Between dream and reality

Theater an der Wien [ENA] Between dream and reality – this is the impression which the visitors of the Theatre an der Wien receive from the opera of Leoš Janáček "The Cunning Little Vixen” or in German language "Das Schlaue Füchslein" which is taken place in this October. The action is playing between the dream world of the magic forest full of animals and the real world of humans with all emotions and relationships.

The opera “The Cunning Little Vixen” might have been also a reflection of patinate love which Leoš Janáček had to Kamila Stösslová who was almost forty years younger than him. The first performance of “The Cunning Little Vixen” took place in 1924 in Brno in Czech language and was created in futuristic style. The music of Janacek appeared from his work with the language as the language, and especially language melody, are creating nuances in the music. The opera also incorporates the Moravian folk music and rhythms. He was also leading the mainstream of folklorist activity in Moravia and Silesia, using a repertoire of folk songs and dances in orchestral and piano arrangements.

While entering the performance room of the Theater an der Wien the spectators were met by Leoš Janáček personally. Of cause it was played by the professional artist but the comparison to the original was stunning. The performance and the stage integrate several innovative elements and have various impressive elements such as futuristic machines, giant heart or the maggot forest.

The role of the cunning little vixen was performed by Mélissa Petit who was born and received her education in France and is already well known for her performances at the State Opera of Hamburg and House of Opera of Zurich as well as the National Opera of Paris. She was also performing during the so famous festivals as the Bregenzer Festspiele and Salzburger Festspiele.

Janáček was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic music which formed the basis of his operas as well as by the music of Smetana and Dvořák. The idea of “The Cunning Little Vixen” comes from the illustrations of the painter Stanislav Lolek who created them during his student times. The libretto was written by Rudolf Těsnohlídek. In the opera Leoš Janáček is turning the originally comedic cartoon into a philosophical reflection on the cycle of life by ending with the death of the titular Vixen.

The story of Janacek reminds to fables of the previous centuries like those of Jean de La Fontaine who was the French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. It also reminds to the fables of the Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov who is the Russia's best-known fabulist and probably the most epigrammatic of all Russian authors. The fables are special literature genre where the animals have human features and the relationships between them are aimed to illustrate emotions and relationships between people. Usually fables have a particular moral lesson in their focus.