Rusalka

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.

The opera is staged in Czech original version and English surtitles are used in the performance.

Photo: František Ortmann

Duration of the performance: 3 hours, 2 intermissions