Most people know Antonín Dvorák for his New World symphony, but he was also a prolific composer of operas, and while most have never achieved popularity outside the composer's native Czechoslovakia, Rusalka is an exception, as this 2002 production from Paris ably demonstrates. It's a fairytale piece, a retelling of the Undine story about a water spirit who yearns to become human for the love of a handsome prince (shades of The Little Mermaid!). But the witch who grants her wish adds conditions: as a mortal she will be unable to speak, and if the prince is ever unfaithful to her, she will die. An opera in which the title character is mute for a good part of the evening might not seem like a particularly wise idea, but Dvorak easily sidesteps the difficulty by giving Rusalka a meltingly beautiful showstopper, an aria to the moon prior to her transformation, in Act One, while offering plenty of his distinctively rich, melodic music throughout. In this performance, moreover, one can revel in the ravishing singing of Renee Fleming (she's made Rusalka a signature role), who is accompanied by a uniformly strong supporting cast, as well as sensitive, idiomatic conducting by James Conlon. The weakness lies in the physical production, which puts the characters into modern clothes and employs sets that are almost sterile in their simplicity and fail to convey the tale's magical ambience. Still, the musical side of things is sufficiently strong: boasting splendid sound--with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.0, and stereo options--this extra-less title (unnecessarily spread over two discs) is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Rusalka
(2002) 2 discs. 155 min. In Czech w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99. TDK (dist. by Naxos of America). Color cover. Volume 19, Issue 4
Rusalka
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