The Cunning Little Vixen

About

National Theatre Chorus
National Theatre Orchestra
National Theatre Opera Ballet 
Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir

In The Cunning Little Vixen, Leoš Janáček, almost 70 years of age at the time, gave vent to his love for ever-regenerating Nature, of which human and animal individuals alike are merely temporary, yet wonderful and precious, parts. The opera teems with playfulness, humour, wildness, love, sorrow, wisdom – simply full-blooded life. Janáček found the original subject for the piece in Rudolf Těsnohlídek’s newspaper serial story, inspired by Stanislav Lolek’s caricature drawings. Putting foxes, a gnat, a frog, hens and other animals on the opera stage was unprecedented and highly audacious at the time – yet in retrospect not so surprising given that Janáček was an artist for ever provoking and experimenting ...

Today The Cunning Little Vixen ranks among the most feted and most frequently staged Czech operas worldwide. With its story being by turn merry and sad, it is a title possessing significant potential to captivate the audience, and owing to its wit, profound ideas and emotionality, the work speaks to adults, while children are enchanted by its picturesque nature and exquisite scenery. In his production, the stage director Ondřej Havelka airily and poetically depicts the comical animal world and the world of peculiar people, yet he also delves under the surface of sheer scenic beauty, revealing that the relations between the characters of Janáček’s opera are far from being as idyllic as they may seem.

The production’s main media partner is Czech Television.

Photo: Hana Smejkalová