The Nibelungenlied Read Like it Was 8 Centuries Ago
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A premiere of the Story of the Nibelungs took place at Moscow's Russian-German House as part of the 'In the beginning was the Word' festival of literature and drama. The event was organized by the International Union of German Culture's 'Echoes of the skies. Voices of Russian actors' project and the HSE German film club gut geD-A-CHt.
Guests had the chance to hear readings from the Middle High German epic poem the Nibelunglied (The Song of the Nibelungs), one of the most important works of literature in the history of European civilisation, developed over seven centuries. The project's artistic director, Valeria Ustinova, Associate Professor, Management Faculty, Department of Human Resources Management, said the event was designed to be a 'pensive reading'.
'This project involves two major parts: the creative and the organizational,' Valeria Ustinova noted. 'Volunteers took part in its organization —graduates from the HSE School of Management, MA students, postgraduate students, and HSE teaching staff. They had the opportunity to experience the full project cycle — from inception to implementation.'
Event guest, historian and HSE tenured professor Oleg Voskoboynikov said that the format chosen for the event was ideal in terms of really understanding and connecting with the text. Sections – almost sung, with gentle musical accompaniement. This is exactly how the Song of the Nibelungs was heard on the banks of the Rhine and the Danube eight centuries ago.
Photographs: Sasha Gor
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