This music based on texts from the book of the same name "Trödelmarkt der Träume - Mitternachtslieder und leise Balladen" (Flea Market of Dreams - Midnight Songs and Quiet Ballads) by Michael Ende was originally created for a puppet theatre. It can be realised with one or more singers and with different instruments. With one exception, the main instrument is the piano. In addition, there is usually a double bass and a melody instrument, for which parts in C, B and Eb are available. Some songs are also accompanied by notes for guitar, and additional percussion would be desirable. Most of the songs are through-composed, in some places the instrumentalists are expected to swing improvisation, which is marked by chord notation common in jazz. Some songs are sung throughout, others even spoken only, some have both sung and spoken parts.
The songs can be performed in concert. However, it becomes more appealing when the content of the songs is acted out by people and/or puppets. For this, a frame story should be invented, e.g. a large travel suitcase from which props are taken that lead to the next song, or a stage on which a flea market or the junk room of an antique shop can be seen. There should be no limits to the imagination here. The order of the individual songs is also not fixed. Only the framework of an overture and a finale is given. Both are based on the text "Der Taschenspieler" and therefore use the same musical material. They frame the following 12 songs: "The Paper Tragedy", "The Ballad of the Rope Dancer Felix Fliegenbeil", "The Helmet", "The Ballad of the Wondrous Cook", "An Immoral Moritat", "The Eternal Hero's Song", "The Invisible Man", "The Lady with the Marionette", "Little Haunting", "The Dream of Flying", "The Ballad of the Blind Leading the Blind" and "The Ugly Girl". All in all, the "Flea Market of Dreams" contains approx. 60 minutes of pure music; with appropriate staging, it can be turned into an evening-length performance.
This title is only available as rental material!
