Rusalka (opera)
- Three elves or wood spirits ( 2 sopranos and alto)
- Vodník - The Aquarius ( bass)
- Rusalka ( lyric soprano )
- Ježibaba - The Witch (mezzo- soprano)
- The Hunter (baritone )
- The Prince (tenor )
- The forester (Tenor)
- The kitchen boy (soprano )
- The Foreign Princess (soprano )
Rusalka is the most successful opera by Antonín Dvořák. It was formed in 1900 to a libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil and was premiered on 31 March 1901 at the Prague National Theatre under the direction of Karel Kovařovic.
Formation
The libretto goes back to Slavic folk myths about the Rusalki ( water spirits, mermaids ), and resembles the German tale Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid, as well as the Old French Melusinensage. The opera, subtitled Lyric fairy-tale is also referred to as " Czech Undine ".
Action
Act I
Dance on a meadow at forest lake and sing three elves in a beautiful moonlit night. Drifting also attracts the Aquarius from the depths of the lake. The elves tease the old Aquarius and he tried in vain to pull one of them into the water. Only the mermaid Rusalka 's sad: She admits the Aquarius that she wants to get a human soul, which is not given the water nature, for she loves a prince, who often comes to the lake and bathed there. Because of him, she wants to become human and get a soul to win her lover for himself. The Aquarius warns the lovers against the world of men, but in vain. Moved by compassion, he finally tells her to turn to the witch Ježibaba before he dives back to the bottom of the lake. Rusalka's deep longing for love comes in the Song to the Moon expressed. The lake is colder than the moon disappears, and the witch appears. Rusalka asks them to transform into a human. The witch met Rusalka's desperate spawned desire and makes her fish tail, two legs, but requires that they remain silent to humans. Should she the love of the Prince can not get that she must return to the water realm, while giving her lover 's death. She predicts that Rusalka will return. This, however, can not be deterred from their plan because she is convinced that her love overcomes all evil spells. On the hunt for a white deer the prince has strayed from the path and finds himself on the shore of the lake again, see Rusalka, which has been transformed into a girl of marvelous beauty, courting her and takes her finally as a bride to his castle.
Second Act
In the castle, where the wedding guests have gathered, one encounters the silent and peculiar bride with suspicion. The people is nice, but strange mute girl scary. You know that the prince, confused by Rusalka's inexplicable silence turns to a foreign princess. His love for Rusalka begins to grow cold because Rusalka is not created as water beings for love and therefore can not respond in the desired manner the feelings of the prince. When her lover welcomes the princess, he envisions the company as his bride, Rusalka recognize the infidelities of the Prince and it breaks her heart. The Aquarius consoles Rusalka, which gets its voice again and lamenting her sad fate, for she longs to return to their underwater world. When the prince with the princess appears, Rusalka tried earnestly to regain it for himself, but in vain. The Aquarius announced the mischief and pulls Rusalka away with it. The prince is shocked by his discovery that his original love interest is not a human being. The Foreign Princess laughs uproariously at her triumph, because their love was only flirtation and seduction without background. The prince now left alone, because even the haughty princess leaves him.
Act Three
Rusalka laments her fate, for she can not be more water creature after his enchantment. She is also excluded from the circle of her sisters and must henceforth wander about as deadly Irrlicht. Therefore, the witch tells her to kill the prince, to save themselves, but the mermaid rejects this because she loves the prince still. A forester and a kitchen boy come before at the Witch Ježibaba and ask for an antidote for her bewitched and grieving of a mute woman Prince. After the Aquarius chased hunters and kitchen boy, he tells the elves of Rusalka's fate. The prince himself appears remorseful again on the shores of the lake, driven by longing for Rusalka, asking her for forgiveness. This comes as a wisp and accuses the prince of betrayal on. Rusalka, who still loves him, warns him that her kiss will kill him, but the prince consumed so much for her, and blessed is he to see his beloved, kisses her and dies in her arms. Rusalka is not thereby redeemed and must bring the people as Irrlicht eternal perdition.
Reception
Rusalka is Bedřich Smetana next to " The Bartered Bride " the most famous Czech opera. The opera " Rusalka " takes in the development of the Czech dramatic music a prominent place. It was premiered on 31 March 1901 in Prague at the National Theatre and is now on all Czech opera stages a staple of the operatic repertoire, as well as in other Slavic countries (Yugoslavia, Poland, Russia). Also in Germany, Belgium, England and America enjoys the opera increasing interest.
Performances of the opera find in Germany since been held predominantly in the Czech original language.