Sternenhoch

Photo: Jiri Sediak

= Sternenhoch, from the National Theatre Prague Opera, is based on Ladislav Klíma’s expressionist novel, The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch, written in Czech and published in 1928. This opera suggests the first expressionist plays - specifically Kokoshka’s Murderer, The Hope of Women. However, Kokoshka’s mythical male murders the woman he’s found; Klíma’s eponymous hero is a sort of anti-hero, a victim, looking foolish with a thin necktie and derby, and his female is a demon (even the witch Prince Sternenhoch goes to for protection betrays him). Each work is misogynistic in its own way.

The cast is flawless. When Sergej Kostov, in the central role, sings without vibrato, his voice has an eerie, haunting tone, less alive than undead. Vanda Sipova is equally mesmerizing as Helga, the wife from hell with an unearthly voice, mesmerizing us from the first line, “Your dead wife thanks for all our moments together.” When Prince Sternenhoch first sees her he says that she looks like a cadaver. The chorus drive us into a frenzy, horned women dancing Satan’s Mazurka, laughing demonically and playing violins.

The opera is sung in Esperanto, a wonderful singing language without too many interfering consonants. Ivan Acher’s contemporary music is evocative, varied and cohesive, sounding superb under the direction of Petr Kofron. Some eerie passages are so slow that they seem to be outside of time. Mr. Acher’s libretto is poetic and eloquent. Michal Docekal’s staging is classic, moody expressionism, with patches of light (by Ondrej Kyncl) in vast, endless darkness. The style allows him to include creative techniques: Prince Sternenhoch has an alter ego who accompanies him through the play, sometimes on Mr. Kostov’s shoulders.

The opera was presented in Pilsen’s stunning Grand Theatre, built in 1902 in the neo-Renaissance style. Visiting the richly decorated theater is itself an great experience.

The extreme stylization of Sternenhoch makes verisimilitude look pale. It’s hallucinatory. This marvelous production elicits responses from us on a primal level. It’s fascinating, simultaneously haunting and fun - “splendid hideousness”, to quote the libretto. What brilliant work!

 review
Steve Capra
September 2019
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