Alcina

The powerful sorceress Alcina has created a magnificent palace in the beautiful countryside of an island, where she lures lovers into her web of power. One of them is the Christian knight Ruggiero, who succumbs to her spells and forgets about his fiancée Bradamante. Bradamante, however, does not want to give him up and sets out in disguise to save him. The most charming aspect of Händel’s work is the music and Alcina contains some of the most beautiful pieces ever written for the human voice. Only a few authors have managed to use such exceptional melodic invention in their works, to express such dramatic feeling and, above all, a deep understanding of the hidden depths of the human soul. After his successful staging of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Václav Luks returns to the Brno Opera, this time with the entire Collegium 1704 orchestra, a leading ensemble specialising in the historically informed interpretation of musical works. Spectators can look forward to great vocal performances and music performed with Baroque instruments. French theatres in Caen and Versailles have joined Collegium 1704 as partners in the production.

About the company

​​Janacek Opera of the National Theatre Brno is one of the leading opera houses in Central Europe, with a tradition that dates back to the 1880s and the advent of Czech theatre in Brno. Throughout its existence, the opera ensemble has introduced numerous significant productions, including world or Czechoslovak premieres (by, among others, L. Janáček, A. Berg, B. Martinů and D. Shostakovich). Janacek Opera also cooperates with distinguished theatres abroad (Jenůfa by L. Janáček in co-production with the State Opera Vienna in 2004, Greek Passion by B. Martinů with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 2005, The Makropulos Case by L. Janáček, Bluebeard’s Castle/ Expectation and Three Fragments from Juliette/Human Voice with Göteborg Operan, Händel’s Alcina in co-production with Théâtre de Caen a Royal Opéra – Château de Versailles Spectacles), directors and conductors (David Pountney, Sir Charles Mackerras, Robert Carsen, Pamela Howard, David Radok, Tomáš Hanus, Jakub Hrůša), as well as outstanding artists (Peter Straka, Anja Silja, Štefan Margita, Aleš Briscein, Magnus Vigilius, Maida Hundeling, Eva Urbanova, Katarina Karnéus, Annalena Persson, Csilla Boross, Dalibor Jenis, Joachim Bäckström and many others). A wide repertoire of 18th and 19th-century opera literature is offered to the audience (i.e. Aida, La Traviata, La Gioconda, Le comte Ory, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Tosca, Rusalka, The Bartered Bride, Kate and the Devil, Faust, Nabucco, Alcina, Otello), along with the production of the 20th-century works (i.e. The Miracles of Mary, Jenůfa, Katya Kabanova, The Excursion of Mr. Brouček to the Moon, The Marriage, La Dafne, Powder Her Face, L’amour de loin, Epic of Gilgamesh, From the House of the Dead/Glagolitic Mass, Monument, Greek Passion, The Cunning Little Vixen). Not confined by the borders of the Czech Republic, the opera ensemble’s activities span Europe (i.e. Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Italy), the Middle East (Royal Opera House Muscat) and Asia (regular tours in Japan). With a special focus on Czech music, the 2017 Hong Kong Arts Festival and Shanghai China International Arts Festival welcomed more than 180 musicians and singers from the Janacek Opera of the National Theatre Brno, along with world-class soloists, in an extraordinary musical celebration featuring Janáček’s The Makropulos Case. Janacek Opera of the National Theatre Brno also organises The Janáček Brno international festival.