Productions

Opera and libreto by Leoš Janáček after Rudolf Těsnohlídek's serialised novella Adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears
Music director and conductor Arvo Volmer
Conductor Kaspar Mänd
Stage director Priit Võigemast
Designer Rosita Raud (Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences)
Choreographer Ingmar Jõela
Video designer Aljona Movko-Mägi
Light designer Priidu Adlas (Estonian Drama Theatre)
Chorus master Heli Jürgenson
Choir master and vocal coach on Boys Choir Külli Kiivet
Assistant to the chorus master Ksenia Grabova
Production assistant Silva Valdt
Assistant to the choreographer and chorus staging Mehis Saaber
Chief pianist and repetiteur Jaanika Rand-Sirp
Pianists and repetiteurs Ave Wagner, Tarmo Eespere, Riina Pikani
Stage managers Riina Airenne, Rein Lepnurm
Assistant to the music director Kaur Pennert
Cast Kristel Pärtna or Elena Brazhnyk, Tamar Nugis or Rauno Elp, Raiko Raalik or Priit Volmer, Rafael Dicenta or Mart Madiste, Helen Lokuta or Karis Trass, Kadri Raalik or Arete Kerge, Stanislav Sheljahhovski or Mart Laur, Janne Ševtšenko or Annabel Soode, Kadri Nirgi or Katri Juss, Jakob Tomson / Rein Saar or Tiit Kaljund, Juuli Lill or Aule Urb, Maris Liloson or Danna Malõsko, Greta Marie Niinepuu / Anette Kalda or Marharyta Brazhnyk, Liam Hussar, Joonas Mikk, Tobias Tark, Peeter Veltmann, Kristofer Cross, Erik Kurahashi, Uku Sander Leisalu, Rannar Mälk, Hindrik Voltri, Bert Sebastian Maripuu
On stage Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir and Estonian National Opera Chorus – sopranos, altos
Dancers Germo Toonikus, Sofia Kirs, Polina Albert, Arina Kotova, Allar Valge, Arina Šarapova, Mehis Saaber, Richard Beljohin

Janáček found the original subject for the piece in Rudolf Těsnohlídek’s newspaper serial story, inspired by Stanislav Lolek’s cartoon strip consisting of more than 200 pictures. The composer detailed the adventures of a clever fox cub. She is captured by the local Forester, grows up on his farm, and then escapes back to the woods to raise a family.

Human beings, like vixens, are born, grow, marry and die. Janáček illuminates for us the cycles of life and nature, and at the same time, he shows us archetypes of the morality of the humans who cannot accept those cycles – and the road by which one human eventually can. It is by far his sunniest stage work and its inbuilt anthropomorphic joke of animals behaving like humans leads to many moments of pure comedy.

The dramatic modes with which the composer experiments – the unique blend of dance and song, the strange mixing of animal and human worlds, the cinematic succession of tiny scenes – were advanced for their time and the opera had to wait many decades to win over audiences and critics. The opera teems with playfulness, humour, wildness, love, sorrow, wisdom – simply full-blooded life.

World premiere on November 6, 1924 in National Theatre Brno.

Performances are in Estonian with Estonian and English subtitles.
Recommended age: 7+