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Overview
Synopsis
Considered to be the operatic retelling of The Little Mermaid story, Rusalka is a Czech fairy-tale about a mermaid who longs to be human, so that she can be with the Prince who swims in the lake. When her father Vodn铆k (the water-sprite) cannot help her she turns to Je啪ibaba, the witch. She sings of her love in the beautiful 鈥�M臎s铆膷ku na nebi hlubok茅m鈥� known in English as the Song to the Moon. The witch casts a spell to make Rusalka human, but in return she must give up her beautiful voice and if she cannot make the Prince love her she will return to the water, and he will be cursed. The Prince falls in love with the fragile, silent Rusalka, until a bold and ambitious foreign princess arrives at the castle and he chases her instead. Vodnik rescues Rusalka from the Prince, and puts a curse on him. When he turns to the foreign princess for help she spitefully refuses. Rusalka, longing to return to the water, and to her sister sprites, makes another deal with Je啪ibaba. This time, she must take the Prince鈥檚 life in order to return to her own, but she refuses and throws the dagger she is offered into the lake. In her sorrow she becomes a bludi膷ka; a spirit of death. The sick Prince seeks her out to ask for her forgiveness and, knowing that it will be fatal, asks her for one last kiss.
Returning to some of the darkness and terror of the original Czech folklore, Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 magical score combines the sounds of the watery spirit world with echoes of Czech folk music, and creates a masterpiece that is the most performed, and perhaps most loved, Czech language opera in the canon.
Show Information
- Music
- Antonín Dvořák
- Libretto
- Jaroslav Kvapil
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1901
- Genres
- Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- fairy tale, legendary setting, the princes castle, hunting woods and lake
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Optional
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Rusalka is a through-composed opera without strict scene delineations so there may be some discrepancies between editions. The breakdown here is given as a guideline only.
Prelude
Act One
鈥楬ou, hou, hou, stoj铆 m臎s铆c nad vodou!鈥� / 鈥楬o, ho, ho, the moon is standing over the water!鈥� - Three Wood Nymphs, Vodnik
鈥楬astm谩nku, tat铆膷ku!鈥� / 鈥榁odn铆k, daddy dear!鈥� - Rusalka, Vodnik
鈥楽em 膷asto p艡ich谩z铆鈥� / 鈥楬e often comes here鈥� - Rusalka, Vodnik
鈥楳臎s铆膷ku na nebi hlubok茅m鈥� / 鈥極h moon in the deep sky鈥� (Song to the Moon) - Rusalka
鈥楾a voda stud铆! Je啪ibabo, Je啪ibabo!鈥� / 鈥楾hat water chills me! Je啪ibaba! Je啪ibaba!鈥� - Rusalka, Vodnik, Je啪ibaba
鈥樐寀ry mury fuk, b铆l谩 p谩ra vst谩v谩 z luk!鈥� / 鈥楢bracadabra, white mist is rising from the meadows!鈥� - Je啪ibaba, Rusalka, Vodnik
鈥楯el mlad媒 lovec, jel a jell鈥� / 鈥楢 young hunter rode and rode鈥� - Lovec, Prince,
鈥楿sta艌te v lovu, na hrad vra钮te se.鈥� / 鈥楽top the hunt, return to the castle鈥� - Prince, Lovec, Chorus Naiads, Vodnik
Act Two
鈥楯谩艡ku, klou膷e mil茅, dopov臎z,鈥� / 鈥楧o tell, dear boy, what else?鈥� - Hajn媒, Kucht铆k
鈥楯i啪 t媒den dl铆拧 mi po boku鈥� / 鈥楩or a week already I have you by my side,鈥� Prince, Foreign Princess
鈥楤臎da! B臎da! Uboh谩 Rusalko bled谩,鈥� / 鈥楢las! Alas! Oh poor, pale Rusalka鈥� - Vodnik, Chorus, Rusalka,
鈥楰v臎tiny b铆l茅 po cest臎鈥� / 鈥榃hite flowers along the way鈥� - Chorus
鈥楿boh谩 Rusalko bled谩鈥� / 鈥楶oor pale Rusalka鈥� - Vodnik, Rusalka,
鈥樏� marno, 贸 marno to je鈥� / 鈥極h, it鈥檚 futile, it鈥檚 futile鈥� - Rusalka
鈥榁谩m v o膷铆ch divn媒 啪谩r se zra膷铆鈥� / 鈥業 see a strange glow in your eyes鈥� - Foreign Princess, Prince
Act Three
鈥楴eciteln谩 vodn铆 moci鈥� / 鈥極h insensitive watery power鈥� - Rusalka
鈥楢j aj, u啪 jsi se navr谩tila?鈥� / 鈥榃hat, what? You鈥檙e back already?鈥� - Je啪ibaba, Rusalka
鈥楲idskou krv铆 mus铆拧 sm媒ti鈥� / 鈥榃ell, I do have advice鈥� - Je啪ibaba, Rusalka
鈥楥hci v臎膷n臎 trp臎t v 煤zkostech鈥� / 鈥業 want to suffer eternally in anguish鈥� - Rusalka, Je啪ibaba
鈥榁yrv谩na 啪ivotu v hlubokou samotu鈥� / 鈥楾orn from life into deep solitude鈥� - Rusalka, Water Nymphs
鈥樑絜 se boj铆拧? T艡esky, plesky鈥� / 鈥楽cared, you say? Chatter, babble!鈥� - Hajn媒, Kucht铆k
鈥楰do to hlu膷铆? Kdo to vol谩?鈥� /鈥橶ho鈥檚 making that noise? Who鈥檚 calling?鈥� - Je啪ibaba, Hajny, Kuchtik, Vodnik
鈥楳谩m, zlat茅 vl谩sky m谩m鈥� / 鈥業 have golden tresses, yes I do鈥� - Wood Nymphs, Vodnik,
鈥楤铆l谩 moje lani!鈥� / 鈥楳y white doe!鈥� - Prince
鈥楳il谩膷ku, zn谩拧 mne, zn谩拧? / 鈥楳y love do you recognize me, do you?鈥� - Rusalka, Prince, Vodnik
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.