Rusalka

Among other art forms, the story of the little mermaid is represented in the opera Rusalka, Op. 114, by Antonín Dvořák. Hans Christian Andersen originally wrote his folktale in the early 1800's but Rusalka was performed in early 1900's. 

Rusalka is a water nymph, a female spirit in Slavic mythology. Her name comes directly from East Slavic русалка (originally meaning "red-haired girl") and still vernacularly translates as "mermaid" from Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian. Rusalka also appears in West Slavic folklore under the names víla (Czech, Slovak) or wiła(Polish). For those Harry Potter fans out there, YES, the Veela from the Quidditch World Cup are related. J.K. Rowling wrote it as a reference to the Greek sirens referred to in Homer's The Odyssey. So think of it this way: Greek Sirens = Veela = Mermaid = Red-haired Girl = Rusalka, yes?

The original tale of the little mermaid is quite different from the Disney version you may all know. We will elaborate on that later. But I want to show some differences between the operatic interpretation Rusalka and Hans Christian Anderson's version. First off, Rusalka is a water nymph that resides in a lake, rather than the ocean. And the witch that she goes to is a witch of the forest, of whom both sea creature and human alike go to for potions and magic.

In the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story, he depicts the witch as a sea monster mixed with an old lady (think Ursula from Disney...).

And the deal that the mermaid cuts with this witch has more dire consequences in the opera than in the folk story. In the opera, if the wedding doesn't workout between Rusalka and the Prince, then they both will be eternally damned. But in the folk story, the little mermaid is the only one that gets punished: she cannot have true love or an eternal soul. Both stories end with her not getting with the prince. But in the opera, she ends up turning into a demon of death. In the folk story, she just turns into sea foam. 

Because this story is a variation on the folk story, we have to ask why it was reproduced in operatic form? Society seems to demand it as a form of entertainment. But because it is an opera, there are some implications to note.

When people go to the opera they feel more educated or high society, right? It's not like you go to an opera and then walk away feeling more stupid or uneducated. Opera is sometimes referred to as the highest art form because it combines orchestra, acting, art, and singing. So by attending this opera, people can feel more apart of the opera connoisseur group. 

People are also connected by the expression of unattainable love. I think many of us have experienced one-sided, unattainable love before. It seems to be a human theme that we demand from the media. So the media gives it to us. And because it is in a foreign language, it forces those who do not speak that language to be more culturally aware. It is easy for us to think that we are the only ones on this planet and that everyone speaks English. But this story of Rusalka can remind us English speakers that there are good things that come from other cultures too!

This is Renee Fleming singing the famous "Moon Aria" from Rusalka. Enjoy-