Brundibár

Originally commissioned by the ministry and intended for young school performers, Brundibár premiered covertly due to Nazi Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia. Hans Krása managed to preserve his opera until he was deported to Terezin, where it was used as a propaganda tool but also became a source of solace for prisoners before their deportation to Auschwitz. As the 20" century progressed, its reputation only grew, establishing it as a classic.

Hope, courage, and solidarity-these are the values at the heart of this enchanting work, which sets the power of art against cruelty. A profound lesson for all times and a remarkable theatrical moment for the Maîtrise Populaire de l'Opéra-Comique, under the direction of Muriel Mayette-Holtz, Jean-Claude Berutti, and Louis Langée.

Children's opero in two acts | Terezín version I Libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister | Adapted by Chantal Galiana | Underground premiere in a Jewish orphanage in Prague in 1942.

Programme

1st part

• « La bonne neige », « De grandes cuillers de neige » (extraits de Un soir de neige) de Francis Poulenc
• « O magnum mysterium » (extrait de Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël) de Francis Poulenc
• Mládí (« Jeunesse ») de Leoš Janáček pour ensemble à vents
• Petit Papa Noël - Arrangement Brice Legée - version à 5 voix
• De Pitchik à Pitchouk, conte de Jean-Claude Grumberg

2nd part

• Brundibár, Hans Krása
• Ich wandre durch Theresienstadt, Ilse Weber