Of all the capitals in Europe, Prague is perhaps the most magical. One of the few to evade bombing during the World Wars, Prague remains as lovely and charming today as it was 300 years ago.
As a young man, I once spent a week there, and the beauty of the city brought me to the verge of tears more than once. It was not long after the Velvet Revolution that overthrew communist rule. The economy was in shambles, so Prague was inexpensive to tour and dine out. Opera tickets to the city’s historic theaters cost less than a dollar, and box seats could be had for about five.
Since I was just out of college and had less than $400 to get through the week, how did I spend my evenings? I went to the opera six nights in a row.
The first four nights I saw Rigoletto, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, Carmen, and Tosca. They were all magnificent. On the fifth night, I saw Aida at the Statni Opera, a gorgeous old theater full of dark wood paneling, gold leaf, and red velvet. It was the most lavishly produced live event I’ve ever seen; at one point during the show, I started counting all the singers and dancers on the stage; I stopped at 150.
On my last night in Prague, I saw the greatest of all operas, Don Giovanni, at the Estates Theater, where Mozart conducted the world premiere in 1789. I was moved by the power of the music and the story, a tale of a playboy who seduces many women without a care for breaking their hearts.
But the production at the Estates Theater ended with a twist. In the final scene, after Don Juan was dragged to Hell for his sins, he re-appeared onstage for the finale out of his period costume – now wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket. I was confused by the modern clothes until later, as I left the theater scratching my head, someone explained to me that the contemporary clothing was a custom at the Estates Theater, signifying that the Don Juans of the world are always with us, even today. The mystery of this final flourish made the performance unforgettable.
These days, the Estates Theater still stages Don Giovanni on a regular basis. Ticket prices have increased, but you can still get great seats for less than fifty bucks. I hope to revisit the Estates Theater one of these days and see if the tradition of Don Juan’s modern clothing continues.
You should too. Buy tickets here.