ZAUBEREI AUF DEM SENDER
[RADIO-SCRIPT]
“Versuch einer Rundfunkgroteske von Hans Flesch…”
[KREUZER, HELMUT. “Zu frühen deutschen Hörspielen und Hörspielkonzeptionen
(1924-1927/28): Hans Flesch, Alfred Auerbach, Rudolf Leonhard, Oskar
Moehring.” Siegener Periodicum zur Internationalen Empirischen
Literaturwissenschaft (2000).] “This is also its author: Hans Flesch, born in 1896 in
Frankfurt am Main, has initially studied medicine, but from 1924 to several
functions (as the artistic director of the Southwest, then as director of the Berlin
Radio) the early history of the German broadcasting - until 1933, he lost his post
and has been submitted to the concentration camp. He was later as a doctor,
most recently in a military hospital since the end of the war in 1945, he
disappeared Berlin space.
“Fleschs radio play is a kind of 'radio fantasy': A fantastic way to shipment is
disturbed to fictitious plot of a "Rundfunkgroteske" (the generic name Fleschs). In
the evening a concert broadcast breaks "with violence" the "fairytale aunt" of the
channel, and demands in the current program, the "grown so terrible", "two
minutes" for a hearing fairy tales, "and if it is only for a single child would , now
perhaps coincidentally is still on ...".
“The attempt to impaired broadcast "off", fails: Listeners hear everything,
because the switch is kaput! Ich kann nicht ausschalten! I can not turn off!
(Uproar) "A little chaos breaks out: During the fairytale aunt begins to tell (" There
was once a radio participants, it was satisfied with all what the broadcasters
offered him "), announced an" express service "the" American products market
listing, "" Violin and Piano "put their own with a" Boston ".
“The "Geiger", "electrical conductor", the "spokesman" and the "leader" of the
"artistic work" and the herbeigeeilte "business director" talk with and against
each other; also hears "a permanent kratzendes noise in the apparatus", a Caller
wants to know at the same time, "whether the insanity on the transmitter will not
soon cease." The "leader" is for "crazy" explains, because he listens more than the
others in the broadcasting area (but not more than the listeners out there, as the
"artistic assistant" testifies).
“Then suddenly disappears the "fairytale aunt" and that, the "magician" on the
technical defects as a "magic tricks" declared that he "manager" a "magic lesson,"
wanted to give. He transformed the "order" of the transmitter in staged
"disorder" because of his "manager" had denied, as part of the program means
"magic trick" perform, particularly in the location he was: "[...] I asked you but
urgent enough to me to think that the radio listeners by virtue of my power
viewers, radio audiences could be. They have ausgelacht me! "The Magician", as
the "leader", for "crazy;" of the "leader" wants the "Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann
Strauss the shipment but still salvage what he did, after several failing attempts,
and only succeed in having the "magicians" disappeared as suddenly as it was
before the "fairytale aunt." ( "The music plays the Danube waltz to an end in
peace.")
“Thus stands at the beginning with the German radio play history a
"grotesque", in which the radio itself to its subject makes in a new medium for
the updated version of the romantic comedy. The Pointe mediengeschichtliche
this radio comedy is the introduction of television as a project of a free employee.
The fact that someone from the radio listeners could make a TV audience seems
calculated the radio-"head" (ie, a radio expert) as "crazy" (although the first
German experimental broadcasts actually in the time of the Weimar Republic).
The failure of a radio broadcast by the fictitious television'Pionier 'is even radio
broadcast to a radio play, whose aesthetic charm arising from the tensions and
submitted envelopes.
“Stand against regelhafte staged order and disorder, the 'normal' operation (of
the routine processes) and the 'disturbed' operation (as a "madhouse"), the 'fixed'
program and the unexpected, the hierarchical bureaucracy, and the magic of fairy
tales. The "head" at the end draws from his perspective, the following balance:
"[...] then it is really the case that we wanted to do something, what is right, and
could not do so because someone else wanted to do something, wrong. The
whole world order should be zusammenkrachen! The history of the world would
have lost their meaning. The order would no longer be master? "
“The notional balance of the 'maker' of the fictional listeners may agree, the
phone in the shipment of the consignment complains, the addressee of the
auditory game, which this intentionsgerecht absorbs its true course not, he reacts
to the comedy of 'bourgeois' law - and-order attitude and sympathizes with the
fairytale charm of anarchy.
“What we in the fictional action experience, the magician Manipulierungsmacht
about 'things': about music instruments and the technical apparatus of the
station, the magician brings the violin without violinist to play, he can' shut down
'a consignment and the elimination of listeners , which have turned their devices,
prevent, and he can claim that he is a radio broadcast in a television programme
could transform (which in the context of a listening game can only say, but not to
happen). “
[Reinhard Döhl, “On a not for him given current events, precisely at a
transmission failure on shaft 467 of the South-West German Broadcasting Service
in Frankfurt am Main participate, this impression is also the listeners of the "trial
of a Rundfunkgroteske" by Hans Flesch, "sorcery on the transmitter."
“It was by Hessischer Rundfunk again excavated first sent German radio play so
far as "unimportant formally Verulkung of then strange ways of the microphone"
(Schwitzke), as "invasion" understood, which is "hardly a Studentenulk"
(Lauterbach) differs. And so you have seen the play safe injustice done what
Lauterbach even indirectly admits that when he received the text as "still
remarkable," apostrophizes, because it shows, "in which direction the recording
immediately after the experiments began broadcasting operations" had targeted.
You have to - and that's for all Hörspiele the years 1924/1925 easily generalize -
first of all the acoustic illusion opportunities to test and demonstrate. Apart from
the fact that Fleschs "magic on the channel" for us today also an entertaining
insight into practice, then broadcast on the radio personnel then allowed, this
piece is different from the historical or fictional disasters halluzinierenden radio
plays the same year, thus far, that the new medium themselves to the contents of
a broadcast game. And although in the form of a one excluded from the
participation magician durcheinandergebrachten program, it caused a
transmission failure and the resulting confusion triggered.
“The second Flesch deliberately chosen title - "an attempt Rundfunkgroteske" -
is apparently so far been ignored. I would therefore exaggerated importance to
attach him, especially since he has two interesting information to the hand. First,
it assigns Flesch his piece of literary way of speaking to the grotesque. According
to a Sachwörterbuch is that the grotesque is a "Dichtungsart" Derbkomischen,
Närrisch-Seltsamen a sometimes humorous, sometimes ironic and seemingly
incompatible Gegensätzliches in übermütiger and astonishing way, and make
side-by-side in Zusmmenhang bring, sometimes even with the wisdom veknüpfe.
A feature was the handling of this form into the shape of the lots, the full extent
of the loose sense to almost Demonic.
“Where, Fleschs "magic on the channel" for the interception now not just as a
literary masterpiece that way the grotesque speech, but then can quickly find
some superficial correlation. A juxtaposition of seemingly opposites and
Unvereinbarem could, for example, in the visual tricks magicians and operating a
radio program. Incompatible with the radio Is his call, listeners should firmly in
the "apparatus, which Glühfarben the amplifier tubes, which the detector Krystall"
because that night radio to television. Yes even the grotesque gained linking
with "life wisdom" could be extended from the Raisonnieren director of
broadcasting - as a self-parody Hans Fleschs in his capacity as artistic director of
the South West German Radio Service - heraushören if he does not doubt
unironisch towards the end postulated: "But ultimately want we order and the
disorder, and secure the order is right and the wrong disorder."
“As Funkgroteske assigns the "magic on the channel" on the other hand, also
easily into the literary scene of the time, since Wedekind, the possibility of
expressionism grotesque as a literary way of speaking and had rediscovered the
end of the'20s to the absurd grotesque Kurt Schwitters a second peak reached. It
would Fleschs "attempt to Rundfunkgroteske" with a few cuts, even temporary
correctly, closer to Schwitters than for the grotesque expressionists, when they
also evident when comparing the quality would fall a lot. Fleschs interesting trick
is that the information about the message of the medium of radio broadcast
game in a sense almost tautologischen the medium itself. And it is precisely in
this sense must double the term "Rundfunkgroteske". It seems to me that it is
similar to the Hughes alleged "sophistication", which at a closer listen - in relation
to the medium - consistent trick is, even in this case of such sophistication is able
to speak. But the literary quality but less interested than the - of medium seen
her - almost tautological media relation.
“And when I finally once again called on the prize from April 1924 should
return: one could expressed the assumption that "a dramatic solution to the
time-radio listeners to make big claims," Hughes "danger" fortunate. Then Fleschs
"magic on the channel" almost a textbook example for those variety "broadcast
games" for which proposed that no more than 15 to 20 minutes and should - as
a stunt to Parallellerscheinung film - on the way to the game or the desire
grotesque come.”
“The very first „Hörspiel“ ever broadcast in Germany was called "Zauberei auf
dem Sender", that is „Radio Magic or Wizardry on the Air“. Presented on October
24th 1924, a few months after the founding of the Frankfurt station it significantly
marked the anniversary of the overall start of German radio in October 1923. Due
to the lack of recording facilities in early German radio the original „Radio
Magic“-play is of course not preserved. We listened to a production of 1974. But
for the prominence of its author the script had been printed in the weekly
„Journal of Funkwesen“ shortly after the original broadcast. The subtitle reads:
„Attempt of a radio grotesque“. It’s a kind of stand-up comedy on one hand. On
the other it conveys an important message about radio that shall interest us in
the following.
As actors we have the station -„leader“/director, his so called artistic assistant, the
announcer, a little orchestra, a man named „electrical“ bandleader, in short, the
typical small staff of an early radiostation playing themselves. Unexpectedly the
„Märchentante“, the girl usually perfoming fairy tales for children, pops into the
opening of the evening concert. And that’s where the trouble begins.
flesch2 1.38
In the middle of the chaos the boss arrives. "Where is the typewriter girl, we have
to set up a memo … Are you ready?". "Yes, Herr Doktor", the girl replies. And
indeed, the “real” Hans Flesch had been a physician working at a research
institute for radiation medicine in Frankfurt right before he turned his career into
the adventures of a new medium. "On Oktober 24th", dictates the Doktor on
October 24th to the „Schreibfräulein“ in a radioplay about October 24th – "at
around 8:30 pm as usually – you got it? – the evening concert had just started.
The announcement… what, .. what the hell is going on now?“[1] [flesch1 , 1.03]
While writing a memo about the disturbance just having passed the next
interference already occurs. The action, the plot of the "Wizardry on the Air" are
the ongoing feedbacks of interferences of a radio program.
Scratching noises, obscure messages and strong brass sounds are intruding the
ears of the doctor and of the listeners. Flesch desperately calls for the artistic
assistant, Mr. Schön. Again we have a role played by the real man under his real
name. Ernst Schoen, the program director of the Frankfurt station has been
working with Flesch since the first day. He was a trained musician and composer,
a former student of Ferruccio Busoni’s and Edgar Varèse’s; moreover one of the
closest and lasting friends of Walter Benjamin’s since their mutual schooldays
until they both had to leave Germany in the thirties.[2] - "Schoen, did you hear
this on the control receiver?"[3] the play-doctor asks. Again the interferences are
multiplying, after Schoen declares to have heard nothing. Flesch is the one under
distress, who has heard the interference as the radio-listeners did. But nobody in
the studio has.
Yes, Doctor, – we have – I mean – there hasn’t been any piece of music – there
was nothing to be heard....
And Flesch replies:
flesch3 12’’
Mr. Schön, do you think – in general – a music could be heard that has not been
played anywhere?
In the greatest confusion Flesch smuggles in the key-question of his play. „Radio
magic“ might not be considered of great prominence literarily. But its content
poses nothing less than the key-question of radio as audio-art. Can music be
played in the radio without any instruments? In 1924 that seems wizardry. But
Flesch argues that with radio a specific kind of new music must be possible.
Transmitted violins and orchestras apparently come to our ears through
electronic devices. So radio should play by the means of these electronic devices
only, that means by radio itself.
flesch4 25’’ flesch4
That is in fact a loony and „grotesque experiment“ in 1924. Now everybody – we
are back in the play – believes Flesch to have gone insane. A doctor is called for
the doctor, however no physician arrives – but the wizard.
Hans Flesch, author, director, main actor and head of the station had been an
experienced user of x-ray tubes during his medical career. He knows the technical
conditions of radio. From a technician’s point of view in 1924 radio waves were in
fact caused by „Störungen“, disturbances and interferences of the ether due to
the feedback of tube oscillations. These technical conditions are precisely what
Flesch’s play from 1924 refers to.
Not even seven years ago Hans Bredow had tested the first ever tube based
radiotransmitters in the abandoned battlefields of France.[4] His new
wizardwonders were working quite well but too late for World War One. Now,
not yet a decade later, radiotubes were ready for general use.
[InGluehfaedenschauen, 25]
It’s The the Wizard speaking: „Ladies and Gentlemen look straight into your
radio-device, into the filaments of the amplifying tubes. I’ll count until three, and
at three you’ll see me. One, two, ...“.
It is too late to put the wizard into the madhouse. The magic works, the music
slows down, becomes more and more atonal, out of tempo, finally stammering
like „a Grammophon, that hangs“ as the wizard explains. „Stop it“, Flesch shouts,
„I can’t stand it anymore“. That’s the end of the experiment. Everything has to be
put back in order. The wizard is thrown out of the studio. We hear the Donau-
Waltz as innocently as it has ever sounded. [ZaubereiEnde, 38] We’re back to
radiomusic as it was supposed to be, as the first licenser of German radio, Hans
Bredow, secretary of the postal office, expected his radio to sound. But it wasn’t
the radio Flesch was after.
With Dr. Hans Flesch, just 27 years of age at the time of the play, we meet the
most important, most innovative, most competent and most courageous pioneer
of Weimar radio. During the following five years Flesch continued his work in
Frankfurt and then moved to Berlin as the head of the famous „FunkStunde“.
Without his support neither Walter Benjamin, Ernst Krenek, Paul Hindemith, nor
Arnold Schönberg or Eugen Jochum –to name just a few – would have found
their way into radio. Flesch encouraged Bertolt Brecht’s radiowork and employed
Arnolt Bronnen. He introduced Alfred Döblin to radio and commissioned some of
Kurt Weill’s compositions. Paul Hindemith the concertmaster of the Frankfurt
Opera when radio started, was his friend and brother in law.
“The piece tells a story which is situated at a radio station. It occurs during the
live production of a radio program: It’s evening, and the scheduled program is
the famous Danube Waltz, played live by the radio orchestra in the studio. But in
the moment where the program should go on air, the editor in charge for the
children’s program, the fairy tale story teller, approaches the program director
and requires spontaneously air time. The lady’s insistence is going terribly on the
program director’s nerves, however, something much more confusing is about to
happen. Instead of the scheduled and announced symphony concert the
program becomes interrupted by a kind of Kakophony.
“A strange mixture of voices, sounds and music is suddenly heard on air. It is
very confusing and not making any sense: There is no dramatic structure, no
narrative thread, just disconcerting sounds of all kinds.
“By listening to this sonic chaos on the radio, the program director panics and
stumbles: ”But who has told all these people, that they are allowed to speak?”
“Order must be re-established, the program director requires, and order means
for him: ”One is sending – many are listening”. It is the principle of the center
based broadcast monopoly which he considers ”order”, in opposition to the bi-
directional principle of radio.
“So the source for all this chaos has to be found: The radio station’s staff
identify a magician as the responsible one for the sonic chaos. He uses his
witchcraft to extract sounds out of the ether as well as from everyday life, bundles
them and sends them on air, creating by this a wild audio mix. Most of the
audience have never heard something like this before. It probably sounded
extremely avantgardistic to them.
“Now, as the source for the disturbance had been identified, the magician is
chased out of the station, the linear program can go on; business as usual can
continue, not broadcasting these kakophonic sounds, but the good old Johann
Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz.
ORIGINATION: Sudwestdeutsche Rundfunk, Frankfurt-am-Main.
DURATION: October 24, 1924.
PERSONNEL: Hans Flesch (scriptwriter).
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
(SUDWESTDEUTSCHE RUNDFUNK, FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN)
[???—9:30-
Oct. 24, 1924 “Zauberei auf dem Sender”
AFTER 1940:
(HESSISCHER RUNDFUNK, FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN)
Circa 1974 “Zauberei auf dem Sender”