Joseph Toltz, Opera Prometheus & Sydney Jewish Museum Present BRUNDIBÁR, 8/14

The children's opera Brundibár was the most popular cultural activity and a powerful symbol

of hope when performed by the Jewish people imprisoned in the Terezín Ghetto (Theresienstadt), in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.

On August 14, the opera will be performed for the first time ever in Sydney, with a production at City Recital Hall which aims to introduce Sydney children to the joys of performing and experiencing opera, as well as introducing them to the lessons of the Holocaust.

Brundibár tells the story of a brother and sister who overcome a local town bully in order to help their ill mother. Composed in 1938, the score was smuggled into the ghetto and performed 55 times by the inmates, for the inmates.

Rediscovered in the 1970s, the opera has since been performed thousands of times around the world as
a way to connect today's younger generations with survivors of the Holocaust and to strengthen the world's watch against oppression and discrimination.

The Sydney Brundibár Project is a collaboration between academic and musician Dr. Joseph Toltz and start-up chamber opera company Opera Prometheus, in association with the Sydney Jewish Museum.

Joseph Toltz, who has been researching the music of Terezín and the place of Brundibár in the memory
of Holocaust survivors for the past 17 years, said, "Despite Sydney being home to the largest number of Terezín survivors in Australia, Brundibár has not yet been staged here. We believe our production is needed while the opportunity for dialogue between survivors and young people is still possible.

Brundibár was composed by Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister as a submission for a children's opera competition in 1938. It received its premiere in Nazi-occupied Prague, performed by children at
the Jewish orphanage. However, Krása was arrested before he ever heard the performance and was soon transported to the Terezín Ghetto (Theresienstadt).

For the Sydney premiere production, over 30 Sydney school children aged 8 to 12 years have been cast including the principal roles. Joseph Toltz and Opera Prometheus' chorus master Dr. Sarah Penicka-Smith, production manager Melanie Penicka-Smith and director Sharna Galvin will be rehearsing with the children over the next few months along with a mentorship group of emerging professional young adult opera artists.

The Sydney Jewish Museum will host a series of special performances for school groups featuring the cast of mentors in the weeks following the City Recital Hall public performances. These will include a conversation with a Holocaust survivor and a tour of the museum.

Brundibár performances are layered with the history of its poignant beginning. As all fables do, it carries meaning and lessons beyond the words and notes for all of us to hear and remember. Tickets for the two performances at City Recital Hall on 14 August are now on sale.

Performances: Thursday August 14, 6pm & 8pm (running time 60 minutes)

Venue: City Recital Hall Angel Place

Tickets: Premium Adult $60, Child (2 to 15 years) $25
A Reserve Adult $45, Child (2 to 15 years) $15

Bookings: (02) 8256 2222 cityrecitalhall.com or www.brundibarsydney.com

School Group Performances at Sydney Jewish Museum. Visit the website for details on how to book. Places are strictly limited www.brundibarsydney.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.