Smetana: The Bartered Bride

The BBC Symphony Orchestra rounds off its eightieth birthday celebrations by joining the BBC Singers to present a performance of Smetana's rich evocation of Bohemian village life, focusing on the fortunes of the lovers Marenka and Jeník and their attempts to deceive their parents, the stuttering Vasek and the scheming marriage-broker Kecal. Jiri Belohlávek conducts while an almost all-Czech cast performs. With direction from Kenneth Richardson. (Note: Concert staging. Performed in Czech with English surtitles. Ticket holders are additionally invited to a free pre-concert talk in Barbican Hall at 6pm.)