(Photo: Marek Olbrzymek) During a walk in the forests outside Brno, Rudolf Těsnohlidek and his friends came across an abandoned baby that was left to freeze under a tree. The unmarried mother was eventually found and claimed she was hoping that the child would be discovered and given a better life. Unfortunately, such incidents were not uncommon in the early {…}
(Photo: Národní divadlo Brno) Fairytales often speak directly to our unconscious, revealing drives and truths that are not always apparent to our conscious selves. It is therefore not surprising that many tales are replicated across countries and cultures, even if the characters and details vary. The Slavic fable of Rusalka, for example, has counterparts with the French Melusine, Germanic Nixie {…}
(Photo: Marek Olbryzmek) Richard Strauss’ “Salome” is one of those operas that lives or dies through the performance of one singer. In this case, it is the soprano cast in the title role. If she cannot hold the audience’s attention, either because she is unable to bring the necessary energy and expressivity to her singing or because she does {…}
