The Florentine Straw Hat

The story, set in mid-19th century Paris, pulls the audience into a world of absurd situations, identity swaps and intense humour. We follow Fadinard’s chaotic and adventurous wedding day. His horse eats the straw hat of a foreign woman. Fadinard’s efforts to make up for the damage before it causes a scandal lead to more and more absurd situations – which involve more and more characters. Rota’s music is full of lively, intriguing instrumentation and interesting themes, which bring out the humorous elements and complement the nature of the story. It is a nicely balanced and energetic neo-classic Italian opera buffa with the composer’s excellent touch for comedy. The Florentine Straw Hat is an essential gem of 20th-century comic opera. The music, timeless humour, and uncontainable joy of life all come together in this Czech premiere.

Awards

Martin Šrejma was awarded the Critics’ Award for Extraordinary Interpretation of a Role for his Fadinard in Rota’s Il Capello di Paglia di Firenze (The Florentine Straw Hat) in the production by the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, Ostrava. The prize was awarded by a jury composed of Helena Havlíková, Josef Herman, Radmila Hrdinová, Olga Janáčková and Pavel Unger.

About the company

The NDM (Národní divadlo moravskoslezské, founded in 1919) is the largest and oldest professional theatre in Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region, established by the Statutory City of Ostrava. The theatre is home to four artistic companies – opera, drama, ballet, and musical – that perform regularly on three permanent stages: the Antonín Dvořák Theatre, the Jiří Myron Theatre, and the chamber Theatre 12. Each season, the theatre organises approximately 20 productions and stages nearly 500 performances. Beyond its regular productions, the NDM co-produces the drama festival OST-RA-VAR and the biennial opera festivals New Opera Days Ostrava (NODO) and Ostrava Days.