The Little Match Girl

Helmut Lachenmann's THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL is one of the most radical works in the history of opera and a milestone in the music of the second half of the 20th century. Lachenmann adapted Hans Christian Andersen's story of a young girl dying from hypothermia to produce a riveting musical study of societal frigidity, human isolation and what it is to be homeless in the modern age. Lachenmann describes as "music with pictures" this form of musical theatre in which the language is a fragmentation of individual sounds and the music undergoes constant shifts in temperature and consistency, ranging from scarcely perceivable silences and abrasive or drilling noises to sweeping waves of warming sound. Lachenmann stretched instruments to the limits of their acoustic capabilities and then used special techniques to push them even further. His quest for new sounds finds a parallel in the demands he makes of his audiences, who he hopes will listen with a fresh ear and bring to their reception of his work a childlike inquisitiveness and sense of wonder at unconventional, surprising music.

Director David Hermann and set designer Christof Hetzer have made a name for themselves with their strikingly original perspectives and powerful productions at the Salzburger Festival and in cities such as Frankfurt, Basel, Heidelberg, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Musical direction is by Lothar Zagrosek, who directed the very first performance of the piece in Hamburg in 1997.

Partially funded with grants from the Hauptstadtkulturfonds
Supported by the Förderkreis der Deutschen Oper Berlin e.V.
Presented by kulturradio vom rbb and tip.