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Synopsis
Barbara, a young woman, wants, together with her companion, Stein, to occupy an old and presumably abandoned house which is about to be torn down. However, in a dilapidated apartment in the house they discover a very old man who insists that he is the ancient Noach from biblical times. Barbara listens to the old man with scepticism, but also not without a certain affection: "God is a fool ... humanity cannot in any way be bettered ... and the Great Flood was the pointless act of one who is crazed, one who is insane and has no knowledge of the world. And He knows it now. That's why He won't let me die. He can't look me in the eye." Noach is on the one hand God's prophet, the chosen one found to be just in the eyes of the Lord, who witnessed the destruction of creation and then repeatedly has been forces to endure witnessing who God has not kept his promise to make a better future world, but rather has inflicted new plagues and catastrophes (epidemics, wars, genocide) upon humanity. On the other hand, however, Noach is of course a somewhat unusual, but also only too human old man – unkempt, leering, randy, who has despite his rather peculiar life history retained his sense of humor and for the absurdity of modern life. Barbara is a young woman who is attracted by the strange distance of the old man. Through her contact with Noach, Barbara gains a more thoughtful view of her daily world and begins to distrust what had seemed so clear. The other persons (Stein, Landlord, City Council Official, Prostitute) who come in contact with Noach are people from contemporary life who see in Noach only the old man who should be placed in a home as soon as possible, in order to implement their own very commonplace plans.
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Title Information
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Approximate Runtime (hh:mm)
1:50
Vocal & Musical Forces
Leads: Noach, lyric tenor; Barbara, lyric mezzo; Supporting roles: Stein, baritone; Rispe, bass-baritone; Schulenberg, soprano; Tatjana, soprano; Voices of the Lord: child soprano, bass, high soprano; Chorus; Orchestra: 2 (picc, alto, bass, high soprano), 2 (oboe d' amore, English horn), 3 (2 bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet), 2 (contra bassoon); soprano sax; 2,2,2, bass trombone, tuba; harp (preferably doubled), 4 percussion; accordion; strings
Original Cast
Clemens C. Löschmann as Noach, Katharina von Bülow as Barbara, Loren Lang as Stein, Ina Schlingensiepen as Tatjana, Karsten Küsters as Rispe, Katherine Stone as Schulenberg, Eva Koch, Irina Wischnizkaja, Wolfgang von Borries, Johannes Hartog, Sandra Lommerzheim, Mateng Pollkläsener, Tatjana Kluge, Martina Parkes and Heinrich Bröckerhoff
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