The National Theatre of Brno has many performances every month in opera, ballet and drama. Here are some of the highlights for this summer and the 2020-21 season. Click here for the complete schedule, ticket information and more details, in English. Photo: Opera Ferda Mravenec, Courtesy of NdB.
Brno, Jul 2 (BD) – The novel coronavirus pandemic abruptly altered the cultural landscape of Brno. But, now that the restrictions have mostly been lifted, the performance schedule is packed with events to which cultural aficionados can look forward.
Opera, ballet, theater and the seventh Janáček Brno International Festival — which has many performances from Sept. 28 to Oct. 16 — are all on the schedule for the summer, the fall and on into 2021.
OPERA
Local opera will add the missed premiers of the previous season into this new 2020-21 season.
Ferda Mravenec, an opera for the whole family, will premiere on Aug. 22 at Janáček Theater, with additional performances, including on Aug. 23.
As normal, Opera at Špilberk will settle into the courtyard of Špilberk Castle for performances of Nabucco (July 2 and Aug. 30), La Traviata (July 3), Carmen (Aug. 29) and The Barber of Seville (Sept. 1).
Overview of the opera premieres:
E. Zámečník: Ferda Mravenec
Premiere on August 22, 2020 at the Janáček Theater
Directed by: Magdalena Švecová
Conductor: Jakub Klecker
L. Janáček: Osud (Fate)
Premiere on September 28, 2020 at the Janáček Theater
Director: Robert Carsen
Conductor: Marko Ivanović
B. Martinů: Řecké pašije (Greek Passions)
Premiere on October 7, 2020 at the Janáček Theater
Directed by: Jiří Heřman
Conductor: Robert Kružík
Půjdem spolu do Betléma (We Will Go to Bethlehem Together)
J. J. Ryba: Česká mše vánoční (Czech Christmas Mass), J. Schreier: Moravská vánoční mše (Moravian Christmas Mass) Koncertní provedení (Concert performance)
Conductor: Marko Ivanović
Premiere on 13 December 2020 at the Janáček Theater
P. I. Tchaikovsky: Evžen Oněgin
Premiere on February 6, 2021 at the Janáček Theater
Director: Martin Glaser
Conductor: Robert Kružík
G. Verdi: Nabucco
Premiere: April 16, 2021
Directed by: Jiří Heřman
Conductor: Ondrej Olos
I. Stravinsky: Svěcení jara (The Rite of Spring), C. Orff: Carmina Burana
Concert
June 23, 2021 at the Janáček Theater
Conductor: Marko Ivanović
G. Puccini: La Bohéme
Premiere on June 11, 2021
Directed by: Magdalena Švecová
Conductor: Jaroslav Kyzlink
BALLET
The NdB ballet season will begin a month earlier than normal when Radio and Juliet premieres on Aug. 8. The ballet, which brings together the famous Shakespearean love story and the contemporary band Radiohead, was moved from its original date in May. Additional performances at Mahen Theater are on Aug. 9 and 10, then later in the season.
As a counter to the creative interpretation, the traditional production of Romeo and Juliet, which had its world premiere in Brno more than eight decades ago, will be performed several times, too.
The upcoming season, Beethoven will honor one of the greats of the music and dance world. The ballet, which was choreographed by Mário Radačovský, pays tribute to Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Later, the spring premiere will be dedicated to the great progressive choreography of Pavel Šmok. Stabat Mater, a masterpiece of Šmok’s extensive work, will honor the legend of Czech dance culture, who passed five years ago.
Overview of the ballet premieres:
Radio and Juliet
Czech premiere on August 8, 2020 at the Mahen Theater
Music: Radiohead
Choreography and direction: Edward Clug
Beethoven
Original premiere on November 13, 2020 at the Janáček Theater
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
Choreography: Mário Radačovský
Conductor: Jakub Klecker
Stabat Mater
Premiere on March 5, 2021 at the Janáček Theater
Music: Antonín Dvořák and others
Choreography: Pavel Šmok
DRAMA
Drama offerings are mostly in Czech, although many of the plays were originally written in English.
Four premiers were postponed because of the pandemic quarantine. They have new premiere dates, but they also have pre-premiere dates.
– Liliom: premiere on September 4, 2020 at the Mahen Theater. Pre-premieres on August 19 and 20.
– Velmi, velmi, velmi temný příběh (A very, very, very dark story): the Czech premiere on September 11 at the Reduta Theater. Pre-premieres on August 21 and 22.
– Slaměný klobouk (Straw Hat): premiere on September 25 at the Mahen Theater. Pre-premieres on August 28 and 29.
– Idomeneus: Czech premiere on October 2, 2020 at the Reduta Theater. Pre-premieres on August 26 and 27.
Overview of theatrical premieres:
Ferenc Molnár: Liliom
Director: Štěpán Pácl
Premiere: September 4, 2020 at the Mahen Theater
Pre-premieres: August 19 and 20, 2020
Martin McDonagh: Velmi, velmi, velmi temný příběh (A very, very, very dark story)
Director: Michal Vajdička
Czech premiere: September 11 at the Reduta Theater
Pre-premieres: August 21 and 22
Josef Topol: Stěhování duší (Moving Souls)
Director: Štěpán Pácl
Premiere: September 18, 2020 on the Small Stage of the Mahen Theater
Eugène Labiche: Slaměný klobouk (Straw hat)
Directed by: Martin Čičvák
Premiere: September 25 at the Mahen Theater
Pre-premieres: August 28 and 29
Roland Schimmelpfennig: Idomeneus
Director: Štěpán Pácl
Czech premiere: 2: October 2020 at the Reduta Theater
Pre-premieres: August 26 and 27
Milan Kundera: Majitelé klíčů (Key Owners)
Director: Martin Glaser
Premiere: October 23, 2020 at the Mahen Theater
Ödön von Horváth: Nikdo (Nobody)
Director: Aminata Keita
Czech premiere: November 20, 2020 at the Reduta Theater
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: Racek (Seagull)
Director: Štěpán Pácl
Premiere: December 18, 2020 at the Mahen Theater
Johann Nepomuk Nestroy: Sňatky na železnici (Marriages on the Railway)
Directed by: Martin Čičvák
Czech premiere: January 22, 2021 at the Reduta Theater
Lucy Kirkwood: Nebesa (Heavens)
Director: Michal Lang
Czech premiere: February 26, 2021 at the Mahen Theater
Robert Icke: Doktorka (Doctor)
Directed by: Lukáš Brutovský
Czech premiere: March 26, 2021 at the Reduta Theater
Edward Albee: Kdo se bojí Virginie Woolfové? (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Director: Štěpán Pácl
Premiere: April 23, 2021 at the Mahen Theater
Václav Štech: Ohnivá země (Fiery Earth)
Director: Ivan Krejčí
Premiere: May 30, 2021 at the Reduta Theater
Tom Stoppard: Leopoldstadt
Director: Radovan Lipus
Premiere: June 18, 2021 at the Mahen Theater
Off program
Mahen’s Reduta – komorní hudební večer (Chamber Music Evening)
Directed by: Hana Mikolášková
Premiere: December 4, 2020 at the Reduta Theater
Exhibitions at the Reduta Theater
September 2020 – #KulturaMáCenu (Culture Has Worth)
October 2020 – Veď mě ve tmě (Lead Me in the Dark)
November / December 2020 – Václav Jirásek
January / February 2021 – Posters of Ivan Pinkava
March / April 2021 – Adra – project TOTAL
