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THE DICTATOR
4 September 2022, 2pm
The Holbeck, Jenkinson Lawn, Leeds, LS119QX
Part of the Leeds Opera Festival
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Music and libretto by Ernst Krenek
First performed 1928
Ensconced in the Grand Palace Hotel, the Dictator declares a needless war.
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He is surrounded by those who have suffered beneath him, and the plot is set for his demise.
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But, for some, the inexplicable attraction to power - and powerful people - is too much to overcome ...
A bold examination of the eternal allure that powerful people can hold over a populace, 'The Dictator' is a timely and stark warning to us all.
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Krenek's short opera premiered in 1928 with its powerful subject cloaked in a rich, melodic and often beautiful score.
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Following this performance will be a panel discussion on the opera's historical context, and representations of war and dictators on stage.
