Work: The Bartered Bride (Prodaná nevěsta)
Composer: Bedřich Smetana
Libretto: Karel Sabina
Production: Teatro Real
Stage director: Laurent Pelly
Conductor: Gustavo Gimeno
Cast highlights:
Natalia Tanasii (Mařenka)
Sean Panikkar (Jeník)
Martin Winkler (Kecal)
Moisés Marín (Vašek)
Orchestra: Teatro Real Orchestra
Chorus: Teatro Real Chorus
Live stream: 23 April 2026 — 19:30 CET (GMT 18:30)
Available until: 23 October 2026
Platform: Operavision (free)
Language: Czech
Subtitles: English, Czech, Spanish
Teatro Real presents a new production of The Bartered Bride, the opera that firmly established Bedřich Smetana as a central figure in Czech national music. Streaming for free on OperaVision, this performance offers a fresh look at a work often described as the quintessential Czech opera.
At its core is a deceptively simple story: a young woman promised to a stranger uses wit and determination to secure her own romantic fate. But beyond its folk-inspired setting, the opera reveals remarkable dramatic sophistication. Rather than relying heavily on large choral scenes, Smetana builds the action through a series of finely crafted duets—by turns lyrical, comic, and sharply characterised—giving the work a sense of continuous theatrical momentum.
The production is directed by Laurent Pelly, known for bringing genuine humour and precision to comic repertoire, while Gustavo Gimeno leads the Teatro Real Orchestra. Together, they shape a reading that balances the opera’s folkloric charm with its underlying dramatic clarity.
With a strong cast led by Natalia Tanasii and Sean Panikkar, this stream provides an accessible entry point into Smetana’s world—one where comedy, national identity, and musical craftsmanship meet with striking elegance.
This article was produced by the Moto Perpetuo editorial team.
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