The Devil’s Wall

Who wouldn’t long for true love… the ageing Mr Vok of Rožmberk is no exception, but he hasn’t managed to find it yet. His knight Jarek has his lovely Katuška, but he has sworn not to marry until he has found a bride for his master as well. The hermit Beneš, on the other hand, is so keen for Mr Vok to bequeath his fortune to the church that he would even succumb to the temptation of Rarach himself… because even the best intentions can lead us to have to choose between good and evil!

Bedřich Smetana was originally thinking of writing a comic opera with librettist Eliška Krásnohorská. Ultimately, during the composition of his last completed opera, the composer found moments in the romantic text inspired by an old legend about a wall of stones built by the devil on the river by the monastery in Vyšší Brod that gave the whole story a different tone. Smetana’s isolation in Jabkenice and his dismal state of health and depression were reflected in the individual characters, and the comedy was replaced by the depth of their feelings. The humour did not disappear entirely, however, though it is wedded to the desire for love, wisdom in life, melancholy and devilish temptation, so that the principal tone was a celebration of love, loyalty and self-sacrifice. Musically, Bedřich Smetana was ahead of his time in The Devil’s Wall, and although the opera had its premiere in 1882, its style clearly points towards the twentieth century. Its libretto, moving between reality and fantasy, makes staging the piece a considerable challenge, and we see it rarely on the stage, which makes it all the more wonderful to bring it back to the boards of the Janáček Theatre after almost fifty years with its new chief conductor Robert Kružík and a stellar cast including Kateřina Kněžíková, Romana Kružíková, Jiří Brückler, Roman Hoza and Jan Šťáva.

 

Bedřich Smetana
Conductor: Robert Kružík
Stage Director: Jiří Heřman
Set Design: Dragan Stojčevski
Costume Design: Zuzana Štefunková-Rusínová
Lighting Design: Jiří Heřman
Choreography: Marek Svobodník

Duration: 3h, 2 intermission
Staged in the Italian original with Czech, English and German titles.

  • "The Brno production of The Devil's Wall has excellent pacing, a meticulously designed and visually striking set, entertaining choreography, and superb costumes. All of this is crowned by fantastic vocal, acting, and instrumental performances." mestohudby.cz, Lukáš Pavlica

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  • "When all musical benchmarks already appear to have been established, Kateřina Kněžíková also rises from the tomb in the role of Hedvika, making herself the star of the evening with her bright, simultaneously slender and robust soprano and a phenomenal upper range." Opern News, Stephan Burianek

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  • "Jan Šťáva’s Rarach gained a demonic dimension not only through his sonorous bass but also through the conception of the character, singing as a skeleton floating above the stage." Klasikaplus.cz, Karla Hoffmanová

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  • "The entire performance was conducted by Robert Kružík, under whose baton the Janáček Opera Orchestra gave a superb performance, sounding both balanced and colorful. Indeed, it was the conductor who received the loudest ovations at the conclusion of both premieres!" klasikaplus.cz, Karla Hoffmanová

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  • "Heřman’s production is a magnificent spectacle in the style of French grand opéra." operaplus.cz, Mirka Zemanová

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