Polonaise from Rusalka, Op. 114
Antonín Dvořák  (1841-1904)

THE STORY

     Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka is his ninth and most famous opera, which has grown in popularity in recent decades and is now performed regularly by major opera companies. The story is based on a Czech fairy tale of a water sprite, with parallels to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid—the first act recounts how Rusalka, the water sprite, makes a deal with a witch that will allow her to pursue love with a prince in exchange for her voice.
     The Polonaise music appears in the second act of the opera, taking place in the garden of the prince’s castle. It accompanies a courtly dance scene which serves to starkly contrast Rusalka’s magical world with the prince’s human, aristocratic one.

LISTEN FOR

• Trumpet blasts at the opening that call the court to attention

• A pompous string melody with military percussion that accompanies the courtly procession

• The elegant woodwind melody in 3/4 waltz time as the dance begins

INSTRUMENTATION

Piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, strings