Événement diffusé en streaming et à la demande: ŠárkaNouvelle production

Who has the right to rule? Does it belong to men or women? In mythical Bohemia, Princess Libuše ruled together with Přemysl, but after her death, women are ignominiously banished from the council, and the right to rule is claimed exclusively by men. The women of Bohemia, led by Vlasta, do not intend to put up with this and decide to claim their rights by force. They set a trap for the men and their leader Ctirad. Could love trouble a well-laid plan…?

There are two versions of Janáček’s first opera, Šárka: from 1887-1888, when the composer finished the work only in a piano score, and a revised and fully orchestrated version of 1925. Although Janáček set it aside for many years, the story of the dramatic clash between men and women, and its tragic twist, give hints of Janáček’s future distinct operatic language. There are full-blown choruses - a particularly attractive one for the women at the beginning of Act Il - and ensembles. The music really catches fire in the central Act Il duet for Sárka and Ctirad, where Janáček seems to have identified with the characters and their erotic involvement. It is this piano version which opens the 2026 Janáček Festival Brno staged by Jiří Heřman specifically for the Besední dům (or meeting house) which is Brno’s concert hall. The piano part is performed by British pianist Julius Drake, with tenor Nicky Spence as Ctirad and soprano Eliška Gattringerová in the title role.