An unsuccessful rehabilitation : performances of Dvořák's Armida in 1918–38

Abstract

Dvořák's last opera Armida to the libretto of Jaroslav Vrchlický (on the motives of Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso) has remained practically forgotten to this day. The negative public and critical reception of the 1904 premiere meant that Armida had only a brief initial run before being pulled from the National Theatre's repertoire. The myth-veiled work was abandoned until the arrival of a new political regime and a new artistic generation, which endeavoured to enter Dvořák's opera into the repertoire of Czech theatres. The most prominent of these efforts was Ostrčil's production of Armida at the National Theatre in 1928, but even that failed to secure a decisive victory for Armida. The critics questioned the quality of the libretto and the overall dramatic structure of the opera. They also discussed the style, the choice of exotic theme, and the stage design, which went against the essence of Wagnerian drama and "grand opera".

Keywords

• Antonín Dvořák
• Jaroslav Vrchlický
• Torquato Tasso
• Jerusalem Delivered
• opera
• Armida