FlammenNew production

The world premiere of Erwin Schulhoff’s Flammen (Flames) to the newly reconstructed Czech libretto, within the Musica non grata project. An unorthodox treatment of the Don Juan legend, combining elements of Surrealism, Dada and references to jazz music, as directed by Calixto Bieito, the holder numerous prestigious international accolades.

The Shades sing about Don Juan’s passion and La Morte’s lust for him… To the sound of solo flute, Juan enters an abandoned house so as to seduce yet another woman. Groans of ecstasy are heard … Thus begins the story of Erwin Schulhoff’s Flammen (Flames), replete with phantoms and featuring music coming across as though from distant cosmic spheres, blending opera, mime and symphonic poem. The surrealistic work elegantly imbued with jazz elements will be staged at the State Opera in Prague for the very first time in its illustrious history, to the Czech libretto, reconstructed from period sources in collaboration with Schott Music. The new production of the opera, depicting the legend of the libertine Don Juan in a singular way, has been undertaken by the Catalan theatre director Calixto Bieito, the holder of Pro Europa’s Culture Award, known for his radical interpretations of classic operas. The score has been explored by the Czech conductor Jiří Rožeň. The production of Flammen will receive five performances at the State Opera in Prague with a representative international cast of singers. In Czech language with German and English subtitles.