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Overview

Synopsis

German diplomat, Walter Kretschmer, and his wife, Anna Liese Franz, are aboard a cruise liner headed to Brazil when Liese is forced to face her past; Liese is suddenly panic-stricken when she sees a passenger who resembles a former prisoner of Auschwitz where, unbeknownst to her husband, Liese served as an S.S. officer. Flashing back to Auschwitz, we watch Liese and Martha (the passenger) develop a turbulent and tense relationship in the camp. Liese, while looking back, is conflicted between her humanity and her steadfast view that she was simply serving the S.S proudly. Martha and the other women in the camp develop strong bonds of friendship, shaping Martha and leading her to remark at the end of the opera: “If one day your voices should fall silent, then we are all extinguished.”

Show Information

Book
Zofia Posmysz
Music
Mieczyslaw Weinberg
Lyrics
Alexander Medvedev
Based On Book By
Zofia Posmysz
Libretto
Alexander Medvedev
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2010
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period
Time & Place
auschwitz, an ocean-liner 1960s
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Some Dance
Ideal For
Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Early Teen, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Liese

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Martha

Lead

Female

Soprano

Walter

Lead

Male

Tenor

Yvette

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Katya

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Bronka

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Tadeusz

Supporting

Male

Baritone

3rd S.S. Man

Featured

Male

Tenor

Krystina

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Vlasta

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Hannah

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Alte (Old Woman)

Featured

Female

Soprano

1st S.S. Man

Featured

Male

Bass

2nd S.S. Man

Featured

Male

Bass

Old Passenger

Ensemble

Male

Bass

Kapo

Ensemble

Female

Spoken

Steward

Ensemble

Male

Spoken

Overseer

Ensemble

Female

Spoken

Songs

  • Act 1, Scene 1: An ocean-liner, 1960s. (Liese, Walter, Steward, Martha, Overseer, Chorus.)
  • Act 1, Scene 2: Auschwitz 1940s (1st S.S. Man, 2nd S.S. Man, 3rd S.S Man, Liese, Overseer, Martha, Chorus)
  • Act 1, Scene 3: Auschwitz 1940s (Old woman, Yvette, Vlasta, Martha, Krystina, Bronka, Hannah, Katya, Kapo, Liese, Walter, Chorus,
  • Act 2, Scene 1: Auschwitz 1940s (1st S.S. Man, Liese, Martha, Tadeusz, Katya)
  • Act 2, Scene 2: Auschwitz 1940s (Tadeusz, Liese, Walter)
  • Act 2, Scene 3: Auschwitz 1940s (Katya, Krystina, Hannah, Yvette, Bronka, Vlasta, Martha, Liese, Chorus
  • Act 2, Scene 4: An ocean-liner 1960s (Walter, Liese, Steward, Old Passenger, Martha)
  • Act 2, Scene 5: Auschwitz 1940s (1st S.S Man, Chorus, Violinist as Tadeusz)
  • Epilogue: Some time in the future (Martha)

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.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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Guide Written By:

Daniel Bates

Daniel Bates