Die heilige Ente: ein Spiel mit Göttern und Menschen (German: The sacred duck: a play with Gods and men) is an opera with a prelude and three acts by the composer Hans Gál (his Op.
The critic Hanns Gutmann enthused over the Berlin production: "The score of this opera demonstrates how the orchestra has developed throughout the 19th century and is handled with the same virtuosity as Mahler and Strauss".
[3] In 1929 Die heilige Ente became the first contemporary opera to be broadcast by RAVAG (Vienna Radio).
The satirical plot envisages bored Chinese gods amusing themselves by exchanging the identities of two of the characters.
[10] The duck-breeder Yang is taking a duck to the palace when he falls for the charms of Li, the wife of the mandarin.