Mario und der Zauberer X Die Kunst der Fuge

In the organizer's words:

Mario and the Magician x The Art of the Fugue

Presented by KLASSIK underground and Schauspiel Leipzig

On the occasion of Thomas Mann's 150th birthday in 2025, this special co-production by KLASSIK underground and Schauspiel Leipzig presents a newly created theatrical version of Mann's masterful short story "Mario and the Magician", interspersed with Bach's Art of Fugue, performed live by a string quartet consisting of musicians* from the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

In this unique production, the hypnotizing and at the same time disturbing trickery of the magician "Cipolla" comes to the stage. Mann's deeply unsettling allegory raises questions about both the possibility and the nature of manipulation between a leader and his followers. Written in 1929 as a reaction to the rise of authoritarian leaders in Europe, it has never been more appropriate to revive the drama of this story.

The author of Dr. Faustus had a keen interest in the music of Bach, and the fusion of the monumental art of the fugue with theatrical tension only heightens the intense emotion that permeates Cipolla's magic show. In Bach's fugues, each musical line begins independently yet follows on from the previous one. This very structure hints at the idea of limiting the exercise of an individual's free will - the exploration of which forms the core of Mann's masterpiece.

This inspired combination of theater and music breathes new life into Mann's short story, reinvigorating the drama in an entirely new way and bringing new light to this powerful and cautionary tale.

Conception: Tahlia Petrosian

Authors: Emily Huber and Tahlia Petrosian