Death Knocks
composer: Christian Jost
author of original text: Woody Allen
German edition: Esther Ferrier
Opera in one act after the same named play by Woody Allen
for mezzo-soprano, baritone and chamber ensemble
Deutsche Textfassung von Esther Ferrier
Dedication: Aribert Reimann gewidmet
Premiere: September 29, 2001 Hannover (D) · Stella Doufexis, Mezzosopran; Sebastian Noack, Bariton · Conductor: Christian Jost · Linos Ensemble (world première as concert)
May 6, 2005 Erfurt, Theater, Studio (D) · Elvira Soukop, Mezzosopran; Juan Carlos Mera-Euler, Bariton · Conductor: Karl Prokopetz · Staging: Eszter Szabó · Costumes: Benita Roth · Stage design: Benita Roth · Organizer: Theater Erfurt (scenic world première)
Orchestra instrumentation: Klar. · Fg. · Trp. · Pos. · Vibr. · Drumset · Vl. · Kb.
Cast of characters: Death in person · Mezzosopran - Nat Ackerman, a dress manufacturer · Bariton
Publisher: Schott Music
Duration: 35' 0''
Year of composition: 2001
Edition: full score
Language: English - German
Material on hire
Delivery rights: worldwide
Description
New York, somewhere in Manhattan. The city is pulsating in the heat as Nat Ackermann, a successful garment manufacturer, makes himself comfortable for the evening. While he reads the paper suddenly an attractive but quite confused woman falls right through his window into his living room. Of course he doesn’t believe her when she tells him that she is the personification of Death. He is feeling fit as a fiddle, has just completed a merger with a famous company and isn’t ready to leave. The lady starts to doubt whether she did everything right. Maybe she mixed up addresses, because this is her first commission? Nat, who is realising the seriousness of the situation, tries to engage the personification of Death in conversation to try to trick the lady by using a little cunning. He persuades her to play Gin Rummy.
Death, stressed out and tired of Nat’s resistance, agrees: if Death wins, Nat will follow her. If Nat wins, he will get one more day to live. Night sets in and with it the game between life and Death starts. While the personification of Death is concentrating on her cards, Nat tries to find out more about dying and the hereafter. He constantly digs deeper and asks a lot of questions so that Death gets nervous and is thoroughly beaten. This failure in her first job saps her selfconfidence. Certain of his victory, Nat throws Death out of his home and suspects that he will cope with Death more easily in the future. (Christian Jost)
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