The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by Czech composer Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) with text by Karel Sabina.
Contents
The original text
Set in a country village and with realistic characters, it tells the story of how, after a late surprise revelation, true love prevails over the combined efforts of ambitious parents and a scheming marriage broker.
Premiered Prague National Theatre 30 May, 1866; revised 1869 final version produced 1870. English version at Sadlers Well 1935.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1965: CAPAB's first opera, presented on 8 February 1965 in the Alhambra Theatre.
2003: Presented by Cape Town Opera (17–23 August)
Sources
"The Bartered Bride". Opera Hub. https://theoperahub.com/thebarteredbride.php#plot
Wayne Muller. 2018. A reception history of opera in Cape Town: Tracing the development of a distinctly South African operatic aesthetic (1985–2015). Unpublished PhD thesis.
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