This weekend, the School of Music, Theater, and Dance will present two performances of Viktor Ullman’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis. Composed circa 1943 while Ullmann and librettist Peter Kien were both in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt, the darkly surreal opera concerns a bloodthirsty Emperor who orders a nation-wide fight to the death. Death himself, annoyed at being overworked, frustrated at the lack of respect he gets nowadays, and angered that the Emperor seems to feel himself fit to do Death’s job, goes on strike, resulting in no one being quite able to die in the ensuing bloodbath.
The opera will be directed by Matthew Ozawa, with music direction by Timothy Cheek. The cast comprises seven SMTD voice students and a chamber ensemble.
Performances are April 6th and 7th, at 8pm at the McIntosh Theater in the Earl V. Moore School of Music building. Admission is free.
