In addition to its sufficiently known lyrical, comic and realistic forms, Czech opera also encompasses monumentally tragic pieces. One such is Zdeněk Fibich’s final stage work, created in 1900 and made up of an independent Prologue, Helga and a three-act opera, Dargun.

In an impressive manner, it blends personal stories of ill-fated love and wild passion with the history of the decline of a pagan cult of the Baltic Slavs amid the onset of Christianity. The work’s dramaturgy and its grandiosity bear traits in common with Richard Wagner’s works – the major role is not played by the action’s historical or religious circumstances but the symbolic clash between contradictory dramatic powers and human types, with the boldest among them being the pagan Dargun, ruthlessly pursuing the vision of his power and thereby inevitably paving the way for his own downfall.

The opera, by one of the most renowned Czech Romantic composers, will be staged at the National Theatre within the Year of Czech Music after more than eight decades. The Fall of Arkun will bring back to the National Theatre Opera two highly acclaimed artists known to our audiences from previous productions – the conductor John Fiore and the stage director Jiří Heřman.

The opera is staged in czech original and czech and english surtitles are used in the performance.

Duration of the performance: 3 hours and 40 minutes

• Libretto: Anežka Schulzová
• Musical preparation: John Fiore
• Conductor: John Fiore
• Stage director: Jiří Heřman
• Sets: Pavel Svoboda
• Costumes: Alexandra Grusková
• Choreography: Jan Kodet
• Light-design: Daniel Tesař
• Chorus master: Pavel Vaněk
• Dramaturgy: Ondřej Hučín