Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata, to the libretto based on Alexandre Dumas’s novel La Dame aux camélias, about Marie Duplessis, the famous courtesan and idol of Parisian society in the 1840s, is actually the very first major opera treating a contemporary social theme. The work’s premiere in 1863 in Venice was a flop: the audience was appalled that the lead role had been assigned to a courtesan who, what’s more, was portrayed in a positive light. Yet Verdi’s opera soon started garnering plaudits and is now one of the most popular repertoire titles the world over.

La traviata

State Opera

The opera Nabucco, depicting the dramatic story of the subjugation of the Israelites by the King of Babylon, ranks among Guiseppe Verdi’s most celebrated works. Phenomenal chorus scenes, extremely impassioned virtuoso arias, as well as the perennially topical themes of expansive war, lust for power, betrayal, life and death, are the reasons why it has always been a staple of opera houses’ repertoire.

Nabucco

As an example, we can mention Hana Glawari's song about the Vilja fairy or the Danila song about his debauchery at the Maxim’s nightclub. The Merry Widow also belongs to those few operettas, whose libretto can attract audiences even in the 21st century. The story, set in Paris in 1905, is immensely theatrical and offers an important storyline and witty dialogues. The Merry Widow premiered on 30 December 1905 at the Na Vídeňce Theatre in Vienna. In Pilsen it was first shown in 1907 and it has never disappeared from the repertory for a long time. This time, the production is presented to the audience in a co-production with the Prague’s Karlín Theatre.

The merry widow

Theater of JK Tyl New Stage

The powerful story of The Dogheads, one of Alois Jirásek’s most celebrated works, seems destined for the operatic stage. In 1897, the experienced composer and conductor Karel Kovařovic took on the challenge and created an opera that triumphed in the competition for a new Czech opera, surpassing Fibich and Foerster. Soon after, The Dogheads spread to opera houses across the Czech lands and won the hearts of a wide audience.

The Dogheads

Composed by one of the major figures of 20th-century musical theatre – the creator of 16 musicals and hundreds of songs, who launched his career writing the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story – it is an iconic work of its genre. SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a riveting synthesis of dark humour, horror and melodrama, imbued with brilliant musical irony.

Michal Bragagnolo

Events

Upcoming events

Aug 29, 2026 - Jan 24, 2027

La traviata · Národní divadlo

Aug 30 - Dec 15, 2026

Nabucco · Národní divadlo

Sep 20, 2026

The merry widow · J.K. Tyl Theatre

24 - 25 Sep, 2026

The Dogheads · J.K. Tyl Theatre

Sep 24, 2026 - Jun 27, 2027

SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street · Národní divadlo

Future and recently performed repertoire

Gaston in La traviata by Verdi

Národní divadlo

Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd by Sondheim

Národní divadlo

Abdallo in Nabucco by Verdi

Národní divadlo

Hrabě Danilo Danilovič in The Merry Widow by Lehár

J.K. Tyl Theatre

Adam Ecl in The Dogheads by Kovařovic

J.K. Tyl Theatre

About

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