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The libretto of the most well known opera by Dvořak, which premiered in Prague in 1901, is inspired by the Czech version of the Central European folktale, one we also know as Undine (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué or The Little Mermaid(1837) by Hans Christian Andersen. The original story is perfectly translated into a musical score full of colour and magic where it is possible to perceive a Wagnerian influence, especially in the river currents of Der Ring des Nibelungen. There are also considerable similarities with another wonderful aquatic fable of sacrifice and redemption: Sadko (1898) by Rimski-Kórsakov. Notwithstanding,  the composer did not renounce his Bohemian roots for he left a mark on a large part of his creations as an artist committed to Czech music and culture. Rusalka triumphed quickly in German speaking countries but international acceptance took time, in spite of the famous “Song to the Moon”. As of the last decades of the 20th century, its presence on the world stage has consolidated and today Rusalka is one of the twenty most performed operas; surprisingly it has never been performed since the re-inauguration of the Teatro Real.