Art imitating life

Viktor Ullmann wrote "The Emperor of Atlantis" in 1943, when he was a prisoner in the Theresienstadt concentration camp (in the current Czech Republic). The one-hour opera is about the struggle between Emperor Uberall and Death over who is in charge and the emperor's subjects' right to die. Performances were banned by camp leaders, and everyone involved was sent to Auschwitz, where many were killed, including Ullmann. The opera will be performed today in English by OperaHub, a group of young local singers; a lecture takes place an hour before each show. 10+ Free (donations accepted). 8 p.m. First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Cambridge. (Sat at 3 p.m. at Brookline Public Library's Coolidge Corner Branch). tickets@operahub.org, operahub.org