The Bartered Bride

Every bit of the spontaneous charm that infuses Smetana’s colorful opera is conveyed in this English-language performance by a spectacular cast. Teresa Stratas as Mařenka is determined to marry her lover Jenik (Nicolai Gedda), but her father in under obligation to Micha and wants her to marry Micha’s son—the stuttering, rather foolish Vašek (Jon Vickers in a tour-de-force comic performance). Fortunately Jeník has a secret of his own and it all ends well. James Levine and the Met orchestra bring out the Bohemian color and rhythm of this enchanting score, and Pavel Smok’s choreography adds a delightful flair.