Von illusionärer Wirklichkeit und wahrer Illusion

In the eighteenth century, Venice was not only a centre of theatre life but also a centre for discussion about theatre. In literary and theatre history the well-known Venetian theatrical dispute, with its protagonists Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi, seem to provoke a simplistic reproduction of the polemics. A predominantly negative image of Gozzi is correlated with an appreciation of Goldoni and his dramaturgical reform, whrereas while Gozzi is considered the savior of the commedia dell´arte, Goldoni appears as ist grave-digger. This study tries to break open such prejudice, reading Gozzi´s "Fiabe teatrali" as a veritable counterpoint to Goldoni´s comedies and Enlightenment drama. Against the background of Italian theatre in the 18th century and contemporary Venetian theatricality, Gozzi´s intention, as well as the speical caracteristics of his tales for the theatre, becomes evident. Using fairy tales and commedia dell´arte as basic constituents for his "Fiabe teatrali", Gozzi responds to a theatre that emphasizes the reflection of everyday life and follows the concept of utility. The combination of elements are distanced from reality in a way that resembles an ars combinatoria, bas