Václav Kašlík

Bedrich Smetana: The Moldau / Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite

Bedrich Smetana Edvard Grieg The Moldau • Peer Gynt Suite Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Libor Pesek Bedrich Smetana The Moldau Source of the Moldau Forest Hunt Peasant Wedding Nymph's Dance St. John's Rapids The Moldau flows broadly to Prague Bedrich Smetana The Bartered Bride Overture Why shouldn't we be happy Furiant Dance of the Comedians Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite Solveig's Song "The Abduction" and "Ingrid's Complaint" Morning In the Hall of the Mountain King Aase's Death Arabian Dance Anitra's Dance Peer Gynt's Homecoming

Der Fliegende Holländer

This vivid film of Wagner's romatic opera succeeds in conveying what has famously been called "the wind that blows out at you whenever you open the score", including Daland's boat anchoring against the Sandwike cliffs, the red-sailed phantom ship, and the ghost crew rising from the dead. "Scenes that recall classic horror films... Brilliantly successful" (Nürnberger Nachrichten), "Captures the works' essence" (Süddeutsche Zeitung). With a superb cast; conducted by Wagner authority Wolfgang Sawallisch.

Eine Nacht in Venedig

Eine Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice) is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II. Its libretto was by F. Zell and Richard Genée based on Le Château Trompette by Eugène Cormon and Richard Genée. The farcical, romantic story involves several cases of mistaken identity. The piece premiered in 1883 in Berlin and then Vienna. It became one of Strauss's three most famous stage works and has been seen in New York, London and elsewhere, and has been adapted for film.

Andrea Chenier

France, 1792. Chenier is an idealistic poet, in love with the aristocratic Maddalena. While Chenier supports such notions as "liberte, fraternite egalite," his sympathies do not extend to the current Reign of Terror. Likewise, the Revolutionary Tribunal has no need for poets or their girlfriends, especially those judged to be an Enemy of the State. Heads will roll.

Così fan tutte

Wiener Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmonia Chor Conducted by Karl Böhm Directed by Vaclav Kaslik

The Tales of Hoffman

“With this lavish colour production of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffman, we are in more conventional, though never dull, territory. It is a handsome, well sung version which stands up well to the contemporary BBC 2 version that graced our screens a Christmas or two ago. (This, too, was a Christmas-time, prestige production). The production and adaptation is by Václav Kaslic, who has produced the opera many times on stage: here he makes imaginative use of the new medium to overcome difficulties inherent in some stories. He has a fine cast, including Jon Piso as a robust Hoffman[,] Sylvia Geszty, Thomas Tipton and Herold Kraus. The orchestra and chorus are from the Bavarian State Opera.” - Brian Baxter, for the BFI.

Rozina the Love Child

Prague, the beginning of the 17th century. Rozina falls in love with Italian glass worker Nikolo, but after returning home, she gets a message that will never come to Prague. She falls for the promise of an older man to marry her, but when Nikolo does return, the tragic fate of Rozina is sealed.