Royal Opera House: Linbury TheatreBow Street
Covent Garden, London, Greater London, WC2E 9DD, Vereinigtes Königreich
Datum/Zeit in London Zeitzone
Darsteller
| English Touring Opera | ||
| Aurora Orchestra | ||
| Peter Selwyn | Musikalische Leitung | |
| James Conway | Regie | |
| Richard Mosley-Evans | Bariton | Emperor Overall |
| Robert Winslade Anderson | Bass | Death |
| Callum Thorpe | Bassbariton | Loudspeaker |
| Paula Sides | Sopran | Bubikopf |
| Jeff Stewart | Tenor | Harlequin |
| Katie Bray | Mezzosopran | Drummer |
Viktor Ullmann’s short opera The Emperor of Atlantis was written when the composer and writer were prisoners at the Terezín concentration camp, and it was first rehearsed by inmates of the camp, all of whom perished when transferred to Auschwitz before the premiere. The score was smuggled out of the camp, and it has been acclaimed in performances around the world as an extraordinary testament of wit and humanity in the face of barbarity.
It is not set in the camp – ironically, this black comedy reflects Ullmann’s experiences as an Austrian soldier in the WWI Italian campaign. In the story, Death, disgusted by war, resolves to go on strike and drives a hard bargain with the Emperor Overall before going back to work.
Ullmann’s score, jazzy and expressive, is full of humour and pathos, and the opera is deeply moving. James Conway’s new production is paired with a poignant staging of Bach’s sublime cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds), arranged by Iain Farrington for Ullmann’s unusual orchestra.
New production, sung in English
Running time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
It is not set in the camp – ironically, this black comedy reflects Ullmann’s experiences as an Austrian soldier in the WWI Italian campaign. In the story, Death, disgusted by war, resolves to go on strike and drives a hard bargain with the Emperor Overall before going back to work.
Ullmann’s score, jazzy and expressive, is full of humour and pathos, and the opera is deeply moving. James Conway’s new production is paired with a poignant staging of Bach’s sublime cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds), arranged by Iain Farrington for Ullmann’s unusual orchestra.
New production, sung in English
Running time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
