The Mermaid, Op. 114, B. 203 ( Czech. Rusalka ) - opera by Antonin Dvořák on the libretto of the Czech writer Yaroslav Kvapil . Ninth in a row, Mermaid is the most famous opera of Dvorak and the only one often staged outside the Czech Republic. The most famous aria from it is “Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém ...” (“My month, in the far heaven ...”) Mermaids.
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In the Soviet Union, she walked under the name "Great Love" or "Mermaid Love".
Content
- 1 History of creation
- 2 characters
- 3 Story
- 4 Orchestra
- 5 productions
- 5.1 In the USSR and Russia
- 6 References
Creation History
Yaroslav Kvapil wrote a libretto based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromir Erben and Bozhena Nemtsova , even before meeting Dvorak. The story, starting from traditional Slavic myths , echoes the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen and the “ Undine ” by Friedrich de la Mott Fouquet . Having finished work in 1899, Kvapil began to look for a composer. His friends refused, engaged in other works, but reported that Dvorak just needed something suitable. He agreed to write an opera and did it fairly quickly: the first drafts were dated April 22, 1900, and by the end of November it was over. The premiere took place on March 31, 1901 on the stage of the National Theater in Prague .
Actors
| The consignment | Vote | Performer at the premiere, March 31, 1901 (Conductor Karel Kovarzowitz ) |
|---|---|---|
| Mermaid | soprano | Ruzhena Maturová |
| Prince | tenor | Bohumil Pták |
| Water | bass | Václav Kliment |
| Foreign princess | soprano or mezzo-soprano | Maria Kubatova ( Marie Kubátová ) |
| Baba Yaga (Sorceress) | contralto | Ruzhen Vykoukalova-Bradáčová ( Růžena Vykoukalová-Bradáčová ) |
| Princess | contralto | Marta Krásová-Jirák |
| First nymph | soprano | Amalie Bobkova |
| Second nymph | soprano | Ella Tvrdková |
| Third nymph | mezzo soprano | Elena Towarnická ( Helena Towarnická ) |
| Forester | baritone | Adolf Krössing |
| Cook | soprano | Vilemína Hájková |
| Stalker | baritone | František Šír |
Story
Mermaid, the daughter of Vodyany, falls in love with the Prince. Sorceress - Baba Yaga helps her. The mermaid receives the human soul, but becomes dumb. The prince fell in love with her and takes her to the castle. After some time, he is already thinking about the Princess and is going to marry her. The mermaid returns to the swamp and becomes a wandering swamp light. When the Prince, who realized that he had lost true love, searches for the Mermaid on the shore, she tells him that her touch from now on is death. But he does not want to live without her, kisses her and dies.
Orchestra Composition
"Mermaid" is intended for the orchestra, usual for late romanticism.
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Stage
- Premiere - March 31, 1901 , National Theater, Prague (conductor Kovarzhovits, director Robert Polak; Rusalka - Maturova, Prince - Ptak, Foreign Princess - Kubatova, Vodyanaya - Clement, Witch - Bradachova, Povarenok - Gaykova, Forester - Shire).
- Renewals in Prague: 1915 , 1921 , 1936 , etc.
- In other countries: Ljubljana ( 1908 , 1919 , 1940 ), Vienna ( 1910 , in Czech), Zagreb ( 1912 ), Barcelona ( 1924 , in Czech), Stuttgart ( 1929 ), etc.
In the USSR and Russia
- For the first time - in 1954 , the Opera and Ballet Theater. Lysenko, Kharkov (post. Sklyarenko, dir. Ivanov, conductor Balenko, artist Ovcharenko, choirmaster Konopleva; Prince - Borova, Rusalka - Burtseva, Foreign Princess - Sklyar, Povarenok - Zakhovaeva, Vodyanaya - Chervonyuk, Baba Yaga - Slepkova, Lesnichy - Kalyuzhny).
- In 1955, he was shown in Moscow staged by the Prague National Theater (conductor Halabala, director. Hrdliczka, artistic director. Freedom, choirmaster Orzhednik; Rusalka - Shubrtova, Foreign Princess - Podvalova, Prince - Zhydok).
- 1959 - Theater of Opera and Ballet. Kirova (titled “Big Love”; Russian translation by S. Ginzberg, conductor Halabala, post and dir. Lingart, thin. Freedom, costume designer Konechna, choreographer Yuri Grigorovich , choirmaster Mikhailov; Rusalka - Revina, Prince - Matvey Gavrilkin , Princess - Rimma Barinova , Water - Nikolai Krivulya , Sorceress - Nadezhda Mshanskaya ).
- July 15, 2009 - Mariinsky Theater , St. Petersburg .
- October 30, 2009 - Mikhailovsky Theater , St. Petersburg .