Zuzana Michlerová
Opera Pramen Excerpt - Composed by Zuzana Michlerová
Excerpt from the Opera Pramen - Tak dlouho jsem Tě neviděla.
Music composed and orchestrated by Zuzana Michlerová.
Opera for 6 soloists, mixed chamber choir and chamber orchestra
Conducted by Tomáš Hála
Talich Chamber Orchestra
Soloists:
Petr/Doctor - Jiří Poláček (Baritone)
Eva/Peter's wife - Monika Sommerová (Soprano)
Matka představená/Mother Superior - Petra Vondrová (Alt/Mezzosoprano)
Nevidomá/The Blind Girl - Hana Krynická
General - Jan Ericsson
Hrobník/Undertaker - Vladimír Müller
The libretto of the opera Pramen (The Font) is taken from the verse drama The Tomb, written in 1921 by the Czech poet Jiří Wolker. Although Wolker’s plot is drawn from a medieval catholic legend about a miraculous fountain hidden in a tomb, the poet uses this archaic setting to reflect very contemporary concerns: the tragic events of the First World War, and his own worseningillness (he would die of tuberculosis in 1924 at the age of 24). In addition to Wolker’s text, the libretto is complemented by two biblical texts, taken from the Book of Isaiah and the Gospel According to John.
Sacrificing one´s happiness for the sake of other people is the main theme of the opera. In this act it is possible to perceive a parallel with the Christian idea of redemption. The work is a dramatic presentation of humanity’s quest for meaning, in which each character represents a typical human attitude towards the truth. It also evokes the tragedy of war, which irrevocably changes relationships between people.
The libretto employs the symbol of the fountain, and the language of thirst, on several different levels. Thirst does not represent just a physical need but also thirst for salvation and redemption or thirst for family happiness. The fount does not symbolize just water but it is also a symbol of life, light and truth.
