamberlain, Wagner saw the world "through the eyes of a metaphysician" ^{[10, p. 563]}. The composer's solemn proclamation: "Faith is alive!" became the apotheosis of the "shining world soul" ^{[10, p. 563]}. The demand for faith, dating back to the calls of the Old Testament prophets, was invariably maintained by contemporary confessors of Christianity, for whom faith was a necessary condition for creating a spiritual community between people: art created on the basis of faith is able to unite the past, present and future.

The musical drama-mystery "Parsifal" embodies the essence of the Christian doctrine of compassion for man. In this work, the composer embodied the Christian idea of the synthesis of time and eternity. Wagner's contemporaries perceived as an actual Wagnerian thesis: "A new ground for art should be found in the world itself" [Cit. po: 10, p. 553]. The composer's spiritual message, which did not lose its meaning in the twentieth century, was interpreted by researcher Chamberlain: "... our sympathy is attracted by a scene representing the whole world, and in each act the action begins only when sympathy awakens in the hero's heart, and not before" ^{[10, p. 481]}.

About the Mystery of G. D’Annunzio — C. Debussy

The excellent musical discoveries of the score of Wagner's "Parsifal" invariably aroused the admiration of C. Debussy, the author of the musical mystery "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian," written in 1911 on the poetic text of the Italian poet, writer and playwright G. D'Annunzio. The mystery project belonged to the famous dancer, dramatic actress and director of musical performances Ida Rubinstein, who created a plastic and dramatic image of the saint on the stage of the Paris Chatelet Theater. Numerous musical, dramatic and ballet performances by I. Rubinstein made a significant contribution to the development of the French "synthetic theater" in the period between the two World Wars.

The artistic idea of the mystery "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian", the features of the mystery drama, the system of symbolic images, composition, musical dramaturgy, musical language and style, the functions of performers, the work of the artist L. Bakst on the creation of scenery and costumes were considered in our monograph "Antiquity in French opera of the 1890s — 1900s" ^{[11, p. 144]}. It remains to add only a little to what was stated earlier. D’Annunzio in Act III of the Mystery, the atmosphere of ancient paganism is comparable to the experience of the innovative implementation of the images of antiquity by J. Mile in the mystery drama of the XV century.

The mystery of K. Debussy — G. D’Annunzio is distinguished by the quality of synthesis of music and poetry, plasticity and facial expressions, the unity of gesture and meaning. Solemn oratorical poetic Latin in combination with a sublime poetic text in Old French reveals an individual system of poetic thinking. Such "self—determination" is explained by the intention of the Italian playwright, on the one hand, to emphasize the dominant role of Italian Renaissance culture in France of the XV century. D'Annunzio established a semantic connection between the language and style of the mystery drama ("The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian") with the new Latin of the XV century in France. In the poetic language and style of the presentation of the mystery drama, he conveyed the "ecstatic confessional of the Middle Ages" (the expression of A.D. Mikhailov) ^{[1, p. 44]}.

In an interview in 1911, the composer K. Debussy confessed to the journalist A. Malerbe: "The plot of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian seduced me mainly by the combination of trembling vitality and Christian faith in it" ^{[12, p. 191]}. The music of Debussy, who included liturgical choirs in Latin in the mystery drama, synthesized the fret, rhythmic elements of national music, declamation and prosody, presenting a new form of musical and speech intonation in the French musical theater of the twentieth century. The music of the mystery "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" by Debussy, which generalized the meaning of nonverbal, took a leading place among the Christian mystery musical dramas of the twentieth century, establishing the dominant role of music in the synthesis of various elements of art. In an interview with the journalist R. Bizet (1911), the composer noted: "It did not cost me much effort to rise to the heights of mysticism achieved by the poet's drama" ^{[12, p. 194]}. Returning to the topic of faith, respect for which exists in the soul of modern man only formally, Debussy expressed his own attitude to Christianity in a confessional tone: "This faith is mine, my own faith, singing in all its sincerity" ^{[12, p. 195]}.

About the Mystery of P. Claudel "The Good News of Mary"

The problem of stage music became the area of the long-term development of the concept of the French mystery drama by P. Claudel (1868-1955). "The Good News of Mary" (1912-1955) is one of the significant phenomena of the dramatic art of the twentieth century. The modern artistic implementation of the ancient genre of mystery drama by Claudel forms a multifaceted statement with a complex intersection of meanings in the work. The prose text of the mystery drama is full of direct quotations, numerous allusions and various types of artistic interpretation of the texts of Holy Scripture. The playwright integrated into the text verses of children's folk songs ("Papa Oriole" and "Margarita from Paris"), as well as a system of expressive sound symbols (birds singing, bells ringing, street noise, etc.).

The alternation of children's folk songs with liturgical choirs and solo fragments in Latin (the singing of invisible angels and the sound of a mysterious "voice" from Heaven) express the meaning of Claudel's mystery par excellence. Lighting effects and color contrasts complemented a number of scenic techniques for the design of the performance. Let us note the influence of the experimental ideas of Alexander von Saltzman, who worked in Germany and France, on the light and color solutions of the stage space in productions of the Claudel mystery in France and abroad.

The dramatic conflict and the problem of man's choice of the way to achieve his goal in the mystery "The Good News of Mary" point to the modern artistic implementation of the ancient "geometry of fate"; at the same time, the images of the mystery are endowed with Christian spirituality. Christian symbolism dominates the design of the stage space.

The additional levels of meaning that arise in the process of narration allow for a comparison of the path of spiritual trials of the main character Violena and the Blessed Virgin Mary, who accepted with humble obedience the good news from the angel of the Lord who appeared to her. The miracle of Violena's resurrection of the deceased child conveys the idea of the miraculous incarnation of God the Word, corresponding in meaning to the beginning of Chapter I John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn:1, 1).

Signs of Commonality and Differences in the Mystery Dramas of d'Annunzio and Claudel

The analysis of the signs of commonality and differences in the mystery dramas of d'Annunzio and Claudel, created in line with the French "synthetic theater" of the 1910s and 1930s, allows us to draw the following conclusions. Although none of the playwrights was a professional musician, the mystery of each of them revealed the leading importance of music in the synthesis of elements of various arts. The artistic texts of d'Annunzio and Claudel contain formative compositional sections in the form of liturgical choirs in Latin. The intonation-rhythmic basis of the verse (both in Latin and in Old French) was of no small importance for d’Annunzio.

The first edition of the "Good News of Mary" in 1912 is associated with an array of texts by Claudel about the theater, in which the problem of stage music in mystery drama is planned to be posed. Claudel's attitude to the inner rhythm of the prose text and the ways of its intonation changed significantly. The creative consciousness of the playwright sought to transform stage speech. Approaching the limits of the verbal, the author of the "Good News of Mary" used modulations from prosody to recitation; he created a kind of rhythmic intonation of speech — the so-called "op?ra de parole", "verbal and sound speech". The named form became an element of the overall sound atmosphere of the mystery drama.

The mystery dramas of d'Annunzio and Claudel include a poetic translation of the texts of Holy Scripture; "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" also contains a musical embodiment of the "Hymn to the “Brother of the Sun" by St. Francis of Assisi. The semantic motifs from the "Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" and "The Good News of Mary" reveal the psychological development of Christian ideas of sacrificial love, compassion and the theme of glorification of Creations. The life path of the main characters in the works of d'Annunzio and Claudel is interpreted as the approach of the Christian soul to God.

Differences among the mystery dramas of d’Annunzio —Debussy and Claudel consist, firstly, in the fact that d'Annunzio in "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" created an atmosphere of psychological experience of the sacred aspect of the Resurrection of Christ, while Claudel in "The Good News of Mary" interpreted the theme of Christmas. Secondly, the music for d'Annunzio's mystery drama was written by a great, internationally recognized composer; over the course of two months, Debussy developed a vocal-symphonic concept of the sacred sacrifice to Christ of the Roman archer Sebastian, perfect in form and musical meaning.

Claudel's attitude to stage music in the mystery "The Good News of Mary" had been formed for more than thirty years. The theoretical development of the idea of stage music was part of the general evolution of Claudel's theatrical and stage concept. In the article "A few thoughts on how my dramas should be played," Claudel noted: "For me, after emotions, music is most important. <...> By virtue of this musical principle, I reject everything that from the very beginning would have turned out to be too exuberant, too abrupt, too sharp. It is not necessary to break the charm that connects some characters with others without excessive tears" ^{[13, p. 43]}.

The author of the "Good News of Mary" several times appealed to various musicians with a request to create an organized sound space of this mystery drama.

About Stage Music in the Mystery of Claudel

In different years, authoritative professionals collaborated with Claudel — Abbot Bren (1912), Darius Millau (1929 and 1934) and Maria Scibor (1948), who fulfilled the specific requirements of the playwright; these requirements changed significantly over three decades. At the same time, none of the composers had the opportunity to freely implement their own ideas in terms of musical expression and form. Considering the field of stage music "really ungrateful and bringing only disappointment," D. Millau clarified: "It often happens that the composer needs to redo the score, since the work was shown at different times and in different circumstances. <...> I wrote two versions of the music for the drama "The Annunciation of Mary" ^{[14, p. 148]}.

The premiere of the mystery drama "The Good News of Mary" at the Paris theater Evre (1912) was prepared by the founder of this theater, the director-innovator, actor and entrepreneur Aurelien Lunier Poe. The first assistant director was a set designer and decorator Jean Vario, who stayed current with information of new knowledge in the field of modern theatre architecture during missions in Germany, Poland and Russia. Vario's chosen stage lighting strategy was that he replaced the ramp with a lighting apparatus that could produce three color beams. In a number of artificially darkened mystery scenes, multicolored rays created the illusion of scenery. The action mainly took place on a proscenium extended into the auditorium. The stage director divided the stage space into three parts; the middle of the stage had almost no depth. Canvases were installed in the background, giving relief to the figures of the actors. The analysis of the features of the productions of the mystery "The Good News of Mary" was conducted by Professor Alain Beretta of the University of Franche-Comt?. The researcher quoted the words of J. Vario, who stated: "In the first production of Claudel's work, everything was based on lighting" [Cit. po 18, p. 151].

On the Synthesis of Various Elements in the Mystery of Claudel

In the productions of the mystery "The Good News of Mary", an important role is played by the sound organization of the performance, the design of the stage space, the details of stylized "antique" costumes, the dramaturgy of light, as well as the system of conditionally symbolic gestures. Constantly taking part in the rehearsals of the mystery drama, Claudel explained to the actors the meaning of gestures of a "ceremonial" ("ritual") nature. Some of the playwright's gestures were associated with traditional elements of gestures in the system of expressive means of the eastern theater. Claudel's fascination with the productions of the traditional theater of China, as well as Japan, occurred during his stay in these countries with a diplomatic mission. Individual objects, interior details, costumes and masks, according to the playwright, are designed to reveal hidden internal connections between individual events of the past and the present; theatrical conventions can thus be used to perform "silent roles".

About the Sacred Space in the French Mystery Dramas of the Twentieth Century

The author of the study on the fate of the mystery genre in Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the turn of the XIX — XX centuries, Charles Mazuere calls the third act of Claudel's mystery drama l'acte de miracle (the act of miracle) ^{[16, pp. 175-184]}. Scene 2 of act III (the resurrection of the child by Violena) in its meaning echoes certain scenes of mystery dramas, where there is a sacrifice, a spiritual transformation of a person or a mystical revelation of a saint. The resurrection scene in question is comparable to the tragic episode 8 of the third camp of the mystery d’Annunzio — Debussy. It represents the death and resurrection of God: the image of the ancient Adonis is compared with the image of Christ. D'Annunzio created a tragic image here-a symbol of death. These are mysterious black gates in the depths of the underworld, to which the soul of a dying man approaches, descending into darkness. Life and death — the eternal mysteries of existence — interact in the sacred space of the French mystery drama of the twentieth century.

The "memory of the genre" of the mystery drama of the XIV–XVI centuries manifested itself in the works of Claudel and d'Annunzio in the form of the affirmation of Christian ideas of self-denial and love, strict spiritual discipline and the triumph of faith. Purification by suffering on the path of spiritual ascent leads the main characters to Heaven, where the earthly ties of a person disappear, but new, unknown connections are established. The main character of Claudel's mystery is led to holiness by the invisibly present in the semantic field of action of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Christ. The sanctity of Violena becomes obvious not only for the Christian community of like-minded Claudel, but also for all modern humanity.

French Mystery Drama of the Twentieth Century as a Kind of Religious Art

"The Good News of Mary" — opus magnum, which passed through Claudel’s whole life and the professional community of theater actors and directors, musicians and decorators surrounding him, A. Malraux reflected on the fate of religious art in the general cultural context of the era: "Sacred art, religious art requires a community - and its death or disintegration inevitably leads to their metamorphosis" ^{[17, p. 694]}.

The French mystery drama, which has returned to the cultural space of the twentieth century, has preserved the genre principle of global time coverage. In this perspective, Claudel showed the modern nature of the relationship between man, God and the world.

Having preserved the memory of the archaic form of medieval theater — mystery drama — the French theater of the twentieth century brought to the stage the Christian mystery drama, as well as its variety — the musical model of the world (mystery d’Annunzio — Debussy). The connection of the events of the mystery action and its participants in the modern theatrical and musical model of the world is subject to the law of artistic balance, determined by the individual worldview of the author of a mystery project.

The dramatic development in the "Good News of Mary" is based on the interaction of everyday and spiritual dimensions, symbolizing the relationship of the profane and the sacred. The spiritual dimension and the lyrical voice of the author are at the forefront of the development of the French mystery drama of the twentieth century. The music of the liturgical choirs in Latin summarizes the meaning of the works written by d'Annunzio and Claudel in the genre of mystery drama.

About Two Editions of the Claudel Mystery

The basis of Claudel's worldview is found in the finale of the mystery "The Good News of Mary" (Scene 2 of Act IV), the solution of which in the first edition of 1912 differed from the final stage version of this work (1948). In the latest edition, first of all, the cathedral builder Pierre de Kraona is absent. The author of the notes to the text of the mystery and the introductory article to its 2006 Russian edition, D. V. Tokarev, noted: "The "speaking" absence of the named character becomes one of the semantic centers of the play" ^{[18, p. 576]}. According to the researcher, in the final version Claudel established "an unbreakable link <...> between Combernon and Jerusalem, between the martyrdom of Violena and Golgotha" ^{[18, p. 576]}.

The first edition of the mystery drama "The Good News of Mary" contains the final remark of Pierre de Craon, through which Revelation is revealed in the work — a manifestation of the will of God. In the presence of Anna Vercora and Jacques Yuri, the cathedral builder mentions the Blessed Virgin and her "unspeakable sacrifice" ^{[18, p. 273]}. Without mentioning the name of the virgin Violena, who sacrificed her life to God, the playwright creates a semantic rhyme: the sacrificial feat in the name of Christ of the main heroine of the mystery drama is similar to the feat of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Claudel's commentary on this scene, marked by the presence of the mysterious vector "earth — sky", contains a characteristic of the sound space — the "distant and almost indistinguishable triad" of the bells of Monsanville ^{[18, p. 272]}.

The composition of the finale in the latest edition of the "Good News of Mary" looks different. After the death scene of the main character Violena and before the final fragment of Act IV, conventionally reproducing on the stage the semblance of a certain rite (in the form of a pantomime), Claudel placed a solemn liturgical vocal episode in Latin.

Two allegorical characters also take part in the episode under consideration: "the voice" and Angelus ^{[18, p. 492]}. Angelus (a wordless character) personifies the archangel Gabriel, who brought the Good News to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Claudel skillfully uses the technique of intra-genre roll call "at a distance": the allegorical figure "Angelus" is comparable to the allegories in the mystery drama by A. Greban (1450). The symbolic character "voice" announces from heaven the coming of God into the world: "Pax pax pax / God God God" ^{[18, p. 491]}. The unification of the sacred and profane is indicated by the spatial vector of the mystery drama; Claudel asserts the idea of the connection of the world with God.

The festive ringing of bells accompanies the beginning of the gospel chant in Latin — the choir Gloria: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will in men" (Luke 2:14). The solemn musical section is completed with three chants of the call to rejoicing: "Laetare Lae ta re / Lae ta re!" ("Rejoice!") ^{[18, p. 491]}. The prayerful apotheosis in Latin in the mystery drama "The Good News of Mary" enhances the effect of the genre principle of the connection between the sacred and the profane. The sublime Latin eloquence, accompanied by the ringing of bells, retains a solemn intonation.

The author's voice is addressed to his contemporaries. The intonated meaning of "laetare" reveals the mental and psychological state of catharsis. A similar spiritual appeal is contained in the final stanza of the Revelation of John the Theologian: "To her, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:21). The lyrical intonation of the author's voice and the intonated meaning of the liturgical choirs in Latin convey the musical content of the drama "The Good News of Mary".

Claudel's Spiritual Message

What is the relevance of the spiritual message addressed by Claudel to his contemporaries? The opinion of the translator of Claudel's works, the poet O. A. Sedakova, seems indisputable: "The very news of Salvation is relevant" [Cit. according to: 18, p. 581]. The progressive disappearance of the Christian understanding of being among contemporaries prompted the playwright and thinker to clearly convey to everyone the deep meaning of the "Good News of Mary." In Claudel's understanding, neither changes in the spiritual climate nor new ideas about the world, space and time can deform the spiritual basis of the Good News. The thought of Salvation formed an actual spiritual dimension in Claudel's mystery. According to the author, "the whole interest of this religious work is seriousness, piety, tenderness" (from Claudel's letter to Andre Zhid, 1908)"[Cit. according to: 18, p. 566]. "The Good News of Mary" is a mystery of Christian self—denial and the transformation of human life in the twentieth century. The news of salvation from death was most in demand in the period between the two orld Wars, during the Second World War and in the postwar period. Claudel filled the ancient genre of mystery drama with a modern spiritual meaning.

The Atmosphere around the Premiere of Claudel's Mystery Drama

The historical facts accompanying the premiere of the "Good News of Mary" are noteworthy. Researcher A. Beretta cited in his book a fragment of the announcement published in Figaro about the premiere of Claudel's work — "a significant event of Parisian theatrical life" ^{[19, p. 184]}. The performances of the Evr Theater troupe scheduled for December 20, 22 and 23, 1912, took place in the pre-holiday atmosphere of the approaching Christmas. The Malakoff gala hall was rented for the performance; the stage curtain was decorated with juniper branches brought from the Villeneuve Garden. Claudel insisted that the performance was to begin at eight o'clock in the evening ^{[19, p. 184]}. According to the Parisian critic A. Bidou, the audience, fascinated by the lyrical poetic text that was full of symbolism and mysticism, "both throughout the evening and after midnight listened to the mysteries with a sense of gratitude" [Cit. according to: 19, p. 186].

Considering the choral fragments in the mystery "The Good News of Mary," the famous researcher of Claudel's work Pascal Lecroar pointed to the dramatist's implementation of the tradition of choir performances in Greek tragedy; in the same article we are talking about the presentation of the parties of the "liturgical choir" taking part in the festive mass on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ ^{[20, p. 47]}.

Thus, the dates of the production of the play were highly consistent with the direction of the ideas of the mystery drama. The author achieved his goal: the idea of the sacrament of the Nativity of Christ was joyfully echoed in the hearts of the audience.

Turning to the conclusions, we note:

· The music of liturgical choirs in Latin conveys the spiritual meaning of the French mystery dramas of the twentieth century: the Mysteries of d’Annunzio — Debussy "The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" and Claudel's mysteries "The Good News of Mary".

· In the "Good News of Mary," Claudel reflected the atmosphere of the holiday that went back to the productions of the mysteries of the XIV–XVI centuries.

· The leading principle of the development of modern French mystery drama is the interaction of the profane and the sacred.

· The French mystery drama of the twentieth century contains an archetypal genre code — the spatial vector "earth — sky".

· French mystery dramas of the twentieth century, dedicated to the theme of the feat in the name of Christ, are connected with the spiritual problems of our time.

· The French mystery drama of the twentieth century seeks to discover the possibilities of overcoming the discrepancies between the world, God and man.

· The spiritual heritage of the French mystery drama of the twentieth century organically fits into the general cultural context.