Opernhaus Bratislava/Pressburg - Tribute Gabriela Beňačková

This year, the SND Opera continues the tradition of presenting gala concerts in honor of prominent Slovak singers. At the beginning of the 106th theater season, we will pay tribute to the exceptional opera diva Gabriela Beňačková. The invitation to perform was accepted by Slovak and world opera stars Eva Hornyáková, Mária Porubčinová, Nina Stemme, Corinne Winters and Pavol Bršlík, conducted by Tomáš Brauner.

Gabriela Beňačková is a soprano legend of the opera world. A native of Bratislava, she devoted herself to opera, concert and song creation. She studied over forty opera roles and performed more than two thousand performances and concerts around the world. She was a regular guest of the world's largest opera and concert stages (Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Milan, London, New York, San Francisco...). She significantly contributed to the promotion of Czech opera works by Janáček, Dvořák and Smetana in the world. She collaborated with world-class conductors (Leonard Bernstein, James Levine, Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta...) and her frequent partners on stage were Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Peter Dvorský.

program

Arnold Schoenberg: GURRELIEDER
predohra   
Richard Wagner: WESENDONCK-LIEDER
Schmerzen, Träume          
Nina Stemme
Arrigo Boito: MEFISTOFELE
L'altra notte in fondo al mare               
Corinne Winters (Margherita) 
Umberto Giordano: ANDREA CHÉNIER
La mamma morta            
Mária Porubčinová (Maddalena di Coigny) 
Charles Gounod: FAUST
O Dieu! Que de bijoux 
Eva Hornyáková (Marguerite)
prestávka 
Eugen Suchoň: KRÚTŇAVA
Hajaj, búvaj, moje dieťa            
Mária Porubčinová (Katrena) 
Antonín Dvořák: RUSALKA
Vidino divná, přesladká                  
Pavol Bršlík (Princ) 
Bedřich Smetana: PRODANÁ NEVĚSTA
Ach, jaký žal... Ten lásky sen               
Eva Hornyáková (Mařenka) 
Leoš Janáček: JEJÍ PASTORKYŇA 
Co chvíla..., finále 2. dejstva          
Corinne Winters (Jenůfa), Nina Stemme (Kostelnička), Pavol Bršlík (Laca)

Place

The Slovak National Theatre is the second oldest Slovak professional theatre. It has 3 ensembles (drama, opera and ballet). It was founded in 1920 after the creation of Czechoslovakia as a cooperative and became a state-run company in 1945. Between 1920 and 1945, there was also a musical ensemble. The Slovak National Theatre has represented Slovak culture on its numerous tours abroad.

It was created and, in the 1920s, also run by Czech artists (e.g. Oskar Nedbal, director during 1923-1930). The first performance was the Czech opera Hubička by Bedřich Smetana on March 1, 1920. The ensembles were Slovakized only gradually. In 1932, the drama ensemble split into the SNT Slovak Drama Company led by Janko Borodáč, and into the SNT Czech Drama Company, led by V. Šulc. The Czech Drama Company ceased to operate when it was forced to leave Slovakia in 1938. Since then, the drama ensemble has performed in Slovak only, but in the opera ensemble there were Czech artists even after 1945. In recent years, operas have been presented in their original languages.

Initially, all 3 ensembles were active at the old Slovak National Theatre building. From 1955 to early 2007, the drama company performed at the P. O. Hviezdoslav Theatre and from 1962 to (?)2006 also at a chamber theatre called Malá scéna SND (SNT Small Stage). Since 2007, the ensembles perform only at the old Slovak National Theatre building and the new Slovak National Theatre building opened in April, 2007.

The drama company was shaped by the directors Janko Borodáč, F. Hoffman, J. Jamnický, J.Budský, T. Rakovský, K. I. Zachary, P. Haspra, M. Pietor and the current one – Dušan Jamrich.

The opera ensemble was led by conductors such as Oskar Nedbal, K. Nedbal, J. Vincourek and T. Frešo, and directors including V. Šulc and M. Wasserbauer. The opera became known abroad under the leadership of Czech conductor Oskar Nedbal, who also introduced the first Slovak operas of Jozef Levoslav Bella and V. Figuš Bystrý, and under K. Nedbal, who improved the dramma programme. A great boom occurred after WWII. The SNT witnessed the rise of modern Slovak opera by Eugen Suchoň, Ján Cikker, Alexander Moyzes, Tibor Andrašovan, T. Frešo, and many others. Many singers from the SNT are famous abroad, e.g. Edita Grúberová, Lucia Popp, Peter Dvorský, R. Petrák, S. Kopčák, M. Hajóssyová, E. Jenisová, J. Galla, Jozef Kundlák, and many others.

The ballet ensemble has grown from a small group in 1920 to a huge ensemble today.