Written at the end of the 19th century and incorporating many sources, including Andersen's famous fairy tale, The Mermaid summed up the romantic century, telling about all its hopes and lost illusions. The plot of the opera, which is also the central plot of the era of romanticism, is the collision of the fantastic and the real, the pursuit of the ideal and disappointment in it: it is impossible to achieve the integrity of the worldview, but there is always hope for the best.
Dvořák summed up the 19th century in the rich and colorful score of The Mermaid, combining the findings of late romanticism (primarily paying tribute to his idol Richard Wagner) and Czech folklore. He also looked a little ahead, taking a dramatic move that was radical for his time: the heroine of the opera acquires a human soul in exchange for a voice - she is forced to be silent for almost a whole act. Directors were able to appreciate this technique already in the 20th century.
In Yekaterinburg, the most famous Czech opera is presented by a young team of directors from Prague. Director Tomas Pilar said: “On the one hand, we are making a fairy tale understandable even for children, and on the other hand, we must build a serious storyline, filling it with passion and deep meaning so that it touches adult viewers to the core.” The performance turned out like this: children are fascinated by the games of mermaids in a fairy-tale lake and the escape of sweets from the palace kitchen, while adults follow the story of a great and impossible love.
