Šarlatán

Šarlatán (English: The Charlatan), Op. 14, is a tragicomic opera in three acts (seven scenes) by Pavel Haas to his own Czech libretto, after a 1929 German-language novel, Doktor Eisenbart, by Josef Winckler (1881–1966), which was based on the life of the travelling surgeon Johann Andreas Eisenbarth.

The opera was composed between 1934 and 1937. Haas completed his work on the libretto on 1 July 1934. Later, he was forced to conceal his inspiration, because a collaboration between a German writer and a Jewish composer was forbidden by Nuremberg Laws. The composer removed from the libretto any association with the original German background and he changed the name of the main character (Eisenbart) to the Czech equivalent, Pustrpalk. A six-movement Suite (Op. 14) based on themes from the opera, intended to publicise the premiere, was broadcast by the Brno Radio Orchestra on 14 June, 1937. In the event, the premiere was twice postponed, but eventually took place at the Zemské Divadlo v Brně, now the Mahen Theatre, Brno, on 2 April, 1938. The conductor was Guido Arnoldi, the director was Rudolf Walter, the designer was František Muzika and the choreography was by Ivo Váňa-Psota.

The opera was not seen again on stage until Wexford Festival Opera's October 1998 production, although concert performances were given in Prague in June 1997; these were recorded by Decca and issued on CD as part of their Entartete Musik series.

Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (B♭), bass clarinet (B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (B♭), 5 trombones, tuba, harp, xylophone, timpani, cymbals, small and large drums, triangle, violins I and II, viola, cello and double bass

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