Bedřich Smetana
Comic opera
Premiere 12. 10. 2018
Smetana’s anecdote about a bride who is sold by her bridegroom to himself ranks among the most successful comic operas. Originally, it was composed as a Singspiel with spoken dialogues, and the composer himself denoted it as “playing” and viewed it as a welcome distraction from serious operas. Nonetheless, this work was not born easily, and Smetana refined his specific “national style” meticulously, so that only the fourth version of the opera became final. The Bartered Bride has been a symbol of the proverbial Czech musicality and sense of humour ever since it came into being over 150 years ago. However, apart from the comic elements, Smetana’s comedies are also full of deep emotions and lyricism, which are understandable to anyone who accepts this unique musical gift and rejoices in it. The Bartered Bride is not only the founding work of the Czech national opera, but also an ever vivacious, kind and slightly self-ironical music comedy that attracts spectators of all ages. It rightly belongs to the golden treasure of Czech and world opera. It has made a comeback to the repertoire of the South Bohemian Theatre after more than twenty years in the musical production of Mario De Rose and under the direction of the young talented director Marek Mokoš. The role of Mařenka is rendered by the renowned soprano, Jana Šrejma Kačírková, as guest, alternating with our in-house soloist Kateřina Špilauer Hájovská.
In the Czech original with English subtitles.
