Ansätze einer Phänomenologie der Performativität von (Musik-)Theatertexten am Beispiel der Übertragung des Singspiels „Die Entführung aus dem Serail“ von W. A. Mozart ins Griechische

Western theatre production processes are historically characterized by their logos-centered approach. Therefore, the text is the starting point of all creative work. In this context, the theatrical text, as a literary phenomenon, is at the forefront of the action, whereby the “performance” of the text within a performance itself is often only perceived as a “disturbing” accessory. If, however, one entertains phenomenological thoughts in relation to the aesthetic production processes in theatre, one does not refer explicitly and exclusively to a text as a mental, cognitive construction of sense and meaning; rather, one extends the aesthetic working process to all the parameters involved in the interrelated theatre production process. The resulting theatrical expression is more than just logos in the form of a text. It is logos in an extended sense, which in turn can be perceived and experienced bodily, as well as sensually by the recipient. As a consequence, the theatre artist is offered new approaches to the performative understanding of a theatrical text. In this context, such a purposeful observation and perception of a particular appearance is of decisive importance. On the basis of these phenomenological considerations for the presentation of a theatre text on stage, we examine the libretto of W. A. Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” in order to show how a translation of the spoken dialogues (prose) of this Singspiel into Greek allows the Greek-speaking audience a performative approach to the text.