Famous as the libretto for Antonín Dvorák’s opera of the same name, Jaroslav Kvapil’s poem Rusalka is an intriguing work of literature on its own. Directly inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s famous “The Little Mermaid,” Kvapil’s reinterpretation adds an array of nuanced poetic techniques, a more dramatic tempo, and dark undertones that echo the work of eminent Czech folklorist Karel Jaromír Erben. All of these influences work in tandem to create a poetic work that is familiar yet innovative. Transposed into the folkloric topos of a landlocked Bohemia, the mermaid is rendered here as a Slavic rusalka—a dangerous water nymph—who must choose between love and immortality. Thus, Rusalka, while certainly paying homage to the original story’s Scandinavian roots, is still a distinct work of modern Czech literature. Newly translated by Patrick John Corness, Kvapil’s work will now find a fresh group of readers looking to get lost in one of Europe’s great lyrical fairy tale traditions.

This book serves as an aid to anyone seeking to perform and gain a deeper understanding of this multi-layered opera, which so trenchantly asks what it means to be human, to love, and to be loved in return.

UNFOLDING THE WINGS OF VICTORY! Humanity is under siege. Strange, hostile beings known only as pillars are stripping away the very life force of the Earth, turning vast tracts of the planet into barren wasteland. The only ones who can stand in their way are the Valkyries, the chosen of Odin himself who fight with his blessing in divine machines that arc gracefully through the air, leading the countercharge of the human race. Even with their support, the fighting is desperate, and hope is hard to come by on the European front. Rusalka is determined to do everything she can to change that as one of the chosen warriors tasked with retaking the skies and bringing humanity back from the brink of extinction!

Moving to Belarus is not a teenager's dream come true. However, sixteen-year-old Wojtek has no choice, because his father received a lucrative job offer there. Perhaps it will help him break free from the memories of his mother's death and start living in the present. Wojtek has no idea that what he will meet at Lake Świteź, made famous by Adam Mickiewicz, will change his life forever.Svetlana dreams of becoming an ordinary girl - going to school, having friends, perhaps falling in love. A seventeen-year-old is disturbed by one fact - she is a rusalka, a drowned girl, a demon who, by its nature, should attract and kill people as soon as they enter her territory. When the paths of the two cross, their lives will change. Their love was born slowly, in unfavorable, in mysterious circumstances. But will it be strong enough to resist the demons and the malevolent forces of nature? The author takes us to the world of Slavic mythology, full of creatures we know from the stories of our grandparents.

Spanning 400 years of musical drama, Eyewitness Companions: Opera is your guide to the musical world. Explore operas and composers from the late Renaissance on, including such classical masters as Verdi, Puccini, and Bizet. Eyewitness Companions: Opera is the complete visual guidebook to the great operas, their composers and performance history. Eyewitness Companions: Opera includes more than 160 operas by 66 composers around the world. This richly illustrated eBook includes act-by-act plot synopses and storyline highlights, plus detailed profiles cover composers, Librettists, singers, and more.

A scholarly work that aims to be both broad enough in scope to satisfy upper-division undergraduates studying folk belief and narrative and detailed enough to meet the needs of graduate students in the field. Each of the seven chapters in Part 1 focuses on one aspect of Russian folk belief, such as the pagan background, Christian personages, devils and various other logical categories of the topic. The author's thesis - that Russian folk belief represents a "double faith" whereby Slavic pagan beliefs are overlaid with popular Christianity - is persuasive and has analogies in other cultures. The folk narratives constituting Part 2 are translated and include a wide range of tales, from the briefly anecdotal to the more fully developed narrative, covering the various folk personages and motifs explored in Part 1.

The Spirits and Creatures series takes an in-depth look at spirits and creatures across Eastern Europe. Author Ronesa Aveela grew up in Bulgaria where many of these entities were part of the tales and beliefs her grandmother told to her. This series will look at the origins of these beings, and popular ways people believed you could appease or defeat them. Illustrations, stories, music, and videos add to the details of these fascinating beings. This collection contains the first three books of the series, plus a book of additional dragon tales: *A Study of Household Spirits of Eastern Europe *A Study of Rusalki – Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe *A Study of Dragons of Eastern Europe *Dragon Tales from Eastern Europe Although the books have extensive research, they are meant for a non-academic audience.