The Bartered Bride

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Image:Prodaná nevěsta.jpgThe Bartered Bride (in Czech, Prodaná nevěsta) is the second opera of eight by Bedřich Smetana. It is a comedy. The Czech libretto is by Karel Sabina who had also written the libretto for Brandenburgers in Bohemia. Smetana was the conductor of the first-night performance.

There are four versions. The original version (1863–66) is in two acts, as is the first revision of 1869; the second revision, also of 1869, is in three acts, and the definitive version, of 1869–70, is also in three acts. The first performance of the definitive version was at the Provisional Theatre in Prague on September 25, 1870.

Thanks to efforts of Princess de Metternich, The Bartered Bride was produced in Vienna in 1892, to considerable popular acclaim, and it became the only one of Smetana’s operas to maintain a permanent place in the repertory outside of the Czech homeland. The opera's overture and three dances are also part of the orchestral repertoire.

[edit] Characters

Principal roles
- Mařenka – Soprano
- Vašek – Tenor
- Jeník – Tenor
- Kecal – Bass
Minor roles
- Krušina – Baritone
- Ludmila – Soprano
- Mícha – Bass
- Háta – Mezzo-soprano
- Company manger – Tenor
- Esmeralda – Soprano
Other
- Indian – Tenor
- Two boys – Spoken
- Villagers, children, actors – Chorus

In many German language productions of this opera, Mařenka is renamed as Marie, Jeník is renamed as Hans, and Vašek is renamed as Wenzel.

[edit] Plot

Image:Kecal.jpg Mařenka and Jeník want to marry. However, Mařenka’s father, Krušina, has other ideas. He wants Mařenka to marry a boy she has never met, Vašek, the son of Micha, who is a wealthy landowner. The marriage-broker Kecal is hired to broker the marriage between Mařenka and Vašek. Kecal is made aware of the relationship between Mařenka and Jeník, and becomes determined to break them up in order to facilitate the marriage of Mařenka with Vašek. Mařenka and Vašek meet each other by accident, and while Mařenka works out who Vašek is, Vašek, on the other hand, is too much of a simpleton to realize who she is, and Mařenka starts painting a picture of Vašek’s intended bride as a woman who would make his life a total misery if he should marry her. This turns Vašek off the idea of marrying his intended wife, and also makes him interested in this girl who obviously has his best interests at heart. Meanwhile, Kecal starts his campaign to pay off Jeník, so that Jeník will renounce his right to marry Mařenka. Kecal eventually reaches a price with Jeník finds agreeable, and Jeník agrees to barter his bride away for 300 guilders. Jeník also specifies that this is on condition that Mařenka marries Mícha’s son. Since Kecal intends Mařenka to marry Vašek, so that he can get his money, he readily agrees. As soon as the contract is signed, the entire town repudiates Jeník.

A travelling circus comes to town, and Vašek becomes entranced with the gypsy, Esmeralda. There is some trouble with one of the acts, and Vašek is convinced to assist the circus. Mařenka is angry with Jeník for what he has done, and she angrily turns her back on him and agrees to marry Vašek. When both sets of parents meet with Mařenka, the appearance of Jeník at the meeting results in the revelation that Jeník is the long-lost son of Mícha from his first marriage, and that Jeník had been hounded out of house and home by his stepmother, Háta (who is also Vašek’s mother). As a result of this revelation, the terms of the contract between Kecal and Jeník, whereby Jeník gave her up (that Mařenka marry the son of Mícha), allows Mařenka to marry either Jeník or Vašek. Mařenka chooses Jeník, and Kecal is left with the embarrassment of having paid Jeník 300 guilders in order for Jeník to give up the right to marry Mařenka, to Jeník, himself. At this time, a frightened child rushes in and exclaims that a bear has escaped from the circus. As everybody cowers, the bear wanders in and pulls off its head, revealing that it was just the immature Vašek disguised in a bear costume for the circus. Embarassed, Háta drags Vašek off and the parents and the villagers congratulate the happy couple.