Lehrstück

The dialectical approach to music seeks to identify the internal stylistic tensions and contradictions (in terms of thesis and antithesis) which give rise to new musical forms (synthesis).

Brecht wanted his audiences to remain objective and unemotional during his plays so that they could make rational judgments about the political aspects of his work. To do this he invented a range of theatrical devices known as epic theatre.

Epic Theatre The term used generally to describe Brecht's theory and technique. His plays were 'epic' in that the dramatic action was episodic - a disconnected montage of scenes, non-representational staging, and the 'alienation effect'.

Lehrstück, (German: “lesson play”) a form of drama that is specifically didactic in purpose and that is meant to be performed outside the orthodox theatre. Such plays were associated particularly with the epic theatre of the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht.

Dialect and dialectic come from dialecktos (“conversation” or “dialect”) and ultimately back to the Greek word dialegesthai, meaning “to converse.”

A dialectic is when two seemingly conflicting things are true at the same time. For example, “It's snowing and it is spring”. You might also see dialectics when in conflict with other people.

Brecht makes use of songs in his plays to carry out his political agenda that is to convince the audience to question the existing dominant ideologies. For this purpose he places song and music in strategic positions.

His techniques encouraged the spectator to view the way in which playwright and actors presented the tale, exposing the mechanisms of theatre, and promoting an attitude of curiosity rather than the emotional and empathic response to the acting typical of the naturalistic and expressionistic forms dominant in German ...

An adjective which attests to the influence of the dramaturgy, practice, and theory of Bertolt Brecht in the twentieth century and beyond.

Brechtian techniques as a stimulus for devised work

• The narration needs to be told in a montage style.
• Techniques to break down the fourth wall, making the audience directly conscious of the fact that they are watching a play.
• Use of a narrator.
• Use of songs or music.
• Use of technology.
• Use of signs.

It encourages them to think and act creatively, thus developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied in all areas of learning. Through drama, children are encouraged to take responsible roles and make choices – to participate in and guide their own learning.

The word play, meaning a dramatic performance, originates from the early fourteenth century, with roots in the Greek paizo, meaning “to act.”