Il Boemo
Sumptuous historical drama about the trials and triumphs of 18th-century Czech opera composer Josef Mysliveček, who managed to break through in Italy as an outsider.
Venice, 1765. The charming and talented Czech Josef Mysliveček dreams of a career as an opera composer, but in a city brimming with musical talent and established names, this seems impossible. When he becomes the lover of a prominent marquise, his luck seems to turn. He receives a unique commission: to compose an opera for Teatro San Carlo in Naples, at the time the largest theatre in Europe. Soon, ‘the Bohemian’ grows into a famous composer. However, a debilitating illness and changing fashions mark the beginning of his downfall.
Director Petr Václav’s film is an ode to a Czech musical icon and to his music, performed in IL BOEMO by international opera stars such as Philippe Jaroussky and Simona Šaturová.