Eli (opera)

7, is a German-language opera in three acts with music by Walter Steffens to a libretto based on a play by Nelly Sachs.

It is set in a Polish village right after World War II, where a Jewish boy, Eli, was slain by a German soldier during a pogrom, and is remembered in various ways.

[4][1] The world premiere of the opera was on 5 March 1967 in the Opernhaus Dortmund,[5][8][7] directed by Hans Hartleb, with Hainer Hill as designer of stage and costumes, and Wilhelm Schüchter conducting.

Many singers take more than one role:[1] A reviewer from Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that Steffens transports the poetry to a different level of emotional intensity.

[8] He described the vocal and instrumental lines as expressive and melodic ("Expressiv-melodische Diktion"), and the electro-acoustic parts as unreal voices.