Rusalka: A Lyrical Fairy Tale in Three Acts

Famous as the libretto for Antonn Dvok's opera of the same name, Jaroslav Kvapil's poem Rusalka is an intriguing work of literature on its own. Directly inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's famous "The Little Mermaid," Kvapil's reinterpretation adds a more psychologically complex protagonist, an array of nuanced poetic techniques, a more dramatic tempo, and dark undertones that echo the work of eminent Czech folklorist Karel Jaromr Erben. All of these influences work in tandem to create a poetic work that is familiar yet innovative.