University of South Alabama voice students are taking the stage this month for a production of “The Bartered Bride,” the beloved comic opera by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, at Laidlaw Recital Hall on the USA campus.
Smetana wrote the opera in the 1860s, weaving together a tangled comic tale of matchmaking schemes and unexpected romance set against rustic Czech village life. The work leans heavily on folk-inspired melodies and dance rhythms that reflect Czech heritage, and it has long been considered one of the clearest expressions of the composer’s national spirit.
Getting there wasn’t easy. Smetana assembled the libretto and score in pieces, a process that made it difficult to settle on a consistent flow for the story. He ended up reworking the opera over roughly four years before it found the cohesion that helped it become one of his most enduring works.
For the USA production, director Thomas Rowell leads a cast of young voices through the piece. Laidlaw Recital Hall, known for its strong acoustics, gives the student performers a chance to test their range in a setting built for vocal music.
Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, with curtain at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee on April 27 at 3 p.m. The production takes place at Laidlaw Recital Hall, 5751 USA Drive South, on the University of South Alabama campus.
Tickets are $8 for the general public and $5 for USA faculty, staff, students, youths under 18 and senior citizens. The box office accepts cash or checks only.
For more information, call 251-460-6136 or visit southalabama.edu/music.