Brundibár

Introduction by Matthias Durchfeld

Hans Krása
Brundibár

 Children Opera with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister

Icarus vs Muzak

Mimma Campanale, conductor

Children’s choir of the Fondazione I Teatri
Costanza Gallo, choirmaster

Barbara Roganti, stage direction, set and costume design

A revival of Hans Krása’s opera, composed in the Terezín concentration camp, presented by ITeatri on the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day. The opera was originally written in Prague, where rehearsals began in 1941 at the Jewish orphanage, with its premiere taking place in 1942. However, both Krása and the set designer involved in the rehearsals were deported to the Terezín camp, followed shortly thereafter by nearly all the choir members and staff of the orphanage. Despite these hardships, Krása made the decision to continue the rehearsals, managing to reconstruct the entire score from memory and adapting it to the limited instruments available in the camp. In September 1943, the opera was performed within the confines of the concentration camp. More than fifty performances followed, but many of the cast members, including Krása, were soon deported to Auschwitz, where they met their tragic fate.