Foto: Opera Australia Dvořák's Rusalka at Sydney Opera House
Sydney, Sydney Opera House — Joan Sutherland Theatre
About the Event
Dive into the captivating Sydney Opera House and experience an operatic performance designed to deepen your appreciation for opera at its most exquisite.
Mysterious enchantments stir beneath the surface.
And even deeper enchantments within her soul.
Rusalka yearns for more: for brightness, for affection, for a life beyond her aquatic domain. The mermaid sacrifices all in pursuit of her desires. Yet, she cannot foresee the true cost of her quest, nor whether the soul she yearns for justifies her immense losses.
Australian soprano Nicole Car, known for her rare vocal talent, has dazzled audiences globally for years. Now, witness her breathtaking debut in the role of Rusalka.
Dvořák's lush, Romantic score transports audiences into a surreal realm of light and darkness. His compositions, rich with complex harmony and expansive melodies like the renowned ‘Song to the Moon’, set a scene where mystical allure converges with lurking dangers.
Long before Disney popularized The Little Mermaid, folklore across different cultures spun narratives of water nymphs dreaming of terrestrial lives. Dvořák meshes these tales with Slavic legends of perilous sirens.
Director Sarah Giles, celebrated for her recent triumph with La Traviata, introduces a riveting new take on Dvořák's melodious opera. With hauntingly beautiful costumes by Renée Mulder and an evocative set by Charles Davis, the production casts a spellbinding blend of enchantment and hazard.
The ensemble includes talents such as Austrian‐Australian tenor Gerard Schneider, Warwick Fyfe, Ashlyn Tymms, and Natalie Aroyan, completing an exceptional lineup.
Practical Information
Performed in Czech with English surtitles.
Program
- Antonín Dvořák – Rusalka
Cast / Production
Conductor: Johannes Fritzsch
Director: Sarah Giles
Set Designer: Charles Davis
Costume Designer: Renée Mulder
Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson
Video Designer and Content Creator: David Bergman
Movement Director and Intimacy Coordinator: Dr Lyndall Grant
Rusalka: Nicole Car
The Prince: Gerard Schneider
The Water King: Warwick Fyfe
The Duchess: Natalie Aroyan
Ježibaba: Ashlyn Tymms
First Wood Sprite: Fiona Jopson
Second Wood Sprite: Jennifer Bonner
Third Wood Sprite: Helen Sherman
Gamekeeper: Andrew Moran
Kitchen‐Boy: Sian Sharp
Huntsman: Malcolm Ede
Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House hosts performances from many genres in Sydney, Australia. One of the 20th Century's most famous and distinctive structures, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon as a multiple performance venue. The complex hosts more than 1.2 million people annually with a season of 1,500 performances. Performers include international and local guest artists, and three resident companies: the Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Antonín Dvořák
Antonin Dvorak is considered to be one of the most well-known and prominent Czechs in the world, as his musical work gained international recognition already during his lifetime. He was born in 1841 in a small Czech village into a butcher’s family. At the age of 6, Dvorak started taking violin lessons and it immediately became obvious that the boy had exceptional talent in music. Later in life, he was learning to master piano and organ as well as simultaneously working in a slaughterhouse. After Dvorak turned 16, he was admitted to the Organ School in Prague that trained future professional composers. After graduating, he stayed in Prague, joined Karel Komzak’s orchestra and started actively composing his own music. However, he struggled to make ends meet and always had to work on the side by playing music in churches and giving private music lessons. Finally, 1874 became a turning point in his life when he won a financial grant from an Austrian Prize competition for his 15 submitted works. This allowed him to quit the orchestra and devote himself fully to composing. During this period, he wrote his Slavonic Dances, Moravian Duets and Violin Concerto, which brought him sweeping success. In 1892 he was invited to teach at the New York National Conservatory, where he stayed until 1895 before returning home. He started teaching at the Prague conservatory and later became its director. Until his death in 1904, he had been a successful and well-loved composer, both in his homeland and around the whole world.
Address
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, Australia — Google Maps
