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''Rusalka'' (), Op. 114, is an opera ('lyric fairy tale') by Antonín Dvořák. The Czech libretto was written by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil (1868–1950) based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. ''Rusalka'' is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera houses.〔 A Rusalka is a water sprite from Slavic mythology, usually inhabiting a lake or river. Dvořák had played viola for many years in pit orchestras in Prague (Estates Theatre from 1857 until 1859 while a student, then from 1862 until 1871 at the Provisional Theatre). He thus had direct experience of a wide range of operas by Mozart, Weber, Rossini, Lortzing, Verdi, Wagner and Smetana. ''Rusalka'' was the ninth opera Dvořák composed.〔 For many years unfamiliarity with Dvořák's operas outside Czechoslovakia helped reinforce a perception that composition of operas was a marginal activity, and that despite the beauty of its melodies and orchestral timbres ''Rusalka'' was not a central part of his output or of international lyric theatre. In recent years it has been performed more regularly by major opera companies.〔 In the five seasons from 2008 to 2013 it was performed by opera companies worldwide far more than all of Dvořák's other operas combined.〔( In the five seasons from 2008/09 through 2012/13, ''Rusalka'' had 124 productions (performance runs), ''The Devil and Kate'' 7, ''Jakobin'' 5, ''Armida'' 2, and ''The Spectre's Bride'', one, totaling 15 for the other operas combined. ''Vanda'' had a performance run March through May 2014 ). On operabase.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014〕 The most popular excerpt from ''Rusalka'' is the "Song to the Moon" ("") from act 1 which is often performed in concert and recorded separately. It has also been arranged for violin and used on film sound tracks. ==Composition history== Kvapil's libretto, based on Erben's and Božena Němcová's work, was written before he had any contact with the composer. The plot contains elements which also appear in ''The Little Mermaid'' by Hans Christian Andersen and in ''Undine'' by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué,〔 and has been described as a "sad, modern fairy tale", in a similar vein to his previous play, ''Princessa Pampeliška''.〔Lemariová M.: "''Rusalka'' – its dramatic conception and philosophy" (summary). In: ''Antonín Dvořák Dramatik / Antonín Dvořák the Dramatist'', ed Jitka Brabcová and Jarmil Burghauser. Theatre Institute, Prague, 1994.〕 The libretto was completed by 1899, when Kvapil began looking for composers interested in setting his text. His composer friends were engaged with other works, but mentioned that Dvořák was looking for a project. The composer, always interested in Erben's stories, read the libretto and composed his opera quite rapidly, with the first draft begun on 22 April 1900 and completed by the end of November.〔 Coming after his four symphonic poems inspired by the folk-ballads of Erben of 1896–97, ''Rusalka'' may be viewed as the culmination of Dvořák's exploration of a "wide variety of drama-creating musical techniques".〔Loppert M. Catching up with Rusalka. Essay in programme book, Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2009, p86.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rusalka (opera)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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