The Two Widows

Performance history#

The US premiere took place in New York on 23 October 1949 and it was first given in the UK on 17 June 1963 at the Guildhall School of Music. Kurt Honolka provided a German version in 1958. The opera was presented by Scottish Opera in January 1980 at the Theatre Royal Glasgow with Dennis O’Neill and William McCue among the cast, conducted by Guy Woolfenden, and then in 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival.

Synopsis#

:Place: A castle in Bohemia (now Czech Republic).

Act 1#

At the castle, people are celebrating. The two widows, Karolina and Anežka, are sisters but are very different personalities. Karolina, the wealthy owner, is happy about her liberty and independence, while Anežka cannot make friends because she is still in mourning. Karolina is being pursued by Ladislav, but does not want to marry him, so she conspires to make Anežka fall in love with him. Karolina invites Ladislav to the castle, where he is arrested by Mumlal, the gamekeeper. Ladislav is condemned by Karolina to one day’s house arrest in the castle, and accepts the punishment. Anežka still shows no interest in him. At the end of the act, Lidka (Mumlal’s daughter) and her suitor Toník, with the chorus, sing about love.

Act 2#

While in prison, Ladislav sings a love song, which awakens romantic feelings in Anežka. However, learning of Karolina’s scheme and Ladislav’s confession, she will not show weakness. Only when Karolina begins to flirt with Ladislav does Anežka admits her feelings for him. Mumlal cannot keep Lidka and Toník apart. At the ball, both couples become engaged.

Recordings#

• 1956, Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor), Prague National Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Drahomíra Tikalová, Ivo Žídek, Maria Tauberová, Miloslava Fidlerová, Antonín Zlesák, Eduard Haken (Supraphon)
• 1974, Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor), Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Prague Radio; Jana Jonášová, Marcela Machotková, Miroslav Švejda, Dalibor Jedlička, Alfred Hampel, Daniela Šounová-Brouková
• 1975, František Jílek (conductor), Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra; Naďa Šormová, Marcela Machotková, Jiří Zahradníček, Jaroslav Horáček, Zdeněk Švehla, Daniela Šounová (Supraphon)
• 2025, Robert Jindra (conductor), Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague National Theatre Chorus; Adriana Kučerová (Karolina), Kateřina Kněžíková (Anežka), Adam Plachetka (Mumlal), Pavol Breslik (Ladislav), Jana Sibera (Lidunka), Petr Nekoranec (Toník) (Naxos)

References#

;Notes ;Sources *Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001.