Rusalka in the State opera

ABOUT THE OPERA

Antonín Dvořák based his most beautiful opera on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Pursuant to the story, the Czech poet Jaroslav Kvapil wrote one of the most poetic opera librettos there is.

No wonder then that the fruit of the co-operation between the two creators, who were close both as artists and friends, was a magical, dreamy story of great, unfulfilled desire of the water nymph Rusalka, a work in which Dvořák’s musical genius reached its apex. The fairy-tale atmosphere inspired the composer to create singular, impressionistic music replete with melodic imagination and masterful instrumentation, a suggestive expression of the play of waves and the reflection of moonlight on the surface of a lake, as well as the magic of a fairy-tale dream.

Since its premiere in 2005, the production of Rusalka directed by the popular film maker Zdeněk Troška has been one of the most successful titles performed at the State Opera.

CAST AND CREATIVES

Conductor - Anna Pozidis / Ondrej Olos
Rusalka - Petra Alvarez Šimková / Jana Sibera / Barbora Perná
Prince - Evan LeRoy Johnson / Peter Berger / Martin Šrejma
Water Goblin - Zdeněk Plech / Ivo Hrachovec / Roman Vocel
Witch - Jana Sýkorová / Kateřina Jalovcová / Andrea Kalivodová
Foreign Princess - Dana Burešová / Tamara Morozová
First Wood Sprite - Jekatěrina Krovatěva / Yukiko Smetáčková Kinjo / Lenka Pavlovič
Second Wood Sprite - Sylva Čmugrová / Markéta Cukrová / Dana Šťastná
Third Wood Sprite - Šárka Hrbáčková / Alžběta Betty Vomáčková
Kitchen Boy - Lenka Pavlovič / Jarmila Vantuchová
Gamekeeper - Jan Ježek / Jiří Hájek
Hunter - Jiří Brückler / Jiří Hájek / Dominik Klapka

Libretto: Jaroslav Kvapil
Stage direction: Zdeněk Troška
Set design: Milan Ferenčík
Costumes: Josef Jelínek
Choreography: Dana Morávková
Chorus master: Zuzana Kadlčíková
Dramaturgy: Jitka Slavíková