The Emperor of Atlantis by Ullmann, Fra (2022/2022), Instrueret af Ilaria Lanzino, Dirigent Christoph Stöcker, Theater Duisburg, Duisburg, Germany

It was in the hell of the Theresienstadt concentration camp of all places that Viktor Ullmann found his unmistakable voice as a composer. The marching music of his childhood days as the son of a high-ranking Imperial and Royal officer, the teachings of his mentors Arnold Schönberg and Alexander von Zemlinsky, the jazz-influenced light music of his time, the love for the formal rigor of a Johann Sebastian Bach - Ullmann processed all these biographical influences in his opera "Der Kaiser von Atlantis” virtuoso and rich in allusions to an exciting mix of styles. The parable about Death's refusal to work, who no longer wanted to be exploited as the murderous henchman of the despotic Emperor Overall, was written in 1943/44 in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Her message, to stand up against injustice and oppression, is still relevant today, as director Ilaria Lanzino, who was recently awarded the 11th EOP – International Opera Directing Prize, understands in her haunting production. General Music Director Axel Kober conducts the Duisburg Philharmonic and the top-class ensemble of soloists.