daughter of the King of Tripoli, and they fall in love. Both the Grand Duke and the Emperor also compete for the Princess, and join their armies to fight the Schuhu. He wins her, but she soon elopes with a Dutchman for a season, before returning to the Schuhu and following him to a new-found land. Roles Three of the roles are performed by individuals: The Schuhu (baritone) The Flying Princess (soprano) Mann im Frack (conductor, speaking role) Twelve actors play further roles, including those of village people, watchmen, snails, spinach plants, warriors, 10,000 scientists and sparrows: First Soprano: tailor's wife Second Soprano: first snail Third Soprano: first spinach plant First Contralto: neighbour Second Contralto: second snail Third Contralto: second spinach plant First Tenor: mayor, scientist, warrior Second Tenor: superior snail-herd, Schuhulogist Third Tenor: first spinach gardener First Bass: tailor, king of Tripoli Second Bass: emperor of Mesopotamia Third Bass: Duke of Coburg-Gotha, Starost of Holland Music In a parable, the composer is free to use traditional forms, also to create an ironic distance ("ironische Distanzierung"), but can use creative imagination for sounds of a utopian sphere. The opera is played by two identical chamber orchestras, both featuring: 2 flutes (also piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone timpani and percussion piano singing saw solo strings: violin 1+2, viola, cello, double bass with an additional barrel organ (Leierkasten), being imitated by a quartet of recorders, and tape. All 34 musicians and the technician for the taping play on stage and have scenic actions. The two orchestras symbolize the places of the world in conflict, Coburg-Gotha versus Mesopotamia. Zimmermann regarded opera as a Lehrspiel (teaching play). One aspect is to use unconventional processes on stage. The opera is obviously a story, in which actors dress on stage for different roles. The orchestras on stage and the conductor take part in the action, which develops from the traditional Bänkelsang of the beginning, with the conductor churning the barrel organ which accompanies the tailor's ballad, to more modern vocal and orchestral sounds. The barrel organ music is transferred to the orchestra at times. The "normal" world with its violence and stupidity is represented by dissonant clusters and crude expressionist music, while Zimmermann uses electronic sound transformation (Klangtransformation) for the sphere of the Schuhu, manipulating instrumental sounds corresponding with the orchestra and not in contrast. This provides new and unheard-of (unerhört) sounds