Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

In 1944, at Theresienstadt, two inmates wrote an amazing chamber opera. In February 2009, ‘Atlantis’ receives its BC premiere.

City Opera Vancouver is honoured to co-present, with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, the British Columbia premiere of a unique and deeply moving chamber opera, The Emperor of Atlantis, by Viktor Ullmann and Petr Kien.

Death, appalled by the Emperor’s bloody projects, goes on strike. The Emperor demands Death return to work. Death agrees, but on one condition…

It may be the greatest opera you’ve never heard.

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While its score survived the Nazis, its creators did not. When the Nazis realized what ‘Atlantis’ was about, they shipped its entire company off to Auschwitz. Only its art remains.

The opera speaks both to transformation and recurrence. It speaks from the nadir of the 20th century to the continued violence and despair of the 21st. Ullmann and Kien, together with their colleagues at Thereisenstadt, created a masterwork.

Among seven characters, two are principal: Death, and The Emperor. Horrified by the murderousness of the Emperor and his regime, Death goes on strike. People are killed but do not die. The Emperor demands that Death resume his business. Death finally agrees, but on one condition…

The City Opera Vancouver production of The Emperor of Atlantis will star Andrew Greenwood in the title role, John Minágro as Death, and Robyn Dreidger Klassen, Megan Morrison, William George, Stephen Aberle and Samuel Chung.

Musical direction will be by City Opera’s artistic director Dr. Charles Barber, with stage direction by Peter Jorgensen, stage and costume design by Marti Wright, and lighting design by Adrian Muir.

Janet Lea is the producer for The Emperor of Atlantis and Nora Kelly the associate producer.