DAS SCHLAUE FÜCHSLEIN

One of the most touching and unsentimental love scenes in opera history takes place not between people, but between two young, erotically inexperienced foxes. Leoš Janáček imbues their encounter with the unrepeatable magic of the first time. His libretto, based on a picture story, tells the story of the young vixen who is caught by the forester, incites the chickens to revolution on his farm before she bites their throats, takes to her heels, drives the badger out of his den, marries the fox, gives birth to an incalculable number of offspring and is finally shot by the poacher.

Does man really deserve the crown of creation? Janáček finds highly suggestive tones for the human in the animal - and the animal in the human.

One of the most touching and unsentimental love scenes of opera history is not between two people, but rather between two erotically inexperienced foxes. Leoš Janáček affords their tête-à-tête the unrepeatable magic of the “first time”. His libretto based on a picture story tells the tale of the young vixen, who is caught by the forester in his yard instigating his chickens to revolt, before she bites through their throat and takes off, runs the badger out of his sett, marries the fox, brings numerous cubs into the world and ultimately is shot by the poacher.

Director Barrie Kosky raises the metamorphosis to the precept of his staging, and in dreamlike imagery conjures up the transforming power of memory. The entire opera relates the desire for grand reconciliation – no less than that between the worlds of nature and culture, which the piece also reflects musically refined and multi-interlayered.