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Auschwitz opera completed

Updated: 14/May/2006 16:52

Stefan Heucke

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The music score for the opera “The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz” has been completed.

Six months before the premiere of “The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz”, 46-year-old composer Stefan Heucke completed the musical score for the opera, the Netzzeitung newspaper reported.

The opera will premiere 16 September in Monchengladbach near Duesseldorf. Heucke based his 806-page composition on Fania Fenelon’s 1976 novel “The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz”. Fenelon, who died in 1983, is the most prominent survivor of the Auschwitz orchestra. In her book, she recorded her experiences.

The orchestra had to play on the railway ramps while newly arrived prisoners were being selected for labour or gassing. The orchestra also played in the concentration camp’s hospital ward as well as at special SS events.

Heucke told Netzzeitung that he was motivated to write the opera already 27 years ago, immediately after he had finished reading Fenelon’s autobiography, a bestseller at the time.

Orchestra on stage

Unlike most in most operas where orchestras play the pit, the Moechengladbach production will have a full-scale orchestra playing behind a screen on the stage. A smaller second orchestra, an authentic make-up of the original orchestra, will play in front of the screen.

The Auschwitz ensemble was made up of every a varied mix of instruments: violins, mandolins, accordions and the like. Their repertoire consisted of classical pieces, marches and operettas.

World-renowned alto Anne Gjevang will sing the role of the orchestra conductor. Graham Jackson will conduct the production, directed by Jens Pesel.

For more information, contact Theater Monchengladbach, tel: +49(2151)805-152, siebold@theater-kr-mg.de