Der Kaiser von Atlantis

Viktor Ullmann

Concert in the Les Grands accords Classica series

Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

Without intermission

Montréal

Salle Claude-Champagne

220 Vincent-D’Indy Ave.

Outremont

Der Kaiser von Atlantis is a riveting expressionist chamber opera that skillfully intertwines irony and poetry to denounce the darkness of totalitarianism. In a world ravaged by the tyrannical madness of the Emperor of Atlantis, this powerful allegorical drama offers a poignant reflection on the nature of authority, life, and death, underpinned by music and dramaturgy of exceptional intensity. Featuring seven singers and fifteen instrumentalists, this 20th-century masterpiece transcends the traditional realm of opera; it is a musical and philosophical journey, an experience of striking beauty that should not be missed.

NOM 2024

Der Kaiser von Atlantis
Opera in a concert+ version

Composer: Viktor Ullmann
Libretto: Peter Kien
Conductor: Matthias Maute
Ensemble Caprice
Digital artist: Matthieu Thoër, for Lumifest en cavale
Lighting designer: Kyllian Mahieu
Illustrations: Maxime Bigras
Stage manager and stage director: Isabeau Proulx Lemire

Cast

EMPEROR OVERALL: Pierre-Yves Pruvot (baritone)
THE DRUMMER: Florence Bourget (mezzo-soprano)
GIRL, A SOLDIER: Sophie Naubert (soprano)
THE LOUDSPEAKER: Tomislav Lavoie (bass)
HARLEQUIN: Eric Laporte (tenor)
A SOLDIER: Emmanuel Hasler (tenor)
DEATH: Frédéric Caton (bass)

Program

Introductory talk: Jaap Nico Hamburger

Melocide or the Aftermath of Viktor Ullmann

Viktor Ullmann

Der Kaiser von Atlantis

Jaap Nico Hamburger

Chamber Symphony no. 1, "Remember to Forget"

Andante  Ostinato of a Journey: A Train to Death

Vivace      A Train to Life