Ceské Dechove Kvinteto

Imagine: John Lennon, with its wealth of stock Lennon footage and self-narration, proved to be a well-received film.

This is sequel of the adaptation of the famous satiric tale of well-intending soldier Schweik by Jaroslav Hasek. At the beginning of the story Lieutenant Lukas and his batman Schweik are on the way to Ceske Budejovice. Schweik together with train conductor accidentally pull the emergency brake. At the Tabor station he is asked to pay a penalty for a train delay. Some kind gentleman pays a penalty for him and gives him money for a new ticket. However, Schweik drinks the money away. Thus he must go to Budejovice on foot. On his way he gets into many grotesque situations.

This highly acclaimed production from the Bayerische Staatsoper was a veritable sensation and the performance of up-and-coming Latvian soprano, Kristīne Opolais was rightly hailed by the press as “one of the most vivid and striking accomplishments seen on an opera stage in a long time” (Vienna’s leading daily “Der Standard”).