Posted by admin in Musicals/Performing ArtsJan 6th, 2009 | no responses
Antonin Dvorak's most famous opera has the distinction of the largest attendance of any ever shown in the Czech Republic, and has been performed in distinguished opera houses worldwide since its 1901 premier. Dvorak has assumed his place in the canon of great composers, and with RUSALKA he produced the great Czech national opera. This version, staged for Czech television in 1975, was directed by Bohumil Zoul, with stunning cinematography by Ilja Bojanovsky. Essentially a Bohemian interpretation of the little mermaid fairy tale, legendary soprano Milada Subrtova stars as Rusalka, and Eduard Haken as the water sprite who risks everything for the sake of human love. Many of the roles were filled by top soloists of the National Theater opera company, including alto Marie Ovcacikova singing the witch; Zdenek Chalabala conducts with an eye for the fantastical.
