The Devil and Kate

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The Devil and Kate (Čert a Káča in Czech) is an opera in three acts by Antonín Dvořák (B.201 Op#.112) to a Czech libretto by Adolf Wenig, based on the fairy tales of Bozena Nemcova. First performance: National Theatre, Prague, 1899. To a lesser extant, "The Devil and Kate" is one of the few operas of Dvořák, along with "Rusalka", to be in continued performance. This can be attributed to the high demand for Italian grand operas in his time and the difficulties of Dvořák's intricate staging. The opera has much appeal because of its combination of fairy tale and folk music, it is as close in feel to a Czech tone poem as an opera can be. At times, it feels like a Czech version of Hansel & Gretel. It is interesting to note that the famed overture was written chronologically after the opera itself.