Der Kaiser von Atlantis

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 laughter, so the Lautsprecher has just told us. Now, Harlekin himself explains how miserable his life is (‘Der Mond geht auf den Firsten’). Death (Der Tod) joins him in his misery, and together they discuss how time seems to pass so slowly (‘Tage Tage, wer kauft Tage?’).

Death is totally exhausted. The constant pressure of wars means that he is working non-stop, with no sign of a break ahead (‘Das waren Kriege’). It is unnatural, and he cannot keep up with the demand of this new world of dying.

The