Krabat

Libretto by the composer (G)

The Black Miller is in dire straits, for he can scarcely find journeymen to work in his mill. Too many young men have perished in the Thirty Years' War—raging across half of Europe—while others have fled, starved, or succumbed to disease. In his desperation, the miller entered into a fateful pact with the death goddess Smjertnica: she would ensure that twelve miller's apprentices were always in his service—but in return, he must offer her one of them as a sacrifice each year at Easter. Should he fail to do so, his own life would be forfeit.
Driven by despair, the miller seeks a way out and turns to black magic. He consults the Coractor, a grim and ancient book of spells, and therein discovers how to transform a millwheel into a time machine. Without hesitation, he invokes the dark magic and sets off through time, where he encounters Krabat—a boy from the future.
The Black Miller lures Krabat back to his mill, where the boy is put to work as one of the apprentices. Yet the miller has far greater plans for him: Krabat is to be his successor. But Krabat, clever and perceptive, gradually uncovers the miller’s sinister dealings. Together with his companions, he begins to search for ways to break the deadly cycle and bring the miller’s dark reign to an end.

Dramatic