London, UK – The Makropulos Case

Cast
Conducted by Jakub Hrůša
Emilia Marty – Ausrine Stundyte
Albert Gregor – Sean Panikkar
Baron Jaroslav Prus – Johan Reuter
Dr Kolenatý – Henry Waddington
Vítek – Peter Hoare
Janek – Daniel Matoušek
Count Hauk-Šendorf – Alan Oke
Kristina – Heather Engebretson
Cleaning Woman – Susan Bickley
Hotel Maid – Jingwen Cai
Stage Technician – Jeremy White
Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Director – William Spaulding
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Creatives
Music – Leoš Janáček
Libretto – Leoš Janáček
Director – Katie Mitchell
Set Designer – Vicki Mortimer
Costume Designer – Sussie Juhlin-Wallén
Lighting Designer – James Farncombe

Venue note
Acclaimed director Katie Mitchell stages a new production of Janáček’s haunting and enigmatic opera The Makropulos Case, which puts the human soul on the stand.

What if you could live forever?
Emilia Marty, a famous and mysterious opera singer, has lived for over 300 years thanks to an elixir of immortality. But when she becomes entangled in a battle to obtain a crucial document that will help her renew the life-extending formula, she begins to grapple with the emptiness and isolation her centuries-long existence has brought her.

Background
In its first-ever staging with The Royal Opera, Janáček’s haunting and enigmatic masterpiece is reimagined through a contemporary lens by Katie Mitchell (Theodora, Lucia di Lammermoor), who explores what it means to love, and at what cost. Ausrine Stundyte makes a welcome return to the house to sing the mysterious Emilia Marty, whose immortality is both a gift and a curse. Music Director of The Royal Opera Jakub Hrůša conducts.

Contemporary Soundscapes
Composed between 1923 and 1925, The Makropulos Case (or The Makropulos Affair) is characterised by its unique, modernist musical style that aligns closely with the opera’s dark and philosophical themes. Janáček’s score employs short and repetitive motifs that mirror the psychological tension and emotional complexity of the opera’s characters. Marked by sharp contrasts, rhythmic irregularities and unexpected harmonies, the music creates a soundscape that feels both unsettling and captivating – a synthesis that defines the mysterious character of Emilia Marty. Janáček’s innovative use of speech melodies – melodic lines that mimic the natural inflections of spoken language – contribute to the opera’s intense realism, making the emotions of each character feel vivid and immediate. Speech melody can be found in much of Janáček’s other operas, including his earlier-composed Jenůfa.