The Cunning Vixen

Under the cute German title Das schlaue Füchslein, this opera by Leoš Janáček, which premiered in 1924, was and is often told as a droll and cute series of anecdotes from the animal kingdom. But just how funny is the life of the little vixen who is captured by a forester, kills a flock of hens and, after further adventures, is finally shot by a sneaky tramp?

This is the question posed by star director Peter Konwitschny. In combination with Janáček's sensitive music, which is carried by a glowing melody and sensitive interpretation of language, Konwitschny delivers a theatrically diverse analysis of social behaviour and power structures. Under the title The Cunning Vixen, which is based on the Czech original, he turns the contrast between humans and animals into a confrontation between the serene older generation and the vitality of youth.