THE CHARLATAN

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Pavel Haas

Premiere Oct 10, 2024, 6.30 PM - Antonín Dvořák Theatre

Opera in seven scenes from 1937

Informace

Libretto by Pavel Haas after the historical novel by Josef Winckler (1881 – 1966) Dr. Eisenbart from 1928

Music director Jakub Klecker
Stage director Ondřej Havelka

Alongside the Smetana Opera Cycle Ostrava 2024, the NMST’s dramaturgic series Terezín Opera Cycle represents the second major contribution of the NMST to the Year of Czech Music 2024. Its aim is to bring to the stage works by composers who were an important part of our cultural history, but whose human and artistic voices were violently silenced by the Nazi regime. Following the operas of Hans Krása and Viktor Ullmann, the third composer to complement the trio is Pavel Haas, a native from Brno and a composer.

The elder brother of the famous actor Hugo Haas and one of the most promising students of Leoš Janáček, he composed his Charlatan between 1934 and 1937. Pavel wrote the Charlatan in 1934–37. It is the composer’s only completed opera and an indisputable testament to his musical and dramatic talent.

Haas drew inspiration for the story of his libretto from a novel by the German writer Joseph Winckler, which recounts the adventures of a real historical figure, the German itinerant doctor Johann Andreas Eisenbarth. However, as a Jew, he had to conceal his inspiration from the German author. We can therefore read in the original that it was inspired by the Czech drama The Ointment Seller from the 14th century. The name of the main character of the libretto, Doctor Pustrpalk, comes from this old drama as well.

The storyline follows the life of a travelling quack surgeon during the 17th and 18th century. Feel his emotions in the middle of a town market, experience the mixture of quackery, trickery, and real healing, the great successes and bitter falls, the humour and joy of the people juxtaposed with loneliness. Grotesque and tragedy, all alternating in constant stage action before your eyes.

Premieres on 10 and 12 October 2024 at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre
Performed in the Czech original with Czech and English subtitles.

Synopsis

The production is staged in coproduction with the National Theatre and forms a part of the project Musica non grata. Supported by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague.

The project is implemented with the financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

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Next show dates

Apr 2, 2025

6.30 PM

Antonín Dvořák Theatre

Apr 11, 2025

6.30 PM

Antonín Dvořák Theatre

All show dates

Národní divadlo moravskoslezské

Production team

Music director

Jakub Klecker

Stage director

Ondřej Havelka

Conductor

Jiří Habart
Jakub Klecker

Set designer

Jakub Kopecký

Costume designer

Kateřina Štefková

Chorus master

Jurij Galatenko

Dramaturg

Juraj Bajús

Cast - Season:

Conductor

Jakub Klecker
Jiří Habart

Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor

Miloš Horák
Pavol Kubáň

Rosina, his wife

Ivana Ambrúsová
Eva Dřízgová-Jirušová

Bachelor

Václav Čížek
Josef Moravec

Sourmilk, the cook

Peter Malý
Vít Šantora

Cobweb

Josef Kovačič
Josef Škarka

Pickled herring

Martin Javorský
Vincenc Ignác Novotný

Fire-eater

Rudolf Medňanský
Juraj Nociar

Strongman

Michael Kubečka
Erik Ondruš

Snake charmer

Petr Urbánek
Roman Vlkovič

First servant / First student

Jiří Siuda
Jonáš Slovák

Second servant / Jochimus' servant

Ihor Maryshkin
Tomasz Suchanek

Second student

Eduard Kácal
Tomáš Krpec

Third student

Ihor Maryshkin
Tomasz Suchanek

Amaranta

Soňa Godarská
Kateřina Hebelková

Jochimus, monk

Marek Gurbaľ
Martin Gurbaľ

Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver

Václav Morys
Marek Žihla

King

Robin Červinek
Pavel Divín

Parkour

Ondřej Friedrich
Adam Holub
Ondřej Matuszynski

Dancers

Adina Mlčáková
Petra Sejkorová
Julie Svitičová
Petr Hýl
Stephen McIntosh

Dates

[ Past performances ] [ Hide - past performances ]

Date	Time	Stage	Type	Detail
Oct 8, 2024		Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Veřejná generální zkouška	show detail
Oct 10, 2024	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Premiere	show detail
Oct 12, 2024	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	2nd premiere	show detail
Oct 16, 2024	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Oct 23, 2024	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Oct 31, 2024	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Nov 8, 2024	7.00 PM	MDB	Repetition	show detail
Jan 24, 2025	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Jan 28, 2025	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Feb 4, 2025	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Apr 2, 2025	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Repetition	show detail
Apr 11, 2025	6.30 PM	Antonín Dvořák Theatre	Derniere	show detail

Gallery

Josef Škarka (Cobweb), Petr Urbánek (Snake charmer), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Marek Žihla (Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver), Peter Malý (Sourmilk, the cook)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Marek Žihla (Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver), Peter Malý (Sourmilk, the cook), Rudolf Medňanský (Fire-eater), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Václav Čížek (Bachelor)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Kateřina Hebelková (Amaranta)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Eva Dřízgová-Jirušová (Rosina, his wife), Kateřina Hebelková (Amaranta), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Vincenc Ignác Novotný (Pickled herring), Peter Malý (Sourmilk, the cook), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Josef Škarka (Cobweb)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Vincenc Ignác Novotný (Pickled herring), Michael Kubečka (Strongman)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Václav Čížek (Bachelor), Petr Urbánek (Snake charmer), Peter Malý (Sourmilk, the cook), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Michael Kubečka (Strongman), Vincenc Ignác Novotný (Pickled herring), Rudolf Medňanský (Fire-eater), Josef Škarka (Cobweb)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Marek Žihla (Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Václav Čížek (Bachelor), Kateřina Hebelková (Amaranta)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Marek Žihla (Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Kateřina Hebelková (Amaranta), Václav Čížek (Bachelor), Pavel Divín (King), Marek Žihla (Inkeeper / Shabby, the Quacksalver), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Václav Čížek (Bachelor)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Tomasz Suchanek (Second servant / Jochimus' servant), Eduard Kácal (Second student), Jonáš Slovák (First servant / First student), Josef Škarka (Cobweb), Pavol Kubáň (Doctor Pustrpalk, travelling doctor), Peter Malý (Sourmilk, the cook)
Photo by: Martin Popelář

Rehearsal gallery