Michael EndesJim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer
Elena Kats-Chernin (*1957)
Family opera in two acts for children 7 years and older
Libretto by Susanne Felicitas Wolf, Swiss premiere
In German with German surtitles. Duration 2 H. 20 Min. incl. intermission after approx. 55 Min.
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Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer
Synopsis
Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer
Act 1
The island of Morrowland is ruled by King Alfonso the Quarter-to-Twelfth. His subjects are Mrs. Whaat, Mr. Sleeve, Luke the Engine Driver and the boy Jim Button. Life is good on Morrowland, but the king is plagued by worries. Jim is getting bigger and bigger. One day he will need a house of his own, but there is no room on the small island. The king decides that Emma the locomotive must go, but Luke can't part with Emma and wants to leave with her. When Jim hears this, he decides without further ado to leave with them both - after all, he and Luke are best friends. The two of them secretly set sail with Emma and embark on a journey into the unknown.
After many days at sea, Jim, Lukas and Emma arrive in fairytale Mandala. They meet Ping Pong in front of the emperor's palace and learn that Li Si, the emperor's daughter, has been stolen. They decide to rescue Li Si and speak to the emperor. The head honcho Pi Pa Po believes that Jim and Lukas are spies and wants them beheaded. At the very last minute, the emperor appears and orders them both to be released. The emperor has received a message in a bottle from his daughter. She has been stolen by the Wild 13 and is being held captive by Mrs. Grindtooth in the Dragon City of Sorrowland. Luke remembers that once upon a time Jim arrived on Morrowland in a parcel that was also addressed to Mrs. Grindtooth. He tells Jim about it. The two are determined to travel to the Dragon City to free Li Si and find out more about Jim's real origins. They say goodbye and travel to the Valley of Twilight, which leads through the red-and-white-striped mountains. An echo develops in the valley, causing the voices of Jim and Luke and the sounds of Emma the locomotive to swell into a great chaos of noise. The mountains begin to shake and threaten to collapse. Luke has to pull the emergency lever and drive at top speed into the unknown...
Act 2
Jim and Lukas have narrowly made it through the Valley of Twilight, which has collapsed behind them. They find themselves in a desert. Two vultures seem to be waiting for them to die of thirst. Suddenly Jim is startled by a huge figure waving and calling to them on the horizon. Luke does not believe it to be a monster and lets the giant approach. To their astonishment, the giant gets smaller and smaller as he approaches and finally introduces himself as Mr. Tur Tur. He is a mock giant, he explains, and has moved to the desert because everyone is afraid of him. He is grateful to finally be able to talk to someone again and shows Jim and Luke the way to the Dragon City. In the Land of a Thousand Volcanoes, Luke and Jim meet the half-dragon Nepomuk and repair his volcano, which has gone out. Nepomuk tells them that only pure-blood dragons can reach the Dragon City. Together they dress up Emma the locomotive as a dragon and set off. They pass through the entrance and arrive in Mrs. Grindtooth's classroom, where she is tormenting her pupils with difficult maths problems. When Mrs. Grindtooth wants to punish Li Si, Jim stands in her way and demands that she release the children. Just in time, Lukas arrives with Emma and overpowers Mrs. Grindtooth. Together they tie up the dragon and decide to return to Mandala using the route taken by Li Si's message in a bottle. After a turbulent journey on the river, during which Li Si recounts how she was stolen by the Wild 13, they return to Mandala and are received by the Emperor. The children are all sent back to their home countries. Mrs. Grindtooth is grateful not to be killed and tells them that she is about to transform into the Golden Dragon of Wisdom. She already possesses some wisdom and tells Jim and Luke that they will find a floating island on their journey home. Jim and Luke capture the island and return to Morrowland, where there is now enough room for everyone.