Artiste: Prague National Theatre Opera

An ambitious effort to honor hometown hero Otakar Ostrčil sags under its own weight at the Prague National Theatre. 

The director drains the life out of an impassioned opera with a staging devoid of authenticity and ideas.

The challenges of Cherubini’s version of the Greek tragedy prove too much for the National Theatre to overcome.

The Finnish soprano doesn’t like the word evil. Her approach to singing villain roles is to find the humanity in the character – which is always there. 

A festive opera of pomp and pageantry, Smetana’s Libuše forms a central place in the Czech musical and national imagination. Soprano Mária Porubčinová talks about taking on the unique leading role.

Director of the Prague National Theatre and State Opera talks about the challenges of heading up this huge institution – and what is coming in the Year of Czech Music 2024.