Janacek: The Cunning Little Vixen

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Well - "An Afternoon at the Opera". I hadn't noticed this and turned the radio on this afternoon in a burst of serendipity - very probably my favourite of all operas, in a recording from the ROHCG from (?I think it said?) 2010, conducted by my favourite Janacek conductor, Charles Mackerras, with a sparklingly good cast. Well worth i-Playering:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07j3z9q

Not sure if the Chorus of the Rome Opera Theatre actually were involved, though!)


(Nobody with Kenny Dalglish's initials was involved in any aspect of this production or its broadcast.)

[David-G]

Thanks for the reminder!

It seems to be a Janacek week. I am going to see the "Vixen" at Glyndebourne on Saturday. And last night I saw "Jenufa" at the ENO. Completely magnificent. The last performance is tomorrow night; I would recommend anyone to go.

[Stanley Stewart]

[QUOTE=ferneyhoughgeliebte;570134]Well - "An Afternoon at the Opera". I hadn't noticed this and turned the radio on this afternoon in a burst of serendipity - very probably my favourite of all operas, in a recording from the ROHCG from (?I think it said?) 2010, conducted by my favourite Janacek conductor, Charles Mackerras, with a sparklingly good cast. Well worth i-Playering:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07j3z9q

Indeed, ferney, it was a 2010 ROH performance. I, too, was momentarily puzzled until I located my off-air video to DVD transfer which, surprise, surprise,, I first recorded in 2 Jan 1997,BBC2, from a Chatelet Theatre, Paris production with Charles Mackerras conducting, sung in Czech with English subtitles. Forester, Thomas Allen, Vixen, Eva Jenis; production directed by Nicholas Hytner. I also recall seeing a WNO production on tour at the Dominion, Tottenham Court Rd, with Mackerras conducting in the 80s - must now check my programme.

[Richard Tarleton]

I also recall seeing a WNO production on tour at the Dominion, Tottenham Court Rd, with Mackerras conducting in the 80s - must now check my programme.

I caught the WNO's 1980 production (first perf. 5.11.80) still going strong in Cardiff's New Theatre in May 2003, and with Charles Mackerras - an enchanting production, original director D Pountney.

[gurnemanz]

Listening this afternoon made me really want to see this again in the theatre. The last time was about 40 years ago - in German. I think Janacek can benefit greatly from being heard with the sounds and speech rhythms of the original Czech.

[greenilex]

Have seen that WNO production twice - absolute magic.

Often think I should try and take a grandchild or two....

[Belgrove]

Listening this afternoon made me really want to see this again in the theatre... .

Plenty of availability for the six remaining performances at the Glyndebourne revival Gurnemanz, which plays until the end of July. I saw this the first time around when impressively conducted by Jurowski. The production is certainly colourful, witty and engaging.

Although an appreciator of Janacek, I always feel underwhelmed by the climaxes of his stage works. They seem to end too quickly, do not deliver the emotional punch that others see in them, ultimately failing to move. The Forrester’s paean to nature fails to tug at my (atrophied?) heartstrings. Emilia Marty’s extraordinary end should be as transcendental as Isolde’s, but falls short of transcendence. I could go on… . So although an admirer, I do not love Janacek’s operas. But I’ll still carry on going to see them in hope.

[gurnemanz]

Plenty of availability for the six remaining performances at the Glyndebourne revival Gurnemanz, which plays until the end of July. I saw this the first time around when impressively conducted by Jurowski. The production is certainly colourful, witty and engaging.

Although an appreciator of Janacek, I always feel underwhelmed by the climaxes of his stage works. They seem to end too quickly, do not deliver the emotional punch that others see in them, ultimately failing to move. The Forrester’s paean to nature fails to tug at my (atrophied?) heartstrings. Emilia Marty’s extraordinary end should be as transcendental as Isolde’s, but falls short of transcendence. I could go on… . So although an admirer, I do not love Janacek’s operas. But I’ll still carry on going to see them in hope.

Thanks for the reminder. I've never actually been to Glyndebourne and would really like to make some time but probably not this time.

[JimD]

Although an appreciator of Janacek, I always feel underwhelmed by the climaxes of his stage works. They seem to end too quickly, do not deliver the emotional punch that others see in them, ultimately failing to move. The Forrester’s paean to nature fails to tug at my (atrophied?) heartstrings. Emilia Marty’s extraordinary end should be as transcendental as Isolde’s, but falls short of transcendence. I could go on… . So although an admirer, I do not love Janacek’s operas. But I’ll still carry on going to see them in hope.

Interesting, that: for me it is precisely the restraint, in tension with an impetus toward drama, in his music, which makes Janacek my favourite operatic composer. I find it similarly in his moments of lyricism, usually, some may say prematurely, snatched away.

[Richard Tarleton]

They seem to end too quickly, do not deliver the emotional punch that others see in them, ultimately failing to move.

Would you include Jenufa in that, Belgrove? I find the ending pretty powerful. Tho' Katie Mitchell's production for WNO contrived a coup de théâtre at the end which suggests a happier ending.....

[Belgrove]

Would you include Jenufa in that, Belgrove?

All of them I'm afraid Richard. Even at that perfect moment at the culmination of House of the Dead when the healed eagle is freed, the music simply does not match the significance of the deed, for me at least.

Having said that, there are very few operas that provide the perfect synthesis of drama and music - the phenomenal fusing with the noumenal.

[Richard Barrett]

Emilia Marty’s extraordinary end should be as transcendental as Isolde’s, but falls short of transcendence.

Hearing Janáček and wanting Wagner (or Schopenhauer!) is bound to result in disappointment. Janáček's unity of music, language and drama is taking place on a whole different level.

[Belgrove]

Hearing Janáček and wanting Wagner (or Schopenhauer!) is bound to result in disappointmentl.

I don't want it to be like Wagner (or Schopenhauer for that matter). I want the music to match, better still, exceed the extraordinary events we are witnessing on the stage.

By comparison I find the first act of Vec Makropulos utterly compelling as a musico-drama. The best (only?) detective/thriller in the operatic cannon?

[Richard Barrett]

I want the music to match, better still, exceed the extraordinary events we are witnessing on the stage.

But that depends on what we mean by "match", doesn't it? I find Makropoulos too quick and wordy for the strangeness of its dramatic content, while my own fascination for my favourites Vixen and Kabanova seems to derive from the way the music unveils so many layers of poetic depth beneath the relatively unpretentious events taking place on the stage, not "matching" but counterpointing them.

[Pulcinella]

I don't want it to be like Wagner (or Schopenhauer for that matter). I want the music to match, better still, exceed the extraordinary events we are witnessing on the stage.

By comparison I find the first act of Vec Makropulos utterly compelling as a musico-drama. The best (only?) detective/thriller in the operatic cannon?

The events following the cannon shot in Tosca are pretty dramatic!