Baltimore Opera Company

Study Guide

The Bartered Bride
Prodaná Nevesta

The Story

ACT I

Marenka is secretly in love with Jeník, a somewhat mysterious young man who works on a nearby farm. As the villagers prepare for a festival (“Proc bychom se netešili”), Marenka discovers that a long time ago, her father owed money to the landowner Mícha. In order to repay him, Krušina, Marenka 's father, promised that his daughter would marry Mícha's son, Vašek, who is sweet but rather dim-witted.

Deciding she will tell her father she will not marry Vašek because she loves someone else, Marenka asks Jeník to tell her more about his background (“Kdybych se co takoveho”), but he will only say that his mother died when he was a boy. After his father re-married, Jeník felt so unwanted that he left home to live in Moravia . Now he has returned. Jeník tells Marenka that he loves her deeply and they dream of building a life together.

When Kecal, the marriage broker who is to arrange Marenka 's marriage to Vašek, asks Marenka 's parents for their signature on the deal (“Jak vám pravim, pane kmotre”), they begin to question whether they are doing the right thing. Krušina remarks that he has always heard that Mícha has two sons, but has never met either one. He asks Kecal to tell him about both sons, but Kecal insists that Vašek is just the man for Marenka and that no one knows what has happened to the other son. Marenka joins them and tells her parents that she already has a sweetheart she has promised to wed. As the square fills with villagers celebrating the festival with their traditional dances (“Pojd' sem, holka, toc se, holka”), Kecal decides to find out who Marenka 's sweetheart is and to offer him money to leave her.

ACT II

The men of the village are singing a song in praise of beer (“To pivecko to veru je nebeský dar”), but Jeník insists that love tastes better than wine or beer. Marenka , meanwhile, is taking matters into her own hands. She finds Vašek, who is on his way to woo her according to his mother's wishes (“Ma...ma.. ma.. maticka”), and, without letting him know who she is, tells him that the woman he is going to marry is not a nice girl at all. Marenka then describes a fictional true love for Vašek - loving and sweet like she is - who is just right for him (“Známt' já jednu dîvcinu”). Marenka gets Vašek to swear that he will give up marrying the “mean” Marenka . Meanwhile Kecal finds Jeník, who he thinks is a simple farm worker. Kecal tries to bribe Jeník with an offer of marriage to another girl who Kecal will only describe by bragging about how rich she is. On top of this, Kecal offers Jeník 100 crowns to give up Marenka . Jeník refuses and insists on knowing who is putting up the money to free Marenka . When Kecal lets slip that his client is Mícha, Jeník suddenly agrees to give up Marenka for 300 crowns, "provided Marenka is to marry one man alone, and that man is Mícha's son, or the contract will be canceled on the spot." He also adds that Marenka must be free to marry without a dowry, and that her father must be free of all his debt to Mícha once Marenka marries Mícha's son. When Kecal leaves, Jeník muses on his mastery of the situation, and how much he loves Marenka (“Jak možná verît”). However, when the news comes out that Jeník has bartered Marenka for 300 crowns, the village is angered by his greed (“Prodal svou milou za tri sta”).

ACT III

Later that day, a traveling circus comes to the village as part of the Festival Day celebration. The Ringmaster introduces his troupe, including an Indian, a comedienne named Esmerelda, and a dancing bear, and as a preview of the evening's show, they perform The Dance of the Comedians. Suddenly the Indian runs in with the news that the man who plays the dancing bear has disappeared again. Esmeralda and the Ringmaster realize that Vašek would fit the bear suit, and they try to talk him into performing with them that evening (“Milostné zvírátko”). He is delighted and agrees.

Háta and Mícha enter with Kecal, looking for Vašek so he can sign the marriage contract. Vašek refuses, telling them that a pretty girl has made him change his mind. This confuses his parents and Kecal, who resolve to unravel this mystery (“V tom vezí náký podvod”). Meanwhile, Marenka is with her parents, upset at the news that Jeník has given her up for 300 crowns. Kecal joins them and proves the deed by showing Marenka his contract with Jeník. Marenka still refuses to marry Vašek, and thinks about staying single forever. Vašek and his parents appear, and when he realizes that the pretty girl who charmed him earlier is Marenka herself, he happily agrees to marry her. However, the wistful Marenka requests time alone to think over her decision. As Marenka a sadly thinks about her lost love (“Óh, jaký žal”), Jeník appears. She refuses to let him explain his actions, and they quarrel. Kecal enters and asks Marenka once more if she will marry Mícha's son. Jeník answers for her by swearing an oath that she will indeed marry Mícha's son. As both sets of parents and the entire village join them, curious to see how it will all end, Marenka , furious at Jeník, announces she will marry Vašek. Háta and Mícha, seeing Jeník for the first time, exclaim in astonishment. Jeník is Mícha's long-lost eldest son returned from years on the road. Marenka 's anger turns to relief, Jeník is reconciled to his parents, and everyone lives happily ever after (“Dobrá vec se podarila”)!

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