Rusalka

Title: Rusalka
Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Premiere: 1901, Czech
Setting: A mythical forest and a royal court
Main Characters:

• Rusalka (a water nymph)

• The Prince (a human royal)

• Ježibaba (a witch)

• The Foreign Princess (the Prince’s new love interest)

Plot Summary:
Rusalka, a water nymph, falls in love with a human prince and wishes to become mortal. She seeks help from the witch Ježibaba, who grants her humanity at the cost of her voice. The prince initially falls for Rusalka, but her silence creates distance, and he soon turns to another woman. Heartbroken, Rusalka is cursed to become a spirit of death. The prince, realizing his mistake, returns to her and dies in her embrace.

Key Themes & Significance:
Rusalka explores longing, transformation, and the cost of love. Inspired by fairy tales and folklore, Dvořák’s lush score—especially the famous aria “Song to the Moon”—captures both enchantment and despair. It remains a haunting, poetic masterpiece of the Romantic opera repertoire.