Betrothal in a Dream (Verlobung im Traum)

The plot of the opera based on Dostoevsky’s satiric novella Uncle’s Dream takes place in the Russian provincial town of Mordasov in the mid-19th century. The unexpected arrival of the old senile Prince ripples the still waters of a small-town society and brings an impudent opportunity for Maria Alexandrovna to marry her daughter Zina to him. The increasing awkwardness of following events leads straight toward the final disaster and catharsis. The opera has opened the Terezín Opera Cycle reminding Czechoslovak Jewish composers whose lives and work were violently terminated in Auschwitz in 1944.

Audience: children 12+, adult

About the company

The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre with a seat in Ostrava is the biggest and oldest professional theatre in the Moravian-Silesian Region and the biggest cultural institution established by the Statutory City of Ostrava. It is the only theatre in Moravia with four artistic companies—opera, drama, operetta/musical, and ballet—that regularly perform at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre, Jiří Myron Theatre, and the Theatre “12”. The theatre was established in 1919 and through the widely approached ambitious dramaturgy of all four artistic companies is affected by the intention to address the widest possible audience of all generations and interests.

Hans Krása was born on 30th November 1899 in Prague. Family wealth and a supportive environment granted him an opportunity to develop his musical talent and build his career as a composer. Initially, his career was closely related to the New German Theatre in Prague which also became the premiere stage for his first opera work Betrothal in a Dream in 1933. Later that year, the work was awarded the Czechoslovak State Prize. Due to the rise of Nazism and the tragic end of Krása’s life, opera fell into almost complete oblivion and its score was considered to be lost. The modern premiere of the opera took place after more than 60 years in 1994, but until now it has not become a well-established part of the opera repertoire. Therefore, it is our utmost honour and privilege to bring this exceptional work from an exceptional era of Prague musical history on stage and introduce it to the contemporary audience.