With The Clever Fox little: Cottbus' last premiere of the season!

With The Clever Fox little: Cottbus' last premiere of the season!

Cottbus, Deutschland - On June 27, 2025, the State Theater Cottbus Janáček was created. This performance addresses the attempt to tame nature and ends with a tragic outcome.

The act of the opera extends over three acts and follows the history of the young foxin, played by Anne Martha Schuitemaker. It is trapped by a forester, but can escape her captivity and return to the forest. There she meets another fox, represented by Rahel Brede, with whom she founds a family. Armin Petras, who already staged Janáček's "Katja Kabanowa", took over the direction of this production. This performance not only represents a premiere, but also marks the end of the season and the farewell of director Stephan Märki, while Hasko Weber will take over the management of the theater at the coming season.

thematic depths

"The clever Füchslein" is often referred to as a children's opera, but the topics that Janáček deals with in it are profound and serious. It is about central questions of freedom, taming and living together in humans and animals. These questions are not only relevant for the protagonists, but also call for the audience to reflect. The opera addresses the relationship between the human world and the animal world and reflects the encounters and conflicts between these two spheres. She tells of the dream of reconciliation between nature and culture and develops an important love scene between the two foxes.

Janáček, who lived from 1854 to 1928, is considered one of the most outstanding composers of late romanticism and early modernity. His style, which is strongly inspired by Moravian and Slavic folk melodies, impressively expresses expression in "The Clever Fox Slein". The libretto is based on a picture story of Rudolf Těsnohlídek, which originally appeared in the Czech daily newspaper "Lidové Noviny" from 1920

a farewell and a new beginning

With the premiere of "The Smart Fückslein", the farewell performance of the previous director Stephan Märki also combines, which gives the staging an additional emotional level. The music of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the State Theater Cottbus, under the direction of Johannes Zurl, ensures the musical accompaniment of the complex narrative structure, which Janáček has masterfully composed.

The dramatic story culminates in a tragic moment when the foxin is finally shot by the poacher. This phrase not only means the end of history, but also raises questions about the challenges of the taming of nature, which Janáček addressed both in his work and in his life.

The staging of "The Smart Fox Slein" will not only be a cultural event, but also a profound commentary on the circumstances between people and nature that goes beyond the distance of the theater and raises current questions.