Friday 5 September 2014

Final Curtain for Gert Voss



Yesterday I went to his funeral. 

An actor once described by The Times as Europe's best. 

And now a  few impressions. A few stray thoughts. 

For the public standing in the sun in Josef-Meinrad-Platz much of the ceremony was ruined by the intermittent clatter of a police helicopter circling overhead during the live transmission of the words being spoken inside the vestibule to the people in the street. About this interruption the late Thomas Bernhard who wrote for many fine performers including Gert Voss would have had much to say  . . .


Ask not for whom the flames burn . . . 

The 'Burg' in mourning 

The black banner 

Admirers pay their respects

The door wide open . . . 

The gray shadow devours all

 . . . they burn for thee.


Footnote:-
Gert Voss is known to 'Burg' theater-goers as 'The King'. He played Shakespeare's King Lear and Richard III for example, and also wore the crown in Thomas Bernhard's play 'Simply Complicated'. 
Take a look at the close-up below of the flame burning outside the theatre. Does it not resemble a king on his throne? 



3 comments:

  1. How irritating that helicopter.

    Don't know the actor but obviously had a wonderful following.

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  2. Irritating is exactly the right word. No explanation forthcoming as to what it was doing there. Traffic police armed with two-way radios might have informed us. But they didn't ,so maybe they didn't know either.

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  3. Did you rub shoulders with the rich and famous? In fact perhaps that's why the helicopter was there.

    ReplyDelete

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