Brundibár, the children’s opera by Czech composer Hans Krása (1899–1944), is the story of two children who go to town to seek some milk to help their sick mother. When they arrive the children are bullied by the Brundibár, a mean adult who plays the organ grinder and takes the children’s money. To fight back against the overbearing Brundibár the children seek the help of the town’s young people—along with three fairy-tale animals—to make the town square a safe place again. The piece was performed in 1942 by the children of Prague’s Jewish orphanage, and then presented with child singers in the Terezín concentration camp 55 times during World War II. A performance of Brundibár was a central part of an International Red Cross visit to Terezín in 1944, and sections of the work were later included in a Nazi propaganda film. In 2003 a third version of work was produced with a new English adaptation of the text by Tony Kushner. The composer and many of the original performers were killed before the conclusion of the war; however, one survivor, Ela Weissberger, who performed the role of the Cat in the Terezín production, now lives in the United States and often visits productions to speak about her experiences and help contextualize the work. Brundibár remains a moving and powerful work of art, both as a children’s opera and as a symbol of resistance against the Nazi regime, but it presents many logistical and artistic challenges to directors and producers who may be interested in mounting a production. This project will provide some background on the work, including the circumstances of its creation and performance history. It will then lay out the work’s unique performance challenges and offer practical solutions to make the process of designing, rehearsing, and performing Brundibár more accessible and effective.

TITLE: Hans Krása: Brundibár - an Inspirational Resource for Project Education in Musical Dramatic Education in the Primary School AUTHOR: Jana Pajkrtová DEPARTMENT: Department Music Education SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Petra B lohlávková, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: Diploma Thesis Hans Krása: Brundibár - an inspirational source for project teaching in musical dramatic education at primary school is focused on comparing different concepts and conducting of the opera and creating its own authorial realization in the form of a school project with a focus on drama education. In the short form of the reader, she acquaints her with the background of the opera, the creator of the opera, the content and the vocal and instrumental cast. It brings information about the eight Brundibár productions - whether renowned bodies (Disman Children's Radio Ensemble, Children's Choir Kantiléna, Children's Opera Prague, Pilsen Children's Choir), as well as regular ensembles from Primary or Primary Art Schools (ZUŠ F. X. Richtera in Holešov, ZUŠ F. A. Šporka in Jarom , ZŠ Dukelská in eské Bud jovice, ZŠ Merhautova a ZŠ nám stí 28. íjna in Brno). The main chapter of the work offers a detailed description of the school project, the core of which is the life story of the composer Hans Krása in connection with his children's opera Brundibár. The main...

Summary: Without a doubt, Hans Krása belongs amongst the most important figures in Czech music. In my thesis, I would like to focus on his opera for children, Brundibar, which represents an important bridge between free cultural expression and life behind the walls at the Terezin concentration camp. Clearly, it will be fruitful to compare both the Prague and Terezin versions of this piece. With this work, I would like to delve into the personality of the composer, his output, and musical life in the Terezin ghetto. Key words: Analysis, Brundibar, holocaust, interpretation, opera, orchestra score, piano reduction, Terezin Ghetto, Terezin Initiative.