Atatürk

A nation invents itself—and one man becomes its face. At the end of World War I, Mustafa Kemal, a celebrated military leader in the crumbling Ottoman Empire, conceives a vision of a young, modern republic modeled on the West. In defiance of the Allies’ geopolitical plans, he proclaimed the new Turkish state in 1923 and, through reforms such as secularism, women’s rights, the hat law, and script reform, laid the groundwork for a new state and a new vision of humanity: “He would not stoop down; the people should rise up to him.”” Yet every new beginning exacts its price. What does it cost to invent a nation? Personal relationships take on historical significance, and political visions encroach upon the most intimate spheres of life. Female figures, companions, opponents, and a polyphonic chorus form the echo of a society in upheaval. Amid waltz-like bliss, dervish dances, and war reports; tradition and secularization; emancipation and repression—a panorama emerges of an era that is rewriting itself—and in doing so, leaves behind unanswered questions. What does progress mean? Who pays for reforms? And how much violence lies within the dream of unity? The poetically condensed libretto by playwright Olga Bach follows no chronological order. It moves between documentary traces and fiction: the frenzy of the end, the intoxication of the beginning, and the long shadows cast by political decisions. Director Ersan Mondtag translates this search for identity into evocative, surreal, and exaggerated visual spaces and examines the figure of Atatürk as a myth straddling the line between human and monument. Kammersänger Matthias Klink performs the title role, while composer Bassem Akiki, conducting the State Orchestra, interweaves sound and stage into a multi-layered space of diverse musical cultures—creating a musical theater piece that does not merely illustrate history but questions it from a contemporary perspective. An evening about power and seduction, about vision and loss. And about the question of how much future lies in a dream of a nation.

An opera in three acts
Libretto by Olga Bach

by Bassem Akiki

approx. 3 hrs. 45 min., including two intermissions
A more precise duration will be announced at the premiere.