The White Rose by Nemorino
In May 2006 I saw a performance here in the Koblenz City Theater of Die weiße Rose (The White Rose) by Udo Zimmermann (born 1943). This is a short opera about the life and death of Hans and Sophie Scholl, a brother and sister who formed an anti-Nazi resistance group called The White Rose in Munich during the Second World War.In 1943, eight months before the composer was born, Hans and Sophie were caught distributing anti-Nazi leaflets at the university in Munich. They were condemned to death for this, and were executed the same day.
A new production of the same opera, staged by the actor Christoph Quest and featuring Britta Stallmeister as Sophie, will be shown in Frankfurt at the Bockenheimer Depot in March 2007.
The composer Udo Zimmermann is better known as an orchestra conductor and opera manager. He was the General Director (Intendant) of the Leipzig Opera from 1990 to 2001, and held the same post at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 2001 to 2004.
Second photo: People taking their seats in the Koblenz Theater for Zimmermann's opera.
Third photo: Since this opera is about resistance against the Nazis, they were allowed to use a Nazi flag on the stage. Ordinarily it is illegal in Germany to display any sort of Nazi symbols.
Fourth photo: The upper lobby of the Koblenz theater.
