With “ Rusalka ”, one of the best-loved and most frequently performed works in the Czech operatic repertoire, Dvorak reached an exceptional level of lyrical depth and dramatic effectiveness. The opera portrays the fairy tale-like drama around the unhappy love of the nymph Rusalka for a human.<br>
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So that she can love and be loved, she has to renounce her watery kingdom. Through the magical powers of a witch she is transformed into a human, at the price of losing her speech.<br>
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The Prince soon grows tired of her silent, cold beauty, and his heart turns towards a foreign princess. The despairing Rusalka wants to return to her watery kingdom. The disappointed Prince once more feels attracted to Rusalka’s magic. He returns to her by the forest lake. Rusalka’s deathly kiss brings him the release he longs for.<br>
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The vocal score by Karel Solc, based on the Complete Edition, is published for the first time with a German singing translation of the text by Eberhard Schmidt.<br>