Rusalka was the ninth of Dvorak´s ten operas, and the central one of the three on which he concentrated during the last five years of his life. The libretto for this ´lyrical fairy-tale´ is by Jaroslav Kvapil, based on the sotry ´Undine´ by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. Whereas many of Dvorak´s earlier operas had been hampered by mediocre librettos, he immediately recognized the superio quality of this one, with its engaging mixture of folk and lyrical elements, and completed the scorein just seven months between April and November 1900.

The premiere, at the Prague National Theatre on 31 March 1901, was a resounding triumph and since then Rusalka has remained the most successful of Dvorak´s opera. As John Tyrell has written,´The composer found a vein of melodic poignancy that memorably sets off his heroine: for many years Rusalka´s ´Hymn to the Moon´ was all that was known abroad of Dvorak´s vast operatic output.´ After The Bartered Bride, Rusalka remains the most frequently performed Czech opera. Although ´Hymnto the Moon´ is the title often given to this aria, ´Song to the Moon´ is perhaps nearer to the meaning of the words.

The water nymph Rusalka has fallen in love with the Prince, who often comes to bathe in her lake, and she longs to become human so that he can hold her in his arms. The water goblin Vodnik warns her against taking this step, but tells her that, if she insists, she must consult the witch Jezibaba. Before doing so, Rusalka prays to the moon to tell the Prince that she is waiting for him. The tale ends tragically, with the Prince´s death and Rusalka´s return to a lonely life beneath the waters.