| The Devil and Kate | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Antonín Dvořák | |
 Antonín Dvořák in 1904 | |
| Librettist | Adolf Wenig |
| Language | Czech |
| Based on | farce by Josef Kajetán Tyl |
| Premiere | 18 November 1899 National Theatre, Prague |
The Devil and Kate, Op. 112, B.201, (Čert a Káča in Czech) is an opera in three acts by Antonín Dvořák to a Czech libretto by Adolf Wenig. It is based on a farce by Josef Kajetán Tyl, and the story also had been treated in the Fairy Tales of Božena Němcová. The first performance of the opera was at the National Theatre, Prague, on 23 November 1899, under Adolf Čech.
The Devil and Kate is one of the few operas of Dvořák, along with Rusalka, to have remained in the repertory. This can be attributed to the high demand for Italian grand operas in his time and the difficulties of Dvořák's intricate staging. The opera has great appeal because of its combination of fairy tale and folk music; it is very close in feel to a Czech tone poem. At times, it feels like a Czech version of Hansel & Gretel. The overture was written after the opera itself.
John Clapham has written critical analysis of the opera and noted the presence of the style of Wagnerian declamation in the work.[1]
- ^ Clapham, John (1957). "The Operas of Antonín Dvořák". Journal of the Royal Musical Association. 84 (1): 55–70. doi:10.1093/jrma/84.1.55. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2007-09-03.