Written by Antonin Dvorak at the turn of the century, Rusalka is one of the most prominent Czech operas, featuring a story from Slavic mythology and a Czech libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil. The water nymph Rusalka falls in love with a human prince and seeks out a witch to help her feel the prince's mortal touch. The subsequent marriage is subject to the prince's flaws and suspicions of witchcraft, with Rusalka eventually returning to the water, changed into a demon of death. Populated by archetypal imagery and fantastical characters, this classic tale relates the utterly human woes and triumphs of love.
