The times: grim. The situation: complicated. The solution: complex. The Austrian author Karl Kraus encapsulated the situation in Europe around the First World War into a monumental play titled "The Last Days of Mankind" more than 100 years ago – with 220 scenes! The French composer Philippe Manoury, known as a pioneer of electronic music, has enriched opera in recent years with his innovative ideas. He adapted the Kraus tragedy for music theater. In the process, he turns the orchestra into a sound laboratory. The singer ensemble will have to fit into this. The Cologne premiere of the opera is directed by Nicolas Stemann. The Angelus Novus role is prominently cast with Anne Sofie von Otter.