Aleksander Moisiu
Encyclopedia
Aleksandër Moisiu was an Austria
n stage actor.
to Konstantin Moisiu from Kavajë
, who was a rich Albanian merchant of oil and wheat and an Arbëresh mother Amalia di Rada, daughter of an Italian writer and doctor from Trieste.
After an international childhood in Trieste
, Durrës
and at a Graz
boarding school, 20-year-old Aleksandër finally settled with his mother and two sisters in the Austrian capital Vienna
. He began vocal studies and applied for a drama training at the k.k. Hofburgtheater
, but was rejected due to his strong Italian accent and had to confine himself to mute
roles. It was his performance in Molière's Tartuffe
of the Burgtheater 1899/1900 season, that stunned the renowned Austrian actor Josef Kainz
, playing the leading part. With Kainz' encouragement and support, Moisiu's career as one of great European stage actors of the early-20th century began. The following year took him to the New German Theatre
in Prague
and in 1903 he joined the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater
in Berlin
, where he became a protégé of the influential director Max Reinhardt
. Together with Rudolph Schildkraut
he performed in Reinhardt's staging of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
, now emphasizing his melodious speech, which despite first damning reviews finally made him a star.
Moisiu with the Reinhardt ensemble toured Russia
in 1911 and was acclaimed in Saint Petersburg
by critic and dramatist Anatoly Lunacharsky for his interpretation of Sophocles' Oedipus
. Travelling all over Europe and the Americas, his most famous role was Fedya in Tolstoy's The Living Corpse
— performed more than 1400 times by him and seen by more than one-and-a-half-million people. In 1914, Moisiu acquired German
citizenship to become a volunteer in World War I
, and during the German Revolution of 1918–19 joined the Marxist Spartacus League.
In 1920 he played the leading part in the first performance of Hofmannsthal's Jedermann
adaption at the Salzburg Festival
. However, Moisiu did not keep up with the German Expressionist and epic theatre
movement initiated by directors like Erwin Piscator
and Bertolt Brecht
. He finally left Germany after the Nazi Machtergreifung
in 1933 and was offered the Albanian
citizenship by King Zog
.
Aleksandër Moisiu died of pneumonia
on 23 March 1935 in Lugano
(other sources claim 22 March 1935 in Vienna) and is buried at the Morcote cemetery overlooking Lake Lugano
in Switzerland
. According to Stefan Zweig
(in his autobiography) he died in the Grand Hotel, Vienna
.
to twentieth century modernism. He was the first in Europe to interpret characters from August Strindberg
, Leo Tolstoy
, Anton Chekhov
, Luigi Pirandello
, and Hugo von Hofmannsthal
.
In Berlin
Moisiu was acclaimed for his 1906 performance of Oswald in Ibsen's Ghosts
and in the premiere of Wedekind's Spring Awakening. His interpretations in the leading roles of Hamlet
, Œdipus, Faust
, Dubedat (in George Bernard Shaw
's The Doctor's Dilemma), and many others, were celebrated at the time, as were his voice and emotional range. Beside the Deutsches Theater, Moisiu performed at the Vienna Volkstheater
and the Theater in der Josefstadt
. Though primarily a stage actor, he also appeared in ten film productions from 1910 to 1935, of which seven were silent, most notably in The Student of Prague
by Hanns Heinz Ewers
in 1913.
and Vienna, where also a monument was unveiled in 2005.
In Albania
he is highly venerated as a most important national actor. In his honour, the drama school of the Academy of Music and Arts
in Tirana
as well as the university and the city theatre of Durrës were named "Aleksandër Moisiu". The 60th anniversary of his death was remembered in Albania in 1995 with an "Artistic Year" dedicated to him; it was sponsored by the Aleksander Moisiu Foundation in Durrës. The Albanian World War II general Spiro Moisiu
and his son Alfred Moisiu
, Albanian president from 2002 to 2007, are relatives of Aleksandër Moisiu. On 20 December 2005 in Durrës
was founded Aleksander Moisiu University
.
Moisiu's daughter by his first marriage, Bettina (born 1923), married the art collector Heinz Berggruen
in 1959. Their son Nicolas Berggruen
was born in 1961. The German actor Gedeon Burkhard
is Moisiu's great-grandson.
"Hamlet is written for Moissi, and Moissi was uniquely born to interpret the Prince of Denmark." – Max Brod
"I salute Aleksandër Moisiu to whom I am forever grateful, as one of the most brilliant interpreters of my characters." – Luigi Pirandello
"Man of the South, always Man of the South. In order not to be frozen he takes the sun of his country whenever he goes. Whenever you are with him you'll learn something new about life in this world." – Stefan Zweig
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n stage actor.
Early years
He was born in TriesteTrieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
to Konstantin Moisiu from Kavajë
Kavajë
Kavajë or Kavaja, capital of Kavajë District, Tirana County is a city situated on the western inlands, just a few kilometers off the Adriatic Sea, in Central Albania.The District of Kavajë has a population of 82,921 inhabitants as of January 1, 2010....
, who was a rich Albanian merchant of oil and wheat and an Arbëresh mother Amalia di Rada, daughter of an Italian writer and doctor from Trieste.
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
and at a Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
boarding school, 20-year-old Aleksandër finally settled with his mother and two sisters in the Austrian capital Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He began vocal studies and applied for a drama training at the k.k. Hofburgtheater
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the...
, but was rejected due to his strong Italian accent and had to confine himself to mute
Mute
Mute may refer to:* Muteness, a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak* Mute, a silent letter in phonology* Mute , an upcoming sequel to the movie Moon...
roles. It was his performance in Molière's Tartuffe
Tartuffe
Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...
of the Burgtheater 1899/1900 season, that stunned the renowned Austrian actor Josef Kainz
Josef Kainz
Josef Gottfried Ignaz Kainz was an Austrian actor of Hungarian birth. He was highly active in theatres in Austria and Germany from 1873–1910...
, playing the leading part. With Kainz' encouragement and support, Moisiu's career as one of great European stage actors of the early-20th century began. The following year took him to the New German Theatre
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and in 1903 he joined the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he became a protégé of the influential director Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
. Together with Rudolph Schildkraut
Rudolph Schildkraut
Rudolph Schildkraut was an American film and theatre actor.- Life :Born in the Ottoman Empire as the child of a Jewish hotelier, he grew up in Brăila , Romania. In Vienna he received acting lessons from Friedrich Mitterwurzer...
he performed in Reinhardt's staging of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, now emphasizing his melodious speech, which despite first damning reviews finally made him a star.
Moisiu with the Reinhardt ensemble toured Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1911 and was acclaimed in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
by critic and dramatist Anatoly Lunacharsky for his interpretation of Sophocles' Oedipus
Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King , also known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone...
. Travelling all over Europe and the Americas, his most famous role was Fedya in Tolstoy's The Living Corpse
The Living Corpse
The Living Corpse is a Russian play by Leo Tolstoy. Although written around 1900, it was only published shortly after his death—Tolstoy had never considered the work finished...
— performed more than 1400 times by him and seen by more than one-and-a-half-million people. In 1914, Moisiu acquired German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
citizenship to become a volunteer in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and during the German Revolution of 1918–19 joined the Marxist Spartacus League.
In 1920 he played the leading part in the first performance of Hofmannsthal's Jedermann
Everyman (play)
The Somonyng of Everyman , usually referred to simply as Everyman, is a late 15th-century English morality play. Like John Bunyan's novel Pilgrim's Progress, Everyman examines the question of Christian salvation by use of allegorical characters, and what Man must do to attain it...
adaption at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
. However, Moisiu did not keep up with the German Expressionist and epic theatre
Epic theatre
Epic theatre was a theatrical movement arising in the early to mid-20th century from the theories and practice of a number of theatre practitioners, including Erwin Piscator, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold and, most famously, Bertolt Brecht...
movement initiated by directors like Erwin Piscator
Erwin Piscator
Erwin Friedrich Maximilian Piscator was a German theatre director and producer and, with Bertolt Brecht, the foremost exponent of epic theatre, a form that emphasizes the socio-political content of drama, rather than its emotional manipulation of the audience or on the production's formal...
and Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
. He finally left Germany after the Nazi Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
in 1933 and was offered the Albanian
Albanian Kingdom
The Albanian Kingdom was the constitutional monarchal rule in Albania between 1928 and 1939. During this period Albania was a de facto protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy Albania was declared a monarchy by the Constituent Assembly, and Zog I was crowned king...
citizenship by King Zog
Zog of Albania
Zog I, Skanderbeg III of the Albanians , born Ahmet Muhtar Bey Zogolli, was King of the Albanians from 1928 to 1939. He was previously Prime Minister of Albania and President of Albania .-Background and early political career:...
.
Aleksandër Moisiu died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on 23 March 1935 in Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
(other sources claim 22 March 1935 in Vienna) and is buried at the Morcote cemetery overlooking Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano is a glacial lake in the south-east of Switzerland, at the border between Switzerland and Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. According to Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...
(in his autobiography) he died in the Grand Hotel, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Work
His repertoire of leading roles encompassed the whole spectrum of European drama, from Greek tragedyTheatre of Ancient Greece
The theatre of Ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c. 550 and c. 220 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this period, was its centre, where it was...
to twentieth century modernism. He was the first in Europe to interpret characters from August Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
, Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
, Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
, and Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal ; , was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist.-Early life:...
.
In Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Moisiu was acclaimed for his 1906 performance of Oswald in Ibsen's Ghosts
Ghosts (play)
Ghosts is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was written in 1881 and first staged in 1882.Like many of Ibsen's better-known plays, Ghosts is a scathing commentary on 19th century morality....
and in the premiere of Wedekind's Spring Awakening. His interpretations in the leading roles of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, Œdipus, Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
, Dubedat (in George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
's The Doctor's Dilemma), and many others, were celebrated at the time, as were his voice and emotional range. Beside the Deutsches Theater, Moisiu performed at the Vienna Volkstheater
Volkstheater, Vienna
The Volkstheater in Vienna was founded in 1889 by request of the citizens of Vienna, amongst them the dramatist Ludwig Anzengruber and the furniture manufacturer Thonet, in order to offer a popular counter weight to the Hofburgtheater...
and the Theater in der Josefstadt
Theater in der Josefstadt
The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna...
. Though primarily a stage actor, he also appeared in ten film productions from 1910 to 1935, of which seven were silent, most notably in The Student of Prague
The Student of Prague (1913 film)
The Student of Prague is a 1913 German silent horror film. The film was remade in 1926, 1935, and 2004 under the same title The Student of Prague.-Plot:...
by Hanns Heinz Ewers
Hanns Heinz Ewers
Hanns Heinz Ewers was a German actor, poet, philosopher, and writer of short stories and novels. While he wrote on a wide range of subjects, he is now known mainly for his works of horror, particularly his trilogy of novels about the adventures of Frank Braun, a character modeled on himself...
in 1913.
Legacy
Streets are named after Aleksandër Moisiu in Berlin, SalzburgSalzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
and Vienna, where also a monument was unveiled in 2005.
In Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
he is highly venerated as a most important national actor. In his honour, the drama school of the Academy of Music and Arts
Academy of Music and Arts of Albania
Albanian University of Arts is the main institution that offers higher education in the arts in Albania.-Brief History:...
in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
as well as the university and the city theatre of Durrës were named "Aleksandër Moisiu". The 60th anniversary of his death was remembered in Albania in 1995 with an "Artistic Year" dedicated to him; it was sponsored by the Aleksander Moisiu Foundation in Durrës. The Albanian World War II general Spiro Moisiu
Spiro Moisiu
Spiro Moisiu was the Commander General of the Albanian National Liberation Army during World War II. He was the father of the former President of Albania, Alfred Moisiu.-Early life:...
and his son Alfred Moisiu
Alfred Moisiu
was the fourth President of the Republic of Albania from July 24, 2002 to July 24, 2007. He is the son of Albanian Army general Spiro Moisiu....
, Albanian president from 2002 to 2007, are relatives of Aleksandër Moisiu. On 20 December 2005 in Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
was founded Aleksander Moisiu University
Aleksander Moisiu University
Aleksandër Moisiu University or officially Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës is the newest public academic institution of the Republic of Albania. The University is located in the ancient city of Durrës and have branch in Peshkopia...
.
Moisiu's daughter by his first marriage, Bettina (born 1923), married the art collector Heinz Berggruen
Heinz Berggruen
Heinz Berggruen was a German art dealer and collector who founded the Berggruen Museum in Berlin, Germany.-Biography:...
in 1959. Their son Nicolas Berggruen
Nicolas Berggruen
Nicolas Berggruen is an investor. He is the son of art collector Heinz Berggruen. He is the founder and president of Berggruen Holdings, a private investment company and the Nicolas Berggruen Institute, a political think tank. His father created the Museum Berggruen in Berlin and his mother was...
was born in 1961. The German actor Gedeon Burkhard
Gedeon Burkhard
Gedeon Burkhard is a German film and television actor. Although he has appeared in numerous films and TV series in both Europe and the US, he is probably best recognised for his role as Alexander Brandtner in the Austrian/German television series Kommissar Rex , which has been aired on television...
is Moisiu's great-grandson.
Quotes
"The voice and gestures of Moisiu presented us with something hitherto unseen on the European stage." – Franz KafkaFranz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
"Hamlet is written for Moissi, and Moissi was uniquely born to interpret the Prince of Denmark." – Max Brod
Max Brod
Max Brod was a German-speaking Czech Jewish, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is most famous as the friend and biographer of Franz Kafka...
"I salute Aleksandër Moisiu to whom I am forever grateful, as one of the most brilliant interpreters of my characters." – Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
"Man of the South, always Man of the South. In order not to be frozen he takes the sun of his country whenever he goes. Whenever you are with him you'll learn something new about life in this world." – Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...