The Land of Smiles by Lehár, N 22 juuni 2017, Alates (2016/2017), Juhatatud Jana Andělová Pletichová, Dirigent Ján Procházka, Štátna Opera, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

The operetta Land of Smiles belongs to the golden fund of its genre. Its qualities are much higher than was common at the time of its creation - in this sense, the author Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948) set the bar really high, already in previous decades. The composer tried to elevate the operetta towards serious art without slipping into revival, cheap effect or gimmick. The operetta Land of Smiles (premiere in 1929) in the form most often presented today is a reworked version of the older work Yellow Jacket. Only changes in libretto and musical form ensured the operetta's immortality. More than one expert has said that it meets several opera criteria. At the same time, however, it does not lack the ingredients that the operetta is supposed to have: attractive melodies, dance rhythms, exotics, virtuoso vocal and instrumental parts, but especially the story of a burning love affair in different cultural environments.