Opera review: Enchantia

Enchantia (Čarokraj), an opera that premiered Jan. 14 at the National Theater in a collaboration between directors Matěj and Petr Forman, and conductor-composer Marko Ivanović, is fantastic in more ways than one.

Strictly in terms of storyline, Enchantia - the name of the mythical land where the opera unfolds - is a charming, imaginative jaunt through a land of fascinating creatures engaged in a battle between good and evil. Based loosely on a children's book, The Talking Parcel, by British writer Gerald Durrell, this family-oriented opera opens at the start of a ritual that takes place once every 50 years, as a magical book is retrieved from the earth, giving its bearers the power to rewrite the law of the land and the design of the creatures there for the next half-century. But a group of evil creatures known as Cockatrices steals the book and begins rewriting the myths to make themselves the rulers of Enchantia.

In a fourth-wall breaking gesture (more on this later), a human girl, Penelope, is pulled from the orchestra pit into Enchantia after a Cockatrice steals her violin. She is enlisted by the wise magician Junketberry to join Parrot on his quest to recapture the book before time runs out and the creatures of Enchantia are subject to Cockatrice rule.

But the story of Enchantia, while strong, takes a back seat to the actual performance, which from the very first moment envelops the National Theater and its audience in a sumptuous fairytale world. At a packed performance Jan. 15, attendees lingering in the hall were startled to hear the opera beginning five minutes early. The audience shuffled into the remaining seats among a general air of confusion, as Parrot sang an aria from the balcony and fairies with head dresses of light mingled among the seats.

Eventually these fairies sang a choral piece, filling the entire hall with resounding and yes, enchanting music. Only then did the orchestra tune up and the opera begin in earnest. Thus, from before the opera even truly begins, the theater is transformed into a fairytale world nothing short of enamoring as the cast completely utilizes the entire space.

But it isn't only this lack of a fourth wall that draws the audience into the opera. The sets, costumes and lighting, designed by Andrea Sodomková, Matěj Forman and Dáda Němeček, are sumptuous, and above all alive: breathing, swaying, sprouting and growing. The stage itself is also remarkably deep, which, along with a huge cast of about 50 singers and dancers, serves to overpower the audience, drawing them into this fantasy world, which has real depth and is not simply a shiny veneer.

Ivanović's score is versatile, hunched on the border of classical and pop, with moments of bossa nova and stretches of rock beats, but also some truly memorable, formal melodies. The main roles are played by guests of the National Theater, and all three - Lucie Fišer Silkenová as Penelope, Petr Stach as Frog and Pavel Švingr as Parrot - gave strong performances. But the biggest applause of the evening went to the Forman brothers and Ivanović, proving perhaps that their creation transcends even the players who bring it to life.

If one has reservations about Enchantia, they are slight. The pacing is somewhat slow, but all told the opera, at about 90 minutes with no intermission, is just long enough for its quest story but not too long to lose the attention of children in the audience.  

Enchantia has everything necessary for great opera: fantastic sets and costumes, a strong, archetypal story and memorable music. But perhaps its most significant achievement is its relevance: The Forman brothers and everyone involved in this production have succeeded in creating an opera that is not only appropriate for viewers of all ages, but is above all relevant for our modern context. This is not a charming museum piece but a work of stunning imagination and a true work of art.

Stephan Delbos can be reached at
sdelbos@praguepost.com