'Brundibár', a children's opera based on a play by Aristophanes, was the last work Hans Krása completed before he was arrested by the Nazis in 1942. Krása was sent to the Theresienstadt ghetto where he reworked 'Brundibár' for the available forces, which was then performed 55 times in the camp and also features in the infamous propaganda film made for the Red Cross in 1944. He died in Auschwitz in 1944. 'Brundibár' lay forgotten for several decades. While investigating her family history, the Benedictine nun and music teacher Maria Veronika Grüters, came across the score. She then staged 'Brundibár' with her student ensemble in German, orchestrating it for her student orchestra from the piano score and writing a German libretto. The German première finally took place in July 1985 at the St. Ursula Secondary School in Freiburg. The present recording was made in December 1986.

Artists

Vera Fliegauf (Brundibar), Nicole Brück (Seppel), Angelina Ribeiro (Ann), Carolin Gronarz (Doktor), Anita Bodm (Polizist), Ninja Freese (Eismann), Petra Göhrum (Bäcker), Tanja Zimmermann (Milchmann), Barbara Strohmeier (Spatz), Julia Metzger (Katze) & Mara Slisko (Hund), Ruth Elias

Chor und Instrumentalisten des St. Ursula-Gymnasiums Freiburg, Sr. Maria Veronika Grüters