"The story—a set of tableaux—centers on a young peasant boy … whose wanderings through the devastation contrast pure innocence with Christian compassion…. Ryan delivered one stunning detail after another—fine-honed trumpet, clarinet, bassoon and percussion solos not least—plus a thrilling overture and a clutch of shivering interludes, akin in their acerbity to the music of Kurt Weill, matched by Hartmann's recurring use of Lutheran chorale. Claudia Mahnke as the all-seeing boy, pitiful amid the ruins, gave a thrilling, sensitive, utterly compelling performance. Her voice struck a chord every time, whether in desolate recitative, optimistic outburst or sing-song ditty. A hapless mouse in aspect, she gave, paradoxically, a giant performance."—Opera News