Die Rundköpfe und die Spitzköpfe

In the organizer's words:

after Bertolt Brecht in a version by Joep Hupperetz
Music by Hanns Eisler in an adaptation by Leo van Lierop

The play Die Rundköpfe und die Spitzköpfe remains frighteningly topical even after almost 100 years. It is set in the fictional country of Yahoo, where the conflict between rich and poor is diverted into a 'race war': Round heads are considered good and trustworthy, pointy heads are belittled as deceitful and stingy. Brecht wrote the play in exile in Denmark, influenced by the experiences of the Weimar Republic, in which, despite cultural prosperity, exuberance and freedom, social polarization continued to increase and experimental art - including the works of Brecht and Eisler - was defamed as degenerate art due to the rise of fascism. Brecht's piece is a warning of how economic inequality can be diverted into racial hatred.

Eisler's compositions combine elements of traditional folk music with modernist influences. The music not only served to support the text, but also as a critical commentary on the events on stage. After several revisions, often due to censorship, the play was premiered in Copenhagen in 1936. Despite mixed reactions, it stimulated important discussions - a potential that has not lost its relevance even today. The Brecht Trio brings the rarely performed play to the stage in an adaptation for small ensemble.

The production is a co-production with Music Stages/Amsterdam, in collaboration with Opera Zuid/Maastricht, supported by the Kunststiftung NRW, the cultural offices of the cities of Cologne and Duisburg, the Hanns und Steffy Eisler Stiftung and the Jeanne d'Art Kulturstiftung.

Holder of the performance rights: Suhrkamp Verlag AG Berlin

Price information:

Free admission - donation welcome!