The Kaiser of Atlantis

The Atlanta Opera Company Players present The Kaiser of Atlantis. This rarely performed one-act opera by Viktor Ullmann, with a libretto by Peter Kien, was written while the pair were interned in the Nazi concentration camp of Theresienstadt (Terezín). Before his death at Auschwitz, Ullmann gave the score to a colleague, and the opera remained unperformed until 1975. The opera tells the story of the Emperor of Atlantis who declares a universal war and calls for his old ally Death to lead the campaign. However, this universal war angers Death, and in retaliation, he refuses to let anyone die, a decision that has unexpected consequences. A haunting allegory about redemption despite the worst of humanity, this new production of The Kaiser of Atlantis features The Atlanta Opera Company Players in a chilling satire built for our time.