The Year of Czech Music

Act III: Mařenka (Natalya Romaniw) believes that her love, Jeník, has betrayed her by selling the rights to marry her to another person. Left alone to consider her options, she laments the fact that her dream of a long and happy life with him seems to be over. Conducted by Jac van Steen and directed by Paul Curran.

Act II. At the village pub, Jeník (Brenden Gunnell) and Kecal (Joshua Bloom) engage in a bout of jovial arguing on the respective merits of money, love and beer. Conducted by Jac van Steen and directed by Paul Curran.

Act III. A travelling circus has come to town. The circus master (Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts) introduces the star of the show, Esmeralda (Lara Marie Müller), along with the other performers (Daniel Edwards, Joshua Frazer, Ludo Helin, Malik Ibheis, Anesta Mathurin and Jennifer Robinson) as the orchestra accompanies them with a Skočná. Conducted by Jac van Steen and directed by Paul Curran.

Act III. Libuše (Iveta Jiříková) receives a series of visions: Břetislav’s abduction of Jitka, Moravia’s resistance of a Mongol invasion, the expanse of the Bohemian realm and the terrors of the Hussite Wars. In this final vision, the princess prophecies the great and peaceful reign of George of Poděbrady, but then the mists of time conceal the future from her eyes. She knows that many horrors lie ahead but trusts the Czech people to resist them all. 

At a gathering of elders, Chrudoš (František Zahradníček) and Šťáhlav (Jaroslav Březina) accuse each other of falsely claiming each other’s inheritance. Lutobor (Jiří Sulženko) – the brothers’ uncle – and Lutobor (Jiří Sulženko) voice their opinion that such dangerous disagreements can only be settled when the nation is co-led by a man.

Brno Children's Choir sing 'Tak ještě jednou serenádu' ('Once more the serenade') from Dvořák's opera The Jacobin at National Theatre Brno.

Soprano Lucie Kaňková (Terinka) and tenor Aleš Briscein (Jiří) sing the love duet 'On odešel' (He has gone away) from Dvořák's opera The Jacobin at National Theatre Brno.

Bass David Szendiuch sings the count's aria 'Ten úsměv děcka' from Dvořák's opera The Jacobin at National Theatre Brno.

Caught between worlds, neither mermaid nor human woman, Rusalka (Julie Adams) can neither live nor die. She bemoans her fate and in despair wishes for death.

Act I. Rusalka (Pumeza Matshikiza) has fallen in love with a Prince. She asks the moon to tell her love that she is thinking of him. Conducted by Giedrė Šlekytė and directed by Alan Lucien Øyen.

Dutch National Opera presents Rusalka, conducted by Joana Mallwitz and directed by Philipp Stölzl and Philipp M. Krenn. The Prince (Pavel Černoch) sets eyes for the first time on Rusalka, a being from another world, who has been disguised by the spell of the witch Ježibaba. Captivated by a superficial love, the Prince sings to love: Miraculous vision, are you real or a fairytale?

Janáček's opera From the House of the Dead starts with a powerful prelude. Another day begins, more suffering… a punishment for those who are guilty and those who are innocent but ended up here. Murderers, political prisoners, thieves and vagrants all brought together.

Act I. The recruits can be heard approaching singing this conscription song. At their head is Steva, the mill owner, who leads Jenůfa reluctantly in another dance. Conducted by Marko Ivanović and directed by Martin Glaser.

Act III. Village girls sing and dance a wedding song in honour of Jenůfa (Pavla Vykopalová). She and the Mayor (Ladislav Mlejnek) thank them, and Luca (Jaroslav Březina) asks Jenůfa's grandmother (Jitka Zerhauová) to bless their marriage. Just as Jenůfa's stepmother (Szilvia Rálik) is also about to bless them, Jana (Martina Mádlov) runs in with the terrible news that a baby has been found under the ice. Karolka (Tereza Kyzlinková) tells Števa (Tomáš Juhás) that the wedding has surely been ruined. Jenůfa recognises her little boy’s bonnet and the suspicion of murder falls upon her. The villagers call for her to be stoned but Luca vows to kill anyone who harms her. Conducted by Marko Ivanović and directed by Martin Glaser.

Act II. Jenůfa (Pavla Vykopalová) wakes up in an empty house, her baby and stepmother nowhere to be seen. Failing to find them, she worries for her baby's safety and prays to the Virgin Mary to look over him. Conducted by Marko Ivanović and directed by Martin Glaser.

Everything reminds the Forester (Svatopluk Sem) about the day he found the vixen. And then he sees her, the spitting image of her mother! He tries to catch her but is foiled by a tiny green frog (Petr Hrůša), the grandchild of the one at the start of the opera. It is as if life stopped for just a second, and a second lasted a whole lifetime. Such is the everlasting circle of life.

It’s love at first sight for Sharp-Ears the Vixen (Jana Šrejma Kačirková) and Golden-Back the Fox (Václava Krejči Housková). Having shyly got acquainted, Sharp-Ears is still bashful, unconvinced that such a good-looking lad could have fallen for her. But with a bit of charm, a gift of a rabbit and a seemingly sincere declaration of love, Gold-Spur’s wins her over.

Sternenhoch (Sergey Kostov) visits Kuhmist (Tereza Marečková), a witch, who robs the half-mad prince and sends him into delirium. Conducted by Petr Kofroň and directed by Michal Dočekal.

Prince Sternenhoch is asleep, his head resting on a table. In his dreams, he hears the ghost of Helga singing to him. Conducted by Petr Kofroň and directed by Michal Dočekal.