Smart and dangerous: Cottbus’ little vixen in the gloomy stage lights!

Smart and dangerous: Cottbus’ little vixen in the gloomy stage lights!

The opera “The Cunning Little Vixen” by Leoš Janáček is currently attracting attention at the Cottbus State Theater. The play will be performed on July 3, 2025 and promises to captivate viewers with its unusual plot. The story follows the young vixen Schlaukopf, who is captured by the forester, but does not remain in his care, but uses cunning to free herself in order to regain her freedom. She subsequently falls in love with a young fox and starts her family, while ultimately being killed by a poacher, a fate that is obvious to many of her fellow foxes.

The production, directed by Armin Petras, deliberately avoids an idyllic depiction of nature. The stage design is not only characterized by a sloping wooden surface and a picket fence, but also conveys an image of a broken environment. The characters of the human world, including the forester and landlady, appear malicious, which underlines the dark twist of the opera. This view is supported by Milan Kundera's aria, who described the performance as a "heartbreaking idyll", which, however, is cast in a much more negative light by the direction. In the final act, the innkeeper lies on the stage as a corpse and a police officer is introduced, which once again illustrates the depths of human nature.

A game of humans and animals

The opera not only addresses the relationship between humans and animals, but also shows how characters contain both human and animal characteristics. Leoš Janáček himself described his work as “a cheerful piece with a sad ending,” which also illustrates the metamorphosis of play and seriousness in the piece. The eternal cycle of life and death and the dream of reconciliation between nature and culture are central themes that resonate in Janáček's work. This becomes clear not only in the course of the plot, but also in the musical accompaniment by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Cottbus State Theater under the direction of Johannes Zurl.

Particular emphasis is placed on the musical and dramatic implementation. Critics praise the ensemble's performance, although Andreas Jäpel, as the forester, has difficulty fully expressing the complexity of his character. In addition, the decision to present the opera in German is seen as problematic, as the melody in the original Czech and the old translation by Max Brod flatten the content.

A look behind the scenes

The production is like an exciting game in which animal characters reflect human abysses and the actors are often caught in bizarre situations. During the game it becomes clear that the boundaries between the animal and the human are blurring. Animals in the form of fox, bird and insect show a unique combination of human and animal characteristics; Nature becomes a stage for human conflicts and weaknesses. One could say that here we do away with sentimentality and trivialization in order to explore the heart of the story - the brutal reality of life.

The opera premiered in Brno in 1924 and has since had numerous productions around the world, always offering new perspectives on the timelessness of the story. At the Cottbus State Theater it is now time to dedicate ourselves to this timeless work, which delves deeply into the human psyche and encourages viewers to think.