Americana III – the State Opera: opened January 5, 1888, the State Opera was originally created as a Prague German stage. It only took a few years before the Prague Germans and Czech companies desired separate stages, so in 1883 negotiations began for the German Theater Association to construct their own building. The State Opera became part of the National Theater in 2012 and hosts performances for the Opera and Ballet.
Americana III is a three-part ballet by American choreographers George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and William Forsythe. We went as part of an excursion with our costume studio.
While the entire performance was a ballet, each part focused on a
different style. The first was classical, complete with bouncing
tutus, men in tights, and all the graceful footwork and movements
associated with ballet. The second was edgy and modern, very
different from anything I've seen under the title “ballet.” Each
performer wore a green leotard and tights, thought different cuts and
styles. The stage was dimly lit with a spotlight in the center, so
any performers on the outskirts of the stage were shadows rather than
dancers. The music was less musical and more rhythmic, using
percussive instruments and a few stringed instruments to create an eerie and intense
sound. The dancing, while still maintaining the grace of traditional
ballet, incorporated more rigid and almost robotic movements and
focused on smaller, very precise hand and foot movements rather than
full body motions. The final part took a theatrical approach – when
the curtain pulled back a set was revealed, and the performers came
out in costumes rather than leotards. The comedic story was one of three sailors
attempting to pick up two girls at a bar, fighting with each other
for their affections, showing off their various dance skills, and
eventually losing the girls and resolving their differences over a
final drink. That is, until they exit the bar and meet another attractive
lady, where the curtain closes and leaves the audience to imagine the entire fiasco taking place
once again.
Cosi fan Tutte – the Estates Theater: opened in 1783 and joining the National Theater in 1920, the Estates Theater is the oldest of the five stages. The first of many infrequent Czech performances took place in 1785. In 1812, the theater began hosting regular Sunday and holiday matinees. This venue was used for the world premiers of two operas by Mozart: Don Giovanni in 1787 and La clemenza di Tito in 1791. The Opera, Drama, and Ballet ensembles perform at this venue.
Cosi fan Tutte (“All Women Are The
Same”) is an Italian opera written by Mozart.
Plot: Two men are bet by a friend that
their women are not faithful. They accept the bet, knowing that the
ladies' hearts belong only to them. They tell their girlfriends that
they are being called away to war, and once they have “left,”
adopt disguises and attempt to woo the others' woman. As one might
assume, the ladies reject the advances a few times but eventually
give in. The friend wins his bet and his comrades rage in disbelief
at the unfaithfulness of their girlfriends, debating how to punish
them, until he says that the only logical course of action is to
marry them. In the end, (spoiler alert) they reveal their identities
and get married to their original sweethearts.
Opinion: The story was stupid, but the
performers were incredible, both as singers and as actors. Because
the songs were in Italian, there were translations in English and
Czech projected above the stage, but even without reading the words
of each song it was still possible to understand the plot through the
emotions displayed by the cast. I would gladly see those performers
again, though I would prefer to see them in a different show. Again,
the story was stupid.
Swan Lake – Národní
Divadlo: the National Theater was finished in 1883, fifteen years after the foundation stone was laid in May of 1868. Initial construction was funded by donations collected from the public. The theater opened before completion in June of 1881 in honor of the Austrian prince's visit to Prague. It hosted a total of twelve performances before it was closed to allow for the finishing touches to be made. Two months later, August 12, a fire broke out in the building, destroying the dome, auditorium, and stage. It was reopened in November of 1883 with a performance of Smetana's opera Libuše, composed specially for the occasion. In April of 1977, it was closed for six years while undergoing redevelopment, opening once again in November of 1983 with a performance of Libuše. Now, the building serves as the main stage, hosting performances for the Drama, Opera, and Ballet.
Swan Lake. Oh, Swan Lake. The story,
the dancing, the costumes, the orchestra, the set. Everything was
incredible. I don't know how much I can even say about it because it
was so beyond words. We (Sarah, Will and I) sat in the middle row of
the top balcony and still had a magnificent view. Everything, from
the dramatic solos and duets to the ensemble scenes, was perfection.
I love dancing, I miss dancing, and this ballet made me wish I still
did it regularly. During intermission, we sat in our seats and
absorbed the surroundings – the architecture, the ceiling, the
chandelier – and talked about how incredible the dancers were. They
were truly mind blowing.
We've officially decided that we're
going to attempt to make theater visits a regular thing. The whole
experience is so unlike anything else I've done, and seats are so
affordable (our Swan Lake tickets were each 180 Kc, about $9) that I,
for one, would regret not going as frequently as possible. We have
multiple scheduled opera visits for my opera class, as well as a
group excursion with the Institute, but I will be scouting out
ballets as well. I've made it a goal to see performances at the two
other venues – New Stage and Kolowrat Theater – while I'm here, just so I
can say I've been to all of them. Because why not?
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