by usia review
Dvořák’s Rusalka: Slavic Poetry and Tragedy at Teatro São Carlos
The libretto of Rusalka was written by Jaroslav Kvapil (1868–1950), based on Slavic fairy tales collected by Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. A rusalka is a water nymph or sprite from Slavic mythology, and this opera stands as one of the greatest achievements of Czech opera. Antonín Dvořák composed nine operas, but Rusalka is by far his most successful and enduring work.
Dvořák’s deep operatic knowledge was shaped early in his career while playing viola in the pit orchestras of Prague. There, he absorbed the operatic traditions of Mozart, Weber, Rossini, Verdi, Wagner, and Smetana—an experience that profoundly influenced his sense of drama, orchestration, and vocal writing.
Rusalka is rich in lyrical melodies and refined orchestral colors. Despite its musical beauty, the opera only began to be performed regularly in international opera houses in recent decades. The celebrated aria “Song of the Moon” has long enjoyed independent popularity, frequently sung in concert by sopranos worldwide.
Dvořák completed the opera at the end of 1900, and its premiere took place in Prague in March 1901, where it quickly achieved success. It was first performed in Vienna in 1910, but its international dissemination was slow: the UK stage premiere occurred only in 1959 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, followed by the United States in 1975, and finally the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1993.
The story tells of Rusalka, a water nymph who falls in love with a human prince and longs to become human in order to embrace him. After drinking a magical potion, she encounters the prince emerging from the forest, and their tragic love unfolds. The opera lasts approximately three hours and culminates in a deeply moving ending: Rusalka thanks the prince for allowing her to experience human love before returning to the depths of the lake, transformed into a demon of death.
Musicologist Grove observes that Rusalka shows Dvořák at the height of his maturity. The score blends national inflections with an elevated lyrical style, using rich orchestration and melodic invention to create a profoundly disturbing yet majestic drama, at times almost hymnic in its solemnity. The duet between the Prince and Rusalka is often regarded as one of the most glorious moments in all of opera.
At Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Rusalka was performed in the original Czech, with Portuguese soprano Dora Rodrigues in the title role. Her performance was a clear success, marked by a beautiful tone, expressive phrasing, and the natural qualities of a true lyric soprano—an artist who undoubtedly deserves more opportunities on major stages.
The Prince was sung by Peter Wedd, a heldentenor with a strong Wagnerian voice, while the Spirit of the Waters (Vodník) was portrayed by baritone Thomas Johannes Mayer, whose imposing, dark-hued voice approached bass-baritone territory with authority and dramatic weight.
Special mention must be made of Portuguese mezzo-soprano Maria Luísa de Freitas, who delivered a fine performance and accomplished a true tour de force by singing convincingly in the Czech language. The musical direction of Graeme Jenkins provided cohesion, atmosphere, and dramatic continuity throughout the long score.
Congratulations are due to the director and the entire staff of Teatro São Carlos for this high-level production, which honored both the poetic depth and the musical grandeur of Dvořák’s masterpiece.
@TNSC
Thanks to: TNSC