Antonín Dvořák Rusalka

Rusalka (pronounced ruˈsalka ( listen)), Op. 114, is an opera ( lyric fairy tale ) by Antonín Dvořák. The Czech libretto was written by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil1 (18681950) based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. Rusalka is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera A Rusalka is a water sprite from Slavic mythology, usually inhabiting a lake or river. Dvořák had played viola for many years in pit orchestras in Prague (Estates Theatre from 1857 until 1859 while a student, then from 1862 until 1871 at the Provisional Theatre). He thus had direct experience of a wide range of operas by Mozart, Weber, Rossini, Lortzing, Verdi, Wagner and Smetana. Rusalka was the ninth opera Dvořák For many years unfamiliarity with Dvořák s operas outside Czechoslovakia helped reinforce a perception that composition of operas was a marginal activity, and that despite the beauty of its melodies and orchestral timbres