Šárka
Who has the right to rule? Does it belong to men or women? In mythical Bohemia, Princess Libuše ruled together with Přemysl, but after her death, women are ignominiously banished from the council, and the right to rule is claimed exclusively by men. The women of Bohemia, led by Vlasta, do not intend to put up with this and decide to claim their rights by force. They set a trap for the men and their leader Ctirad. Could love trouble a well-laid plan…?
There are two versions of Janáček’s first opera, Šárka: from 1887-1888, when the composer finished the work only in a piano score, and a revised and fully orchestrated version of 1925. Although Janáček set it aside for many years, the story of the dramatic clash between men and women, and its tragic twist, give hints of Janáček’s future distinct operatic language. There are full-blown choruses - a particularly attractive one for the women at the beginning of Act Il - and ensembles. The music really catches fire in the central Act Il duet for Sárka and Ctirad, where Janáček seems to have identified with the characters and their erotic involvement. It is this piano version which opens the 2026 Janáček Festival Brno staged by Jiří Heřman specifically for the Besední dům (or meeting house) which is Brno’s concert hall. The piano part is performed by British pianist Julius Drake, with tenor Nicky Spence as Ctirad and soprano Eliška Gattringerová in the title role.
Cast
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Šárka
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Eliška Gattringerová
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Ctirad
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Nicky Spence
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Přemysl
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Daniel Kfelíř
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Lumír
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Ondřej Koplík
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Piano
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Julius Drake
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Chorus
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Choir of the Janáček Opera National Theatre Brno
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Music
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Leoš Janáček
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Text
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Leoš Janáček, based on a work by Julius Zeyer
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Conductor
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Dominik Pernica
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Director
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Jiří Heřman
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Sets and costumes
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Dragan Stojčevski
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Lights
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Jiří Heřman
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Dramaturgy
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Patricie Částková
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Choir master
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Martin Buchta
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STORY
The storm of great events is foretold by your brow,
oh Vlasta, and I stand at the grave
and my heart dies of grief,
Lest my people be afflicted by a great disaster
from those clouds looming on your brow.
Princess Libuše and Přemysl ruled together, but after Libuše’s death, men began to leave women out of matters of government. Now everyone is coming together to elect a ruler for future generations under the guidance of Lumír and Přemysl. The result of the election divides them all into two irreconcilable camps. The women demand equality and their rights, but they are driven out by the men.
Spring is coming and one of the warriors must be chosen to guard Libuše’s tomb for the entire year. The election is interrupted by Ctirad, the son of Přemysl’s old companion. He comes to obtain the armour of the hero Trut, whose rightful heir he is. The men’s choice is unanimous. Ctirad is the one who will guard Libuše’s tomb, where Trut’s shield and the flail with great power over enemies are also deposited.
Led by Vlasta, the women have taken refuge at Děvín Castle. Šárka and other female warriors set out for the tomb of Libuše to bring Vlasta the crown and the veil belonging to the true female ruler. In their eyes, this is Vlasta. With Šárka at their head, the women enter the tomb. Before Šárka can take off Libuše’s crown and veil, Ctirad appears with Trut’s armour and the women flee. Šárka and Ctirad are deeply affected by their meeting.
The women continue to fight for their rights and pursue the men. Šárka is torn between her mission and her feelings for Ctirad. She asks Luna, whose priestess she is, for the gods to help her and show her the way. The girls who arrive renew her determination, and Šárka tells them about the trap she is preparing for Ctirad. They are to tie her to an oak tree and leave her there alone. This happens as Šárka wishes. When Ctirad appears, Šárka calls for help and confides in Ctirad that it was Vlasta who has had her tied up and left to die as punishment for failing to bring her Libuše’s crown. She asks him to kill her, but Ctirad refuses. They both struggle with the desire to raise weapons against each other and the love that is growing between them. Ctirad proposes that Šárka follow him, not as a captive, but of her own free will. Šárka yields to her emotions for a moment, but the voices of the returning girls remind her of the mission to which she has dedicated herself. She gives the signal to her companions and Ctirad is captured and killed. The women leave and Šárka remains behind, horrified by the act she has committed.
The men have gathered at Vyšehrad, where Lumír brings the dead Ctirad who has been left by the women dumped in the forest so that his soul may never find peace. The funeral pyre is prepared and at the moment it is about to burst into flames, the gates of Vyšehrad open. An unknown woman arrives carrying Trut’s shield and flail. She admits that she is Šárka, the one who is the cause of Ctirad’s death. She cannot, however, live without him and she steps into the funeral pyre so that they can be together in death. The flames bring peace and unity, at least for her and Ctirad; a reconciliation between the sexes remains an unanswered question…
GALLERY
