An Emperor unleashes total war. He orders destruction. He orders death. But Death...well, Death doesn't take orders. Now what? In 1943, composer Viktor Ullmann and poet Petr Kien were prisoners in the concentration camp Terezin, where they created this almost inconceivably wry and touching opera. They died at Auschwitz. Their opera survives--an allusive, haunting, texturally rich testament to their spirit.