Overview
Synopsis
Exhausted and overworked, when Death (Der Tod) hears Kaiser Overall’s decree that everyone must fight until there is no one left, he quits. He breaks his sword and removes the power of death. Try as they might, mortally wounded soldiers everywhere can no longer die. Without the power of death, Kaiser Overall begins to lose his grip over the people; Soldiers and Maidens can fall in love rather than shoot each other.
But this cannot continue. Men and women everywhere are left suspended between life and death; unable to die, but too injured to continue living. Kaiser Overall faces Death himself, and asks him to take up his sword again. Death agrees, on the condition that Kaiser Overall is sacrificed in exchange.
Der Kaiser von Atlantis is a skillfully worked parable, and a plea for Death to be allowed to happen at its set time, rather than according to the schedule of war.
Show Information
Context
An opera that survived the holocaust; Der Kaiser von Atlantis is famous for having a particularly troubled origin. The work was originally written in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, around 1943, where it was rehearsed by a chamber orchestra that had formed there. The work was banned before it could be performed, and the composer, Viktor Ullman, was deported to Auschwitz. He entrusted his manuscripts and librettos to another inmate at Theresienstadt, Dr Emil Utitz, the camp librarian.
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Prologue
The voice of the Loudspeaker (Lautsprecher) is heard calling out ‘Hallo, hallo’, a theme which is repeated throughout the opera, the voice sets the scene and makes introductions for the characters. The voice explains that Kaiser Overall has been locked in his palace for the past five years, in order to rule his kingdom better, then quickly introduces everyone else. He sets the next scene ‘irgendwo’ (somewhere) and allows it to begin.
Scene 1
Harlekin hides his tears with
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Der Kaiser von Atlantis.
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Songs
Prologue
- Melodrama ‘Hallo, hallo’ - Lautsprecher
Scene 1
- No. I Prelude
- No. 2 Scene ‘Der Mond geht auf den Firsten’ - Harlekin, Tod
- No. 3 Duet ‘Tage Tage, wer kauft Tage?’ - Harlekin, Tod
- No. 4 Scene ‘Und was ist das?’ - Harlekin, Tod
- No. 5 Death’s Aria ‘Das waren Kriege’ - Tod
- No. 6 Aria of the Drummer ‘Hallo, hallo! Wir, zu Gottes Gnaden’ - Trommler, Tod, Harlekin
Scene 2
- No. 7 Intermezzo-Totentanz (Dance of Death)
- No, 8 Recitative and aria ‘Wie spät ist es’ - Overall, Lautsprecher
- No, 9 Aria ‘Wir, Overall, der Einzige’ - Overall
- No. 9b Intermezzo-Totentanz
Scene 3
- No. 10 Recitative and Trio ‘Wer da? Halt! Steh!’ - Bubikopf, Soldat, Trommler
- No. 11 Aria ‘Ist’s wahr, daß es Landschaften gibt’ - Bubikopf
- No. 11b Duet ‘Komm, komm, fort von hier’ - Trommler, Bubikopf
- No. 11c Aria and Trio ‘Trommel, Trommel dröhnt’ - Trommler, Bubikopf, Soldat
- No. 12 Finale ‘Schau, die Wolken’ - Bubikopf, Soldat
- No. 13 Dance-Intermezzo ‘Die lebenden Toten’ (The Living Dead)
Scene 4
- Recitative ‘Hallo, hallo, der oberste General’ - Lautsprecher, Overall, Harlekin
- No. 14 Scene ‘Wir sind um einen Kreutzer Süßes’ - Harlekin, Trommler
- No. 15 Trio ‘Funf, sechs, sieben, acht’ -Overall, Harlekin, Trommler
- No. 16 Aria of Death ‘Ich bin der Tod’ - Tod, Trommler, Harlekin, Overall
- No. 17 The Emperor’s Farewell ‘Von allem, was geschieht’ -Overall
- No. 18 Finale ‘Komm Tod, du unser werter Gast’ - Bubikopf, Trommler, Harlekin, Lautsprecher
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.