We are from the Czech Republic and you ask if we can sing? An unknown couple arrives in a small Czech village from abroad, and most of the locals watch them with distrust. Only the old teacher Benda, a lover of music, opens his door to them, only to find out that the strangers are closer than they might think.
Music in the main role, that's how Dvořák's opera Jakobín could be summed up, because it is precisely music that can change the fate of all the characters in the opera. At the same time, Dvořák created a charming picture of a Czech town from the Enlightenment era inhabited by quirky figures of the music-loving teacher Bendy, his stubborn daughter Terinka in love with the young teacher Jiřík or the cocky burgrave Filip. Perhaps it was a kind memory of the circumstances of his own youth, which brought so many lovely, rich melodies, open and melancholy to Dvořák's music, be it the famous scene of the school cantata, the duet "We have wandered abroad" or Julia's lullaby. What better opera to start the season falling within the Year of Czech Music than Jakobín, which is Dvořák's tribute to Czech music and the people who love it above all else.
