Simplicius Simplicissimus
Coproduction with Klangbogen and Wiener Festwochen
Opera by Karl Amadeus Hartmann
CONTENT
Simplicissimus tells the story of an innocent child brought into contact with life through his experiences of the Thirty Years’ War. The book traces the development of a human soul against the background of a depraved Germany riven by war, depopulation, cruelty, and fear.
“He pulls the world. You can see by his heavy step. He loses his own speed. Fate: Water becomes blood, and this band embraces the world.
The Child:
Anno Domini 1648 twelve million did not live anymore, only four million people lived in Germany. And there was somebody, who didn’t know anything about judgment, far off in solitude, a little boy he was, looking after sheep and living with them..
(H. Scherchen, W. Petzet and K. A. Hartmann beased on Grimmelshausen)
FACTS
Venue
Semper-Depot, Vienna
When
Premiere: 21st of august 1997
Performers
Lucia Nistler, Ingrid Hofer, Peter Gruber, Rainer Mandl und Michael Scheidl
Ensemble
Orchester Musica Viva
Composition
Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Libretto
nach HJ. Chr. Grimmelshausen von Hermann Scherchen, Wolfgang Petzet Und HJ. Chr. Grimmelshausen
Direction
Michael Scheidl
Musical Direction
Alexander Drcar
Scenography
Nora Scheidl
Light
Norbert Chmel