Boston's Arts at Your FingertipsFriday May 25, 2012  or LOG IN / SIGN UP

    MUSIC

    Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits

    Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits

    Presented by Boston Lyric Opera at Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

    February 1-February 6, 2011

    Avg. Event Rating (4.5 Stars): 4.5 out of 5 stars rating
    Add Review/Comment | Read Reviews/Comments


    Comment on Facebook

    An Emperor unleashes total war. He orders destruction. He orders death. But Death...well, Death doesn't take orders. Now what? In 1943, composer Viktor Ullmann and poet Petr Kien were prisoners in the concentration camp Terezin, where they created this almost inconceivably wry and touching opera. They died at Auschwitz. Their opera survives - an allusive, haunting, texturally rich testament to their spirit. The performance will include the world premiere of a prologue, composed by Richard Beaudoin, and specially commissioned by Boston Lyric Opera.


    *BLO's Opera Annex is a fully staged production designed for an alternative space outside the traditional opera theater.


    • At-a-
      Glance

      • Venue Info

        Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

        527 Tremont Street
        Boston, MA 02116

        Full map and directions

      • Admission Info

        Tickets:

        Tickets start at $33.

        Info Phone: 617-542-6772

        Buy Tickets

      • Dates & Times

        Dates:
        February 1-February 6, 2011

        Times:

        Performance dates are February 1, 2, 4, 5, 6m


        3pm Sunday matinees. All other performances 7:30pm.

      • Accessibility Info

          Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.

      • Member Reviews

        Add review/comment

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          4.5 out of 5 stars rating "Stunning Performances"
          Review posted by: Tyler from Boston, MA USA, Feb 04, 2011

          Boston Lyric Opera thrilled me again by delivering another astounding performance in THE EMPEROR OF ATLANTIS. The singing and characterization are phenomenal. The staging and environmental... Expand

    • Member
      Reviews

      • Member Reviews

        Add review/comment

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          4.5 out of 5 stars rating "Stunning Performances"
          Review posted by: Tyler from Boston, MA USA, Feb 04, 2011

          Boston Lyric Opera thrilled me again by delivering another astounding performance in THE EMPEROR OF ATLANTIS. The singing and characterization are phenomenal. The staging and environmental... Expand

    • Media
      Reviews

      • Media Reviews

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          Article: Antiwar opera rises from darkness
          The Boston Globe - Feb 04, 2011
          By Jeremy Eichler

          “Emperor’’ has since become an important work of Holocaust art. But can it also stand up as a compelling modern one-act opera? Boston Lyric Opera’s bold new English-language production, which opened Tuesday night at the Calderwood Pavilion, should cl… Expand

          “Emperor’’ has since become an important work of Holocaust art. But can it also stand up as a compelling modern one-act opera? Boston Lyric Opera’s bold new English-language production, which opened Tuesday night at the Calderwood Pavilion, should close the argument. Director David Schweizer’s tart, nimble staging plays up the work’s dark comic aspects, its abundant debts to Weimar-era cabaret. The piece commandingly holds the stage. And when viewed with a knowledge of its history — the spirit of defiance and reckless hope embodied in its original creation — “Emperor’’ ultimately glows with a piercing luminosity. Collapse

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          Article: The Emperor of Atlantis: Boston Lyric Opera pulls out the stops
          The Boston Phoenix - Feb 04, 2011
          By Lloyd Schwartz

          "a memorable production...Lipsitt and his chamber players brought it all to vibrant life...inventive staging..." Expand

          "a memorable production...Lipsitt and his chamber players brought it all to vibrant life...inventive staging..." Collapse

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          Article: In ‘Emperor of Atlantis,’ the human spirit reigns
          The Boston Herald - Feb 03, 2011
          By Keith Powers

          "a provocative and intelligent production ...beautifully acted and sung ...Kevin Burdette, singing and acting terrifically as Death, and Jamie Van Eyck were joined by a solid cast highlighted by baritone John Mac Master (Harlequin). Steven Lipsi… Expand

          "a provocative and intelligent production ...beautifully acted and sung ...Kevin Burdette, singing and acting terrifically as Death, and Jamie Van Eyck were joined by a solid cast highlighted by baritone John Mac Master (Harlequin). Steven Lipsitt conducted with intelligence and energy in this performance, brilliantly directed by David Schweizer." Collapse

        • Event Name: Viktor Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis, or Death Quits
          Article: Oppressor’s Tale, Written in Oppression
          The New York Times - Feb 02, 2011
          By Allan Kozinn

          "Tantalizing...the opening performance sold out, and, despite heavy snow...Mr. Burdette was also the star of 'Emperor,' in which he played the combined role of Death and the Loudspeaker with an idiosyncratic, darkly comic incisiveness that under… Expand

          "Tantalizing...the opening performance sold out, and, despite heavy snow...Mr. Burdette was also the star of 'Emperor,' in which he played the combined role of Death and the Loudspeaker with an idiosyncratic, darkly comic incisiveness that underpinned a magnificent vocal performance. ... David Schweizer’s staging and Nancy Leary’s costumes play on the hellishness of both the work’s provenance and the “living dead” scenes Kien drew so vividly, and Caleb Wertenbaker’s’s sets give the production a chaotic, industrial touch. ... The baritone Andrew Wilkowske’s portrayal of Overall captures both his manic swagger and the crumbling of his veneer. The tenor John Mac Master’s acerbic, vocally acute Harlequin is nearly as captivating as Mr. Burdette’s Death, and Ms. Van Eyck sings the Drummer with a quirkiness that suits the role, essentially a cheerleader and mouthpiece for Overall. The tenor Julius Ahn and the soprano Kathryn Skemp gave fine performances as the two young soldiers who fall in love when killing each other doesn’t work.
          Steven Lipsitt, who conducted a strong performance of “Emperor” at Merkin Concert Hall in Manhattan in 1994, led a vital, perfectly paced reading here." Collapse