Paying homage to the Bard in Prague

By Frank Kuznik, 23 April 2016

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Reviewed at State Opera (Státní opera), Prague on 21 April 2016

Gounod, Roméo et Juliette

Prague State Opera

Marco Guidarini, Conductor

Sláva Daubnerová, Director

Juraj Kuchárek, Set Designer

Martin Kotúček, Costume Designer

Kateřina Kněžíková, Juliette

Jana Šrejma Kačírková, Juliette

Aleš Briscein, Roméo

Martin Šrejma, Roméo

Jiří Brückler, Mercutio

Igor Loškár, Mercutio

Oleg Korotkov, Frère Laurent

Roman Vocel, Frère Laurent

Štěpánka Pučálková, Stéphano

Michael Skalický, Pâris

Martin Matoušek, Grégorio

Martin Gyimesi, Tybalt

Ivo Hrachovec, Duke of Verona

Prague State Opera Chorus

Prague State Opera Orchestra

Parsifal reconsidered: A provocative improvisation in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 26th March

Timo Riihonen and Ester Pavlů stand out in a strong cast which carries Andreas Homoki's revised version of Wagner's final opera.

****1

Calixto Bieito’s Idomeneo runs out of time in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 28th September

At the Prague State Opera, Calixto Brieito relocates Mozart's opera seria to modern times, with disastrous results.

***11

Reimann's Lear makes for a dark season finale at Prague State Opera

Frank Kuznik, 7th June

Aribert Reimann's Lear takes no prisoners in a disturbing portrayal of a world gone awry, but Barbora Horáková's scattergun direction adds to the confusion.

***11

A politically charged new Manon in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 27th March

Puccini's classic takes on a harsh contemporary edge in a dark treatment by director Sláva Daubnerová at Prague's National Theatre.

****1

A rambunctious Platée revival in Prague

Frank Kuznik, 23rd November

SKUTR's daring direction and Václav Luks's early music expertise combine to bring new vitality to a Baroque classic.

*****

To the apocalypse and beyond: Le Grand Macabre in Prague

David Karlin, 14th June

Nigel Lowery’s new production at Prague State Opera is a gusher of ideas, starting as slapstick but profoundly moving by the end.

****1

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Frank Kuznik

Frank Kuznik is the former Editor-in-Chief and Culture Editor of The Prague Post, Central Europe’s premier English-language weekly newspaper. He currently divides his time between Prague and his hometown in the US, Cleveland, where he covers northeast Ohio's dynamic classical music scene. In Prague he is an habitué of the Rudolfinum, National Theater, State Opera and other storied classical music venues, and an unabashed fan of Czech music.

Roméo et Juliette: Paying homage to the Bard in Prague