BaL 31.10.20 - Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen

[shadybarkis]

Nigel Simone mentioned another translated, socially distanced version from the NYP.

[makropulos]

Nigel Simone mentioned another translated, socially distanced version from the NYP.

I did indeed mention it, but it wasn't socially distanced –it is download only, conducted by Alan Gilbert, with Alan Opie as the Forester. As I said on the radio, I don't think it's really competitive with the best alternative versions (including Rattle's 1990 set in English).

[makropulos]

Simon Rattle's performances of Katya at ENO in 1986 were also wonderful, and up there for some of my greatest nights at the opera. Eilene Hannan sang Katya, and the cast included Patrick Power, John Treleavan Kenneth Woollam, Ann Howard and Cynthia Buchan. I was working as an usher at ENO at the time, having recently returned to London from University, and so was lucky enough to see every performance. I still have a tape of the Radio 3 broadcast somewhere.

Those Rattle Katya performances were terrific –how lucky you were to have seen all of the run! (I only got to one of them). I remember it very well though –and Eilene Hannan (sadly missed) particularly. I thought she was a wonderful singer, particularly in that role.

[makropulos]

I wonder why we do Janacek so well. The Mackerras influence or do we Just produce the right sort of voices ? It’s interesting I’ve had plenty of disappointing Verdi nights at both ENO and ROH but I have never seen a duff Janacek production in years of ENO, WNO , GTO , and ROH productions of Katya , Jenufa , Vixen .
However I was forced through illness to give my ROH From The House Of The Dead to my Son . He rang me up rather annoyed “Dad - they set it in a basketball court ! ” Well sung though...

That's such an interesting question. The Mackerras influence certainly had a huge impact on musical standards (as well as giving people the idea to perform the operas in the first place), but we should also mention David Pountney's productions of so many of them (mostly for WNO/SO) which set an extraordinary standard in the 1970s/80s, as well as individual productions by the likes of John Blatchley and Colin Graham. In other words, it's been a case of both a very strong musical tradition started and nurtured by Charles Mackerras (Richard Armstrong has been a wonderful advocate of these operas too, along with the likes of Mark Elder, Simon Rattle and Andrew Davis) –and an extremely intelligent approach to staging. Sadly the ROH basketball court House of the Dead (your son wasn't making this up –did he mention the inflatable doll?) was not one of the glories of the garden, even though musically it was strong. A few months earlier, WNO revived Pountney's stunning production (which I saw in Cardiff and in Southampton) and those were really memorable evenings.

[HighlandDougie]

Reading these really interesting posts suddenly reminded me that I saw Katya at ENO about 10 years ago (doesn't seem like it) in the David Alden production with Mark Wigglesworth - a conductor to whom until then I had never really taken - in stunning form. It brought a tear to my eye ....

[Ein Heldenleben]

That's such an interesting question. The Mackerras influence certainly had a huge impact on musical standards (as well as giving people the idea to perform the operas in the first place), but we should also mention David Pountney's productions of so many of them (mostly for WNO/SO) which set an extraordinary standard in the 1970s/80s, as well as individual productions by the likes of John Blatchley and Colin Graham. In other words, it's been a case of both a very strong musical tradition started and nurtured by Charles Mackerras (Richard Armstrong has been a wonderful advocate of these operas too, along with the likes of Mark Elder, Simon Rattle and Andrew Davis) –and an extremely intelligent approach to staging. Sadly the ROH basketball court House of the Dead (your son wasn't making this up –did he mention the inflatable doll?) was not one of the glories of the garden, even though musically it was strong. A few months earlier, WNO revived Pountney's stunning production (which I saw in Cardiff and in Southampton) and those were really memorable evenings.

As always so many things have to come together . I also wonder whether it’s simply easier ( not the right word - it’s all difficult ) to put on a Janacek Opera than say Don Carlos or Aida - you don’t need megastars - simply good singers who can act and sing reasonably convincingly in Czech or in English at ENO / ON . My son spared me the rubber doll - he is a very severe critic though - he completely deprecates Janacek in English ....

[kuligin]

The ROH House of the Dead was a truly terrible, such a disappointment after waiting years to see the work again.

But it’s not just Janacek at the ROH that gets a director with no sympathy for the music or drama and who wants to rewrite the Opera, there was Lucia, Eugene Onegin, Guillaume Tell...

It is really annoying to pay for travel and accommodation as well as the tickets to see such banal drivel.

[makropulos]

I'm delighted to upload this, with warmest thanks to forum member LHC for supplying the video recording. Here is the ROH Cunning Little Vixen conducted by Simon Rattle, originally broadcast on Christmas Day 1990. The introduction by Julian Pettifer is also included. Several posters have already commented on how much they enjoyed this at the time and it's well worth watching again, especially as the video quality is pretty good. This is the YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxM9hE4DNw

[LHC]

I'm delighted to upload this, with warmest thanks to forum member LHC for supplying the video recording. Here is the ROH Cunning Little Vixen conducted by Simon Rattle, originally broadcast on Christmas Day 1990. The introduction by Julian Pettifer is also included. Several posters have already commented on how much they enjoyed this at the time and it's well worth watching again, especially as the video quality is pretty good. This is the YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxM9hE4DNw

Many thanks for uploading this so quickly.

[Bryn]

I'm delighted to upload this, with warmest thanks to forum member LHC for supplying the video recording. Here is the ROH Cunning Little Vixen conducted by Simon Rattle, originally broadcast on Christmas Day 1990. The introduction by Julian Pettifer is also included. Several posters have already commented on how much they enjoyed this at the time and it's well worth watching again, especially as the video quality is pretty good. This is the YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxM9hE4DNw

Many thanks, makropulos. The English translation appears to follow the music pretty well. Such a good idea to lead those viewing it towards the Mackerra Vienna recording.