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Opera

The Secret

Bedřich Smetana

Premiere performances: 24 and 26 May 2024 at the National Theatre

The National Theatre
The Year of Czech music
English surtitles

Choose date

  • May 2025
  • June 2025
    May 2025

    Thursday 15. 5.
    19:00

    Currently subscription sale only More about subscription

    The Year of Czech music
    English surtitles

    Sunday 18. 5.
    17:00

    Currently subscription sale only More about subscription

    The Year of Czech music
    English surtitles

    Wednesday 28. 5.
    19:00

    Currently subscription sale only More about subscription

    The Year of Czech music
    English surtitles
    June 2025

    Thursday 26. 6.
    19:00

    Booking not started yet

    The Year of Czech music
    English surtitles

    Basic information

    Venue

    The National Theatre

    Approximate running time

    2 hours 30 minutes, 1 intermission (20 minutes) minutes

    Language

    In Czech, surtitles in Czech, English

    Premiere

    May 24, 2024

    The production is part of the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s birth.

    Cast

    • 2024-2025

    Creatives

    Stage director
    Ondřej Havelka
    Set designs
    Martin Černý
    Costume design
    Barbora Maleninská
    Choreography
    Jana Hanušová
    Chorus master
    Lukáš Kozubík
    Dramaturgy
    Beno Blachut

    About

    National Theatre Chorus
    National Theatre Orchestra
    National Theatre Opera Ballet

    The Secret is Bedřich Smetana’s seventh, and penultimate, opera. It is also the second fruit of the composer’s collaboration with the librettist Eliška Krásnohorská. Completed in May1878, the piece received its premiere the on 18 September at the New Czech Theatre in Prague. The National Theatre first staged the opera on 12 May 1885, on the first anniversary of Smetana’s death. Yet it only attained wide popularity after the post of the opera company’s director had been assumed by the conductor Karel Kovařovic, who was fully aware of the qualities of the mature Smetana work. Krásnohorská furnished Smetana with an exquisite libretto, whose themes may bring to mind William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet or the Czech author Ladislav Stroupežnický’s play Our Uppish and Defiant Fellows, dating from a later time. The story, set in a small Czech town, focuses on a feud between the families of the councillors Malina and Kalina, who for years have jostled for social superiority. Kalina strives to prove that he is not as poor as he was two decades ago, when Malina thwarted him when he wanted to marry his sister Róza. Despite the hostility between their fathers, Malina’s daughter Blaženka and Kalina’s son Vít love each other. All disputes are ultimately settled after the discovery of an old note by Friar Barnabáš, which leads Kalina to a treasure. But are piles of gold the most precious thing to be found? Smetana’s The Secret has been adapted by Ondřej Havelka, a stage director possessing an acute sense for music theatre and humour, noted for his visually captivating storytelling. The production will be conducted by Robert Jindra, the music director of the National Theatre Opera.

    The production is part of the celebrations of the Year of Czech Music 2024.

    The production has been financially supported by the National Theatre Benefactors’ Club.

    Synopsis

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      Poster The Secret

      A poster for the production of The Secret

      249 Kč

      Only 2 items in stock

      Practical information

      Where to buy tickets

      The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. We are currently selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika taking place in October 2024 – March 2025.


      When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.

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