The Devil and Kate, Op.

Opus number

An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...

 112, B.201, (Čert a Káča in Czech

Czech language

Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

) is an opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 in three acts by Antonín Dvořák

Antonín Dvorák

Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...

 to a Czech libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

 by Adolf Wenig. It is based on a farce by Josef Kajetán Tyl

Josef Kajetán Tyl

Josef Kajetán Tyl was a significant Czech dramatist, writer and actor. He was a notable figure of the Czech National Revival movement and is best known as the author of the current national anthem of the Czech Republic titled Kde domov můj.-Life:Josef Kajetán Tyl was the first-born son of Jiří...

, and the story also had been treated in the Fairy Tales of Božena Němcová

Božena Nemcová

Božena Němcová was a Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement.-Biography:...

. The first performance of the opera was at the National Theatre

National Theatre (Prague)

The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...

, Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

, on 23 November 1899.

The Devil and Kate is one of the few operas of Dvořák, along with Rusalka

Rusalka (opera)

Rusalka is an opera by Antonín Dvořák. The Czech libretto was written by the poet Jaroslav Kvapil based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. Rusalka is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera houses...

, 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

Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...

 declamation in the work.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, November 23, 1899. (Conductor: - Adolf Cech)
Káča (Kate)	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...	Marie Klánová-Panznerová
Marbuel, a devil	bass	Václav Kliment
Jirka, a shepherd	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...	Bohumil Pták
Kate's mother	mezzo-soprano	Růžena Vykoukalová-Bradácová
Lucifer	bass	Robert Polák
The Princess	soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...	Růžena Maturová Růžena Maturová Růžena Maturová was a Czech operatic soprano whose international career began in the late 1880s and continued through the first decade of the 20th century....
The Devil's Gate-Keeper	bass	Karel Veverka
A Devil Guard	bass	Joseph Karásek
The Princess's Chamberlain	bass	Josef Zizka
A Chambermaid	soprano	Vilemína Hajková
A Musician	tenor	Hynek Svejda

Act 1

On a summer evening, Jirka, slightly intoxicated, begs to be excused from further dancing outside the village inn, as he will be in trouble with his employer, the Princess's Steward, if he does not return to his work. Kate then appears with her mother, and Jirka leaves with some of the musicians. Kate wants to dance, but her mother doesn't want her daughter to embarrass herself. Infuriated, Kate says that she will dance with a devil if necessary. Suddenly, a mysterious hunter appears, asking about the Steward and the Princess. He sits down with Kate, engages her in conversation, and asks her to dance with him. She accepts, eventually collapsing with exhaustion but nevertheless exhilarated. Jirka returns, furious with the Steward, who shouted at him for bringing the musicians with him, then beat him, dismissed him and told him to go to Hell. Meanwhile, the hunter has persuaded Kate to go with him to his splendid dwelling. He stamps on the ground, and the two of them disappear into the earth amid thunder, lightning and smoke. It is apparent to all that they have gone to Hell. Jirka, having nothing to lose, consoles Kate's mother by agreeing to follow the pair and rescue Kate, and the Act ends as he jumps into the new hole in the ground.

Act 2

In Hell, some Devils are playing cards for money. The Guard announces the arrival of Lucifer, who asks whether Marbuel has returned from Earth. On discovering that he hasn't, Lucifer asks to be informed when he does appear, and departs. The Gate-Keeper explains to the other Devils that Lucifer had sent Marbuel to see if the Princess and her Steward are ripe for Hell yet, as Marbuel is the mysterious hunter from Act 1. Marbuel now arrives, exhausted and carrying Kate, whom the Devils initially mistake for the Princess. She harangues him at length, and Marbuel explains that she is wearing a cross, which protects her against him so that he can't get rid of her. Lucifer re-enters to find out what the shouting is about. Then Jirka, saying that he has come for Kate, is admitted by the Gate-Keeper. He suggests to Lucifer that Kate might be bought off, and she is tempted by some golden chains that are produced. Meanwhile, Lucifer questions Marbuel about his trip, and agrees that the Princess should be brought to Hell, while the Steward should be threatened but reprieved for the time being. Marbuel now has to promise Jirka that he shall have some of the Princess's gold - given him by the Steward to reward him for fighting off the threatening Marbuel - if he will take Kate back to Earth. Jirka, pleased with the plan, agrees that the way to do that is to dance with Kate, and he manages to dance her out past the Gate-Keeper. The latter slams the gate shut, to the great relief of all, especially Marbuel, who remarks that music has succeeded in doing what the denizens of Hell could not.

Act 3

A hall in the Princess's castle. Marbuel's plan has worked, and Jirka rescued the Steward (who never appears on stage in the opera). The Princess has started to repent her misdeeds, but fears that nothing can save her, since the Steward was only doing her bidding and it is she whom the devils must carry to Hell. Nevertheless, she has summoned Jirka in the hope that he can ward them off. Jirka, embarrassed, tells her that she has already committed too many evil deeds, and he cannot help. The Princess promises to reform, but Jirka tells her that, unless she agrees to free the serfs, she will go to Hell and not even he will be able to save her. She agrees, and her Chamberlain announces her decree to the waiting crowd outside, who greet it with acclaim. Jirka now tells the Princess that he has a plan which will save her, and she exits so that he can make preparations.

Jirka summons Kate, and explains that when Marbuel comes for the Princess, she (Kate) will be able to take her revenge on him. Kate enthusiastically agrees, and hides in the next room. The Princess returns and, instructed by Jirka, sits in her chair with her courtiers round her, while Jirka joins Kate. The moon illuminates the room and then the light turns red as Marbuel appears, telling the Princess that her time on Earth is up. To Marbuel's irritation, Jirka interrupts, but his annoyance changes to horror when Jirka tells him that Kate is coming to get him. The door flies open, and Kate stands in the lighted doorway. Marbuel screams and disappears through the window, never to return. The grateful Princess appoints Jirka as her new Prime Minister, and agrees that Kate shall have the best house in the town and plenty of money. Kate would also like to get married, but she anticipates that, with her new-found wealth, she will have no problem making a good match. The peasants arrive to thank the Princess for freeing them from bondage. Jirka promises them that, although now a minister, he is still on their side, and they depart, rejoicing, to enjoy a banquet provided by the Princess.

Recordings

• Supraphon LPV 337-339: Ludmila Komancová, Rudolf Asmus, Přemysl Kočí
  Přemysl Kočí
  Přemysl Kočí was a Czech operatic baritone, actor, music educator, stage director, theater manager and official of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.-Biography:...
  
  , Lubomir Havlák, Marie Steinerova, Rudolf Vonasek, Jaroslava Vymazalova, Jaroslav Horáček, Karel Berman; Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra; Zdeněk Chalabala, conductor.
• Supraphon 11 1800-2 612: Anna Barová, Daniela Suryová, Richard Novák, Jaroslav Horáček, Aleš Šťáva, Jan Hladík, Pavel Kamas, Miloš Ježil, Oldřich Polášek, Natalie Romanová-Achaladze, Brigita Šulcová; Brno State Philharmonic Chorus; Brno Janáček Opera Orchestra; Jiří Pinkas, conductor
• Kultur DVD D4443: Anne-Marie Owens, Joseph Evans, Peter Lightfoot, Kristine Ciesinski, Marko Putkonen, Joan Davies, Phillip Guy-Bromley, Kathleen Tynan, Alan Fairs, Geoffrey Davidson, Michael Forest, Julie Wong, Gavin Claire, Rossa Dunphy: Wexford Festival Chorus, Radio Telefis Eireann Symphony Orchestra; Albert Rosen, conductor.