The Folly

Saturday night, Red Baron went to the opera and listened to the world premiere of "The Folly," an oeuvre by Fabrice Bollon, presently musical director in Freiburg, but on the go to Halle.

I am a lowbrow (Kulturbanause) regarding the opera, but exceptions exist, like Carmen, Die Meistersinger, Wozzeck, or The Three Penny Opera. This time, the person Erasmus of Rotterdam aroused my interest. Fleeing the Reformation's radicalization and excesses in Basel, the highly respected academic found refuge in Catholic Freiburg from 1529 to 1535.

While living here, Erasmus is known to have had a troubled relationship with Freiburg's clergy, city, and university. He doesn't like the climate in Freiburg; the constant fog is annoying, and it rains too much. Compared to Basel, Freiburg is too provincial. The market offers too little choice, the wine is terrible, and the goods are too expensive. Erasmus also finds his neighbors annoying, mainly the constant ringing of the Franciscan church opposite his residence, the Haus zum Walfisch.

In a letter written at Friburgi 23 die Ianuarii Anno a Natali 1534 to a friend, the Dominican Casperi Scheto, Erasmus also complained about the Bächle (brooklets): There is great uncleanness here. Through all the streets of this city runs an artificial stream. This takes in the bloody juices of butchers, the stench of all kitchens, the filth of all houses, the vomit and urine of all passers-by, and even the feces of those who have no latrine at home. With this water, the linen cloths are washed, wine glasses are cleaned, and cooking pots are cleaned. This could be endured if there was something [right] to eat: I live on chicken all year round*. There are no lavish feasts here; if there are, it is denounced to the nobles ...
*The opera insinuates that Erasmus lived in Basel on cabbage soup and Schwarzbrot (black bread).

My German-speaking readers may like to read more about Erasmus' stay in Freiburg.

Erasmus was the outstanding scholar of his time, and he was accepted by his fellow Catholics and moderate Protestants. Erasmus's epitaph is the only monument in the otherwise emptied Basel cathedral during the iconoclasm.


Back to the opera in 5 Acts. Its original title in English refers to Erasmus's book Moriae encomium, "Praise of Folly," where he denounces the ecclesiastical and secular situation in his time. He circumvented the inquisition by choosing the fool's voice for his complaints.

Popes live like emperors, wage wars of conquest, and practice nepotism with offices and possessions. So Erasmus writes in Moriae encomium: Some German bishops do it more unscrupulously; I do not know whether they or the popes started it. They care nothing for worship, the giving of blessings, and whatever other pious customs there are: they live like the most warlike satraps and consider it almost a cowardice, a desecration of the episcopal dignity, not to return their heroic souls to God on the battlefield.

Act 1 of "The Folly" takes the story from Erasmus's satire Julius Exclusus. Pope Julius II tries in vain to pass into heaven. After boasting to St. Peter about his power and richness, he is excluded. Then, we see Erasmus reading his book from 1517: Querela Pacis (The Lamentation of Peace).


In Act 2, Julius' successor, Leo X, finances the new St. Peter's Basilica building by selling indulgences. For Erasmus, this is folly: Some Christians rely on the supposed indulgence of their sins and feel that they are already in heaven; they calculate the duration of the purgatory as if with a clock, to the exact decade, year, month, day, and hour, as if according to an arithmetic table, without error.

In fact, the life of the Christian people is full of silliness of this kind, and the priests tolerate it without hesitation and breed it because they know well what an excellent business one makes with it.

This is why Catholic monks, particularly Martin Luther criticize the Church too. There are no traces of repentance and no study of the Holy Scriptures by the clergy, but this is what both Erasmus and Brother Martin pursue.

In 1516 Johann Froben at Basel published the Novum Instrumentum omne diligenter ab Erasmo Roterdamo recognitum & emendatum, non solum ad graecam veritatem, verumetiam ad multorum utrisque linguae codicum ... emendationem & interpretationem ... Erasmus had reconstructed the text of the New Testament from many Greek "originals" and translated it into Latin that Luther in turn translated into German.

©Theater Freiburg/Britt Schilling

However, Luther, contrary to Erasmus, was a man of action. He called the people to repentance and gained more followers. The pope's secretary, Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, worries: "The faithful in the north only read Luther's curses, Hutten's satires, and German books."

Ulrich von Hutten, a pugnacious warrior, versatile scholar, and fiery poet on the subject of the Reformation, visits Erasmus. He tries to persuade his friend to take sides with Luther, but Erasmus insists on his neutrality.


In Act 3, Adrian VI, Leo's successor, urges Erasmus to take a public stand against Luther in Rome, but Erasmus hates discord and loves understanding. So, he declines the invitation to the Holy See for health reasons.

One of the opera highlights is the clash of Erasmus and Luther over the question of free will. Mind you, the two never met but exchanged their views in letters. A critic noted that both baritones set an ideal counterpoint here, Erasmus's finely articulating lyric against Luther's hot temper.

©BZ/Britt Schilling

In Act 4, Erasmus' housekeeper, Margarethe Büsslin, has deciphered individual letters of the book title "The Praise of Folly," but anti-intellectually sweeps them up. The alphabet means words and books for her: "Arsonists, where the world is broken..."

©Theater Freiburg/Britt Schilling

Then Folly appears herself and sings her own praises. With her entourage, she ridicules politicians, clerics, and intellectuals. What good are wise men? It is stupidity that makes life alive.

This is one of those wild and overtwisted scenes built into many plays like the Walpurgisnacht in Goethe's Faust or the fantastic dream of poet Jerry Mulligan in An American in Paris.

In Act 5, Margarete refuses to let Ulrich von Hutten in at Erasmus' request, who, as a Hypochonder, fears for his health. Von Hutten is worn out from his fights and ill with syphilis.

©Theater Freiburg/Britt Schillinger

Still, von Hutten unhistorically dies in Erasmus's arms. He actually died in Zürich, where Zwingli received him in 1523.

©Theater Freiburg/Britt Schillinger

Erasmus describes his times as the most unhappy of all; peace is lacking. He reads again in his "Lamentation of Peace" before his book is publicly burned, "Why my book, why this book?"

Since the Reformation gained the upper hand in Basel, Erasmus considered leaving the city and going to Freiburg. Margaretha laughs at him, so the audience laughs uniquely.

Erasmus, who hated war, heroism, and intolerance, suddenly no longer felt safe in his beloved Basel. He found himself between the fronts. His impartiality had lost justification, forcing him to flee into the provincial but Catholic Freiburg.

Applause well deserved

At the after-stage party. From left to right:
Scriptwriter and producer Clemens Bechtel, Stage Stefan Heyne,
Erasmus Michael Borth, The Folly ZviEmanuel-Marial,
Luther Roberto Gionfriddo, and Margarethe Büsslin Anja Jung

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