Katya Kabanova

Opera Katya Kabanova deeply impresses by its immense emotionality, attesting to Janáček’s extraordinary empathy

In Czech, Czech, English subtitles

Although many in his homeland still consider Leoš Janáček a difficult modernist, all over the world he has long been esteemed as a truly singular classical genius. His opera Katya Kabanova, based on A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama The Storm, deeply impresses every perceptive viewer due to its immense emotionality, attesting to Janáček’s extraordinary empathy.

The title heroine, with her dreamy, amorous and heart-wrenching states of mind, is placed in stark contrast with the savage behaviour of those around her. The desperate Katya ultimately finds the solution to her inner conflict between desire and social obligation in the water of the river Volga.
The National Theatre in Prague first performed Janáček’s opera a year after its world premiere in Brno in November 1921.
More than a decade since our most recent adaptation, we are now preparing a new production, under the baton of the British conductor Christopher Ward, whom the National Theatre audience know from performances of Britten’s Billy Budd and Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, and the Spanish stage director Calixto Bieito, famous for his unorthodox interpretations of classic operas, with his productions currently mainly staged in Germany.

Performed by:

The National Theatre soloists, chorus and orchestra

Important:

• 20 min. intermission
• Purchased tickets cannot be returned or exchanged
• No discounts are provided
• Theatre is a cultural institution. Please respect the common principles of appropriate behaviour and clothing
• The program may be subject to change
• The price includes service fee of 3,7 € (100,- CZK)

More opera and ballet 

The National Theatre in Prague

The National Theatre is the most important and representative theatre of the Czech Republic

The Prague National Theatre was built from the desire of the Czech people for national independence. Its building was financed from the collections on which participated broad masses of people as well as important donators (including the nobility and the emperor himself). The theatre foundation ceremonial on 16th May 1868 became a national celebration.

The theatre was opened in 1881. In the same year the theatre burned down, and this tragic event caused a huge wave of new collections to support the restoration of the theatre. The Prague National Theatre was re-opened in 1883 by the opera Libuše by Bedřich Smetana and since then it has been serving as a place of Czech national identity and as a flagship of the Czech culture to these days.

How to get there: 

• Accessibility by Prague public transport:
  metro B (yellow line) - Národni třída station
  tram - Národní divadlo stop
• Nearest car parking:
  The underground car park of the National Theatre