Rusalkathe masterpiece of Antonín Dvorak in the preparation of Emma Dante presented at La Scala in Milan 120 years after her debut, Rai 5 arrives tonight. With this work, the Sicilian director returned to the stage of the Milanese theater in 14 years after his productions of the Carmen.
Slavic mythology, to the story Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, up to the fairy tale There Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen.
On the podium the director of Welsh National Opera Tomás Hanus, specialist of this repertoire, for the first time on the stage of the Milanese theatre. The protagonist is Olga Bezsmertna. The scenes are from Carmine Maringolathe costumes of Vanessa Sanninothe choreography of Sandro Mari. The booklet, signed by Jaroslav Kvapil, is inspired by tradition
Rusalka: a romantic story that moves
Rusalka is a romantic opera in three acts, performed at La Scala from 6 to 22 June this year. «It’s an extraordinary love story set to extraordinary music that makes you cry», said director Emma Dante during an interview. «Rusalka is an aquatic creature, a water spiritof the seas, of the lakes, half woman and half monster. From the waist down it has tentacles and cannot walk». More than Disney’s Ariel, she is an octopus, or rather a jellyfish, who on stage is pushed by a servant in a golden vehicle that resembles a wheelchair for the disabled.
There half a nymph falls madly in love with a prince and she is willing to give up her voice to have two legs in exchange and become a complete woman. A sea witch accepts her: she prepares a potion for her, she takes her voice and in exchange gives her two legs.
Pink dominates in the costumes of the opera staged by Emma Dante. (credit: Brescia and Amisano)
Rusalka thus fulfills her dream of love. But unfortunately she is betrayed by the prince and abandoned. Thus the spell is broken and the woman returns to being a hybrid condemned to loneliness. Until the prince returns to her repentant, she kisses him and he dies in her arms. Here the explodes I sing to the moona great soprano classic.
A scene from the opera Rusalka, staged by Emma Dante (credit: Brescia and Amisano)
An exciting work to see
The nymph Rusalka, imprisoned by its tentacles, is a kind of “Mermaid” which talks about the theme of disability and the prejudice that sometimes surrounds this condition even in loved ones. But, as he points out Emma Dante, the nymph «is not a victim. Just as the Prince is not a victimfor whom we ultimately pity, and as no human being does.”
There is one in the work fairytale dimension, with the color pink dominating the scene. The costumes and figures seem to have come out of an “other”, fantastic world. In the installation Emma Dante was inspired by pop American surrealismin particular to the female figures of Ray Caesar.
The opera is an extraordinary spectacle, a riot of colour, an emotional story and splendid music. And the television version broadcast by Rai Cultura on Rai 5 is also worth seeing, to discover perhaps for the first time the score of Antonin Dvorak.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED