Leos Janacek: Jenufa

1. Jenufa, opera, JW 1/4
   Composed by Leos Janacek
   Performed by National Theater Orchestra
   with Helena Tattermuschova, Zdenek Kroupa, Nadezda Kniplova, Anna Rouskova, Jindrich Jindrak, Eva Hlobilova, Vilem Pribyl, Ivo Zidek, Bozena Effenberkova, Marie Mrazova, Marta Bohacova, Slavka Prochazkova
   Conducted by Bohumil Gregor, Milan Maly
   
   

Leos Janacek: Jenufa,Leos Janacek,Bohumil Gregor,Milan Maly,National Theater Orchestra,Nadezda Kniplova,Anna Rouskova,Bozena Effenberkova,Eva Hlobilova,Helena Tattermuschova,Ivo Zidek,Jindrich Jindrak,Marie Mrazova,Marta Bohacova,Slavka Prochazkova,Vilem Pribyl,Zdenek Kroupa,Capitol,Classical,Czech 20th/21st Century Opera,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio

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Average customer rating: The Decline of Operatic Ceremony Great performance of Janacek's masterpiece Only the best Jenufa by default One of the best operas of the 20th century One of the best

Janacek: Jenufa / Mackerras, Soderstrom, et al Sir Charles MacKerras , Elisabeth Soderstrom , Lucia Popp , Eva Randova , Peter Dvorsky , Marie Mrazova , Wieslaw Ochman , Dalibor Jedlicka , and Vienna State Opera Chorus Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Leos Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen - Lucia Popp / Eva Randová / Dalibor Jedlicka / Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Chorus / Sir Charles Mackerras Janacek - Jenufa / Davis, Alexander, Silja, Glyndebourne Opera Janacek - From the House of the Dead / Mackerras R. Strauss: Elektra Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti, Malas, Sinclair, ROH Covent Garden, Bonynge ASIN: B0000041QG Release Date: 2002-09-10

Customer Reviews:

The Decline of Operatic Ceremony .......2006-10-19

Of all the operas I know, I like this one the least. Although it contains some excellent passages, it displays the chaos that results from trying to impose an ideal of empirical realism on an art that thrives on symbolic idealism. The real key to the power of opera lies in its old-world sense of the authority of symbols. An opera like Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medee possesses a type of ceremonial dignity which faded steadily until it lay completely out of sight by Janacek's time. Wagner had done his best to keep a sense of ceremony alive in a work such as Parsifal; but the democratic process of replacing ceremonial power with personal emotion could not be held in check beyond that point. Janacek's opera is full of noise. It follows the premise that there is something significant about misery presented for the sake of misery. From the outset of the opera the level of tension remains too high for too long just as Debussy's concept of effete aristocracy results in too low a level in the nearly contemporary Pelleas and Melisande. Janacek's sense of respect for ceremony has been replaced by a condescending anthropological attitude like the one that operates in Gauguin's paintings. Jenufa "goes native" in his material without anything like the bracing ceremonial dignity of Smetana's fine Dalibor. His characters are so humble (inferior) that it is difficult to pay any attention to what they are saying and feeling. They need a character like Count Dracula to liven things up; and that is pretty much what Bartok accomplishes with the male character of his wonderfully mysterious Bluebeard's Castle. I certainly have nothing against Eastern Europe. But folksy folksiness amounts to nothing. We are supposed to pity the unwed mother Jenufa; but why pay any attention to her at all? In this opera Janacek's muse has simply sunk too low for a consistently artistic result.

Great performance of Janacek's masterpiece.......2005-12-10

Jenufa is the most lyrical of all Janacek's opera's. It is also one of the most dramatic. Eva Randova's brilliant and affecting performance as Kostelnicka brings out the beauty of music and the tragedy of the role. Elizabeth Soderstrom's Jenufa is beautifully sung and well-acted. Her "Zdravas Kralovno (Ave Maria)" is a bright gem in a beautiful setting.
Personally, I think Mackerras' reading of the overture is as it should be: loud and full of brass, like Janacek's Sinfonietta.

Only the best Jenufa by default.......2005-09-24

Mackerras, not an inspired conductor, has devoted himself to Janacek's operas and very honorably set them down in good Decca sound with accomplished casts. So far, so good. But if any of Janacek's stage works deserves a blazing interpretation, this is it. On a live concert recording under Eve Queller on Sony, the orchestra and sonics aren't nearly as good as here, but Leonie Rysanek gives an astounding performance as the grandother, and that's enough inmy mind to push that version past this very well done one.

One of the best operas of the 20th century.......2004-09-17

This is really a brilliant opera. This is no belcanto, catchy-tunes, Verdi-style type of opera. It is a raw rural drama with sex, blood and deadly rage. There are several good things going for it:
(i) Although the story is hair-raising at times (infanticide), it is entirely credible (no babies mistakenly thrown in the fire here, unlike in Verdi's Il Trovattore) - this opera's libretto was not ordered to be written from scratch, it was first a stage play before becoming a libretto. For that reason, it had to have a convincing internal logic to succeed first as a play.
(ii) Janacek's music adds greatly to the story. The scene, in the third act, where the crime of infanticide is uncovered will send shivers down your spine.
(iii) Janacek is very good in using folk music motives. The opera is set in Moravian countryside and the music shows it. Apparently, he could come up with such convincing folk-sounding tunes that many experts thought them to be genuine folk songs, only arranged for opera.
(iv) The singing is good on this recoding. All the singers try hard to convey the emotion of their piece: they had to be very well acquaninted with the text - which is in Czech, an obscure language for many of the performers.
(v) The accompanying booklet does a great job explaining the background of the opera. And explaining you will need - for understanding the personal interrelationships alone.

One of the best.......2004-02-11

Knowing this recording and reliving it in the theater (if it is a good performence) is one of those experiences one doesn't forget easily. Like Puccini, Janacek appeals to our hearts. The two principle women deserve all the credit. Söderstöm sounds very much as the young peasant girl deserted by her lover. Listening to Randova one hears that she is a great singing actress. The supporting roles are very well cast and one couldn't ask for a more dedicated chorus and orchestra under the baton of Mackerras. This one is hard to beat.

Average customer rating: My favorite recording of Jenufa For Silja, this coms too late Karita Mattila - born to the role After a long wait, disappointment.

Jenufa: Complete Opera Leos Janacek , Eva Randova , Anja Silja , Bernard Haitink , and Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Covent Garden Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs Janacek: Jenufa / Mackerras, Soderstrom, et al Eugene Onegin Bellini: I Puritani / Callas, di Stefano, Rossi-Lemeni, Panerai; Serafin Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto ASIN: B000071669 Release Date: 2002-12-17

Tracks:

1. Prelude - Bernard Haitink
2. Uz Se Vecer Chyli - Karita Mattila
3. Co To Robis Mladku? - Karita Mattila
4. Co Ty, Jenufo - Jerry Hadley
5. Dusa Moja, Stevo, Stevusko! - Jerry Hadley
6. A Tak Bychom Sli Celym Zivotem - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
7. Stevo, Stevo, Ja Vim - Jerry Hadley
8. Jak Razem Vsecko To Stevkovo Vypinani Schliplo - Karita Mattila
9. Prelude - Bernard Haitink
10. Necham Jeste Dvere Otevreny - Karita Mattila
11. Ba, Ta Tvoje Okenicka - Anja Silja
12. Tetko Kostelnicko - Jerry Hadley
13. Ale Videl Jsem Vchazet Sohaje - Anja Silja

Tracks:

1. Co Chvila... Co Chivla - Anja Silja
2. Mamicko, Mam Tezkou Hlavu - Karita Mattila
3. Kde To Jsem? - Karita Mattila
4. Tot' Zrovna Jde! - Karita Mattila
5. Prelude - Bernard Haitink
6. Neni Ti Teskno, Jenufko? - Karita Mattila
7. Vidis, Laco, Ja Tu Tusila - Karita Mattila
8. A Hen... Uz Jsou Tu! - Jerry Hadley
9. To Bylo Nakeho - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
10. Stevo, To Je Ti Strasne - Jerry Hadley
11. To Muj Skutek - Chorus Of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
12. Vstante, Pestounko Moja! - Karita Mattila
13. Odesli. Jdi Take! - Karita Mattila

Amazon.com

This new recording of Janácek's Jenufa might not replace the gold standard performance led by Sir Charles Mackerras, but it is superb in many ways. Anja Silja's portrayal here of Kostelnicka is epic; she makes us understand the misplaced morality of this troubled, troubling character--a morality that leads to catastrophe. She is positively hair-raising in the second act. Her hysteria actually makes the listener anxious. Similarly, as Jenufa, our heroine to whom nothing but bad luck and misery come until the very end, soprano Karita Mattila is radiant. One can read her thoughts and feel her feelings by vocal inflection alone, and she is in excellent voice, expressive from top to bottom. Jorma Silvasti is a fine Laca, filled with both remorse and love, singing with a beautiful lyric tenor. Jerry Hadley vocally acts the role of the playboy Steva well, but his voice seems to be in real trouble--worn and strained. Bernard Haitink leads with clarity and warmth, but the lucidity and understanding Mackerras brings to the score are missing. Even if you own the Mackerras, your collection is incomplete without Mattila and Silja, who bring their characters vividly, shockingly to life. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

My favorite recording of Jenufa.......2007-01-28

Why people would even give this less than four stars is a mystery to me, as the team making up this recording has lavished this with perhaps one of the most powerful accounts of the opera ever heard on disc. Jenofa has perhaps had more idiomatic singers and conductors in the studio, such as the Supraphon with Benackova and Kniplova, but this is the most satisfying account in record, at least according to my ears. I've never hears a more vulnerable, proud, courageous, and headstrong Jenofa than Karita Mattila. The way she uses the colors of her voice to create a very vivid characterization of the Moravian peasant girl is most impressive. I have never heard a better Jenofa. She is partnered by the Kostelnicka of Anja Silja, who perhaps gives the most vivid portrayal of this tormented, morally and psychologically degraded character in all the recordings I've heard. True, the voice may not be what it once was. Silja was a vocal wonder who at 19 sang the Queen of the Night, Brünnhilde at 24, and Elektra at 25. At her tender age, she sang the most difficult roles of the German repertoire, eventually turning to the more modern repertoire when her lover Wieland died. She was then the most impressive interpreter of Berg and Schönberg that I've ever heard, and her Janacek is perhaps one of the best ever recorded. Her performances of Emilia Marty, the Kostelnicka, and the Kabanicha are without a doubt dramatic references of these difficult character parts. I don't think there is a singer who has fully captured the Kostelnicka's character as much as Silja does, and with her portrayal of the part, makes the woman a more central character in the plot than in most productions, which is the way it should be anyways. The character is indeed more significant, and if one were to look at Czech country life, this is the interpretation which fully captures the character of a true village mother. Laca is taken by Jorma Silvasti, the best I've ever heard on records. Eva Randova, a former Kostelnicka on Mackerras' recording, is no slouch in the character of the Starenka. Only Jerry Hadley is less than graceful as Steva, although he is quite competent musically. Bernard Haitink leads the London forces with lyrical passion and a modern hand, expressing the score's myriad of colors as effectively as Mackerras does. I think this should be a reference recording for Jenofa, and if some listeners don't like it because of Anja Silja, then one should ask why they listen to singers like Maria Callas, Leonie Rysanek, Gwyneth Jones, and Astrid Varnay, singers who, while imperfect, give some of the truest and strongest characterizations on disc.

For Silja, this coms too late.......2005-01-09

This should have been a marvellous recording, but while Silja makes up, on stage, for vocal shortcomings through sheer presence, obviously that presence is absent on disc, and the voice is left to its own devices. For that, it's now too late. Ten years ago, perhaps, but with all due respect to this outstanding artist, not today. A great shame.

Karita Mattila - born to the role.......2003-02-23

The new Erato (Warner Classics) recording of Jenufa taken from live performances is released this month, after originally being announced for November 2002. There are always problems in transferring live performances onto record, luckily for these superlative performances of Jenufa from Covent Garden last autumn it was only Olivier Tambosi's production that was not a focal point. The highlights of this new set are many, not least Anja Silja's return to the role of the Kostelnicka, Karita Mattila's first appearance in the title-role in Britain, and the outstanding Laca of Jorma Silvasti. It was surprising that Bernard Haitink chose this work out of all the opera repertory he has sought to make his own to conduct in his final season at Covent Garden. His other choice, Tristan und Isolde, was a more obvious choice (something he walked towards throughout his Covent Garden career) and which was very much 'his'. He does not have the command of some of his counterparts, yet these performances are fine enough.

Those used to the pace of the Mackerras release on Decca, or the more rugged interpretations on Supraphon will find Haitink's more romantic measure of this version sometimes at odds with the drama (as with Vladimir Jurovski at the Met performances recently). It is beautifully played by the Covent Garden orchestra, but, as with the Vienna Philharmonic under Mackerras, perhaps too beautifully. The stamping of the live performance will be found distracting by some keen on the purity of the studio situation, but I felt it was almost a blessing at times, and makes the conscripts scene in Act One full of enthusiasm. Haitink does invest much in the specifics of the score, rather than merely revelling in the powerful pace of Janacek's drama, and this is no bad thing. Orchestral solos and the more transparent textures of the Brno 1908 version of the score used on this recording (edited by Mackerras and John Tyrrell) benefit greatly from Haitink's attention to detail.

The two lead women are outstanding. Anja Silja may be a little too old for the opera in the theatre, but her voice and presence here on disc surely make her the Kostelnicka of recent times. Her tirades as the Kostelnièka are among the most frightening I have heard, and she is perhaps even more perspicacious than Eva Randová under Mackerras. Randová, incidentally, appears on the present record as the Grandmother, a touching point of casting and a reminder of the old Decca recording guard. Karita Mattila excels in the title-role. The prayer in Act Two (as on her 'Scenes and Arias' release) is intense yet lyrical and her scenes with Laca and Števa are well drawn. At these more introverted moments the beauty of the orchestra's playing is most welcome.

Although not the main selling point of this new release, Jorma Silvasti is a strident Laca, a tenor with much to give in this repertoire (more recently Laca under Ozawa in Vienna). His moments of reflection with Jenufa, as well as his performance in Act Three, are charming, and his more vitriolic jealous turns are stronger than previous more wimpish interpretations have had us believe. Jerry Hadley as Števa, on the other hand, is not quite the equal of the other principals. His drunkenness in Act One is perhaps a little too vulgar and his voice does show strain in his forgiveness scene with Mattila (Disc 1, Track 7, 5:20) giving little indication of his previous achievements, both on disc (particular in Weill's Street Scene and The Rake's Progress) and in the theatre. I cannot imagine that when he sang Laca at Salzburg it was comparable to Jorma Silvasti's here. The rest of the cast is uniformly sound (particular note going to Jonathan Veira's foreman), and, as ever, the Royal Opera Chorus excels. Some moments in the sound come across as slightly distant because of the relation between pit and stage, but generally it is good, with the orchestra detail (as mentioned above) being particularly lucid. The booklet is beautifully presented, with many photos of the Covent Garden cast. After the detail of John Tyrrell's notes in the Mackerras Decca recording, the single essay in Erato's booklet is a slight disappointment. Some not knowing the production live will find the photos of Frank Philipp Schlössmann's set full of boulders bizarre, but I promise the same was true in the theatre. The recording is, all in all, a great new release (if lacking some of the fire of the Mackerras) and a welcome reminder of this generally fine cast, now thankfully devoid of the asinine production. A delightful addition to the Janacek discography...

After a long wait, disappointment........2003-02-09

It has been a very long time, since a major label has taken the time and money to create a new version of this terrific piece of musical drama. Since the Decca studio version of 1983, all new releases have been live (to preserve the greatness of several artists in various roles), or re-releases of previous studio versions brought about by a lively interest in Janacek and his stage works.

This was a long wait, personally, and we have here a very long rendition of the piece. Timings are much longer than any other renditions of the opera, and it is NOT because of additional music being recorded for the first time. It is due to the reticence of the conductor, Bernard Haitink, to come to grips with the essential nature of the ostinatos rhythms underlying the score. He does not press forward in momentum, as other conductors do, and which I prefer.
If you are fine with hearing every single note and every phrase articulated with precision, this is for you. I do not believe that it adds drama,or a knowing coherency of the work's architecture: it impedes the larger flow of theatrical moments and tension. To be this removed is the choice of the conductor. I have heard a FIDELIO conducted by Haitink that simply blew the audience out of the theatre with dramatic thrust and tension, so I know he is capable of this sort of passion. None of that applies here. The Royal Opera orchestra is wonderful, very clean in their detailed work. The recorded image is good though I'd like more immediacy of the orchestral "voice".

Karitta Mattila has a wonderful upper register. The middle of the voice is problematic - it looses focus and is underpowered. Frequently, I mistake her voice for others when not looking at the libretto.
I even confuse her voice with Anja Silja's at moments. In singing the part of Kostelnicka, Silja's voice is deteriorated beyond the ability to sing this role. She has resources as a vocal actress, yet so much of it is just plain unpleasant, and because we are not being able to see her physical protrayal, means the impact of the role is lessened to a significant degree. I don't feel she dominates the drama as she should. Also in the cast is Eva Randova, who was the wonderful and dramatic Kostelnicka from the Decca recording of 1983 under Charles Mackerras (now there is a conductor who, though slow in tempi also, understood where the arcs of the drama were pointed and what to underscore). Eva Randova, as Grandma Buryja, the head of the family clan, has also deteriorated in her vocal condition, to the point she is barely able to articulate the notes in the phrases. This is unfortunate, because I have a lot of respect for her wonderful recordings of JENUFA and CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN for Mackerras' Decca series. When both Kostelnicka and Grandma Buryja are singing in the same scene, it is very difficult to tell them apart as vocal/dramatic personalities. What a shame. Once again, this takes down the theatrical temperature to a very tepid affair.

The tenor,Jorma Silvestri, would have been most welcome and even wonderful as the braggart and weak Steva. Here he is cast in the heavier role of Laca, which sounds a little past his means, as Mattila does in her's. By the third act, though he continues to sing with attractive tone and security, his impact is also weakened. Jerry Hadley who does sing the part of Steva, shares with Eva Randova, the obstacle of working with the remains of a voice. He is not singing. It comes across as shouting on pitch with a desperate attempt to hold on to the repeated notes when the character is attempting to be manipulative through a certain degree of sensuality. Here he has no ability to finesse the vocal line or project a character. It was a struggle to listen to this section, which has strong folkloric elements that are very engaging, and with some of the most beautiful legato music in the opera. All was lost here, once the fun of a decent tempo for the choral introduction and dance in this scene were past.

The buildup of tension at the end of Act 1, when Jenufa's cheek is slashed by Laca out of jealousy, is also missed. Completely. One hardly knows the act is over, execept for the applause (of an apparently appreciative audience). Act 2 lumps along and the duet of Kostelnicka and Jenufa is too slow to be moving. The decision to kill the baby is without climax. Act 3 actually finds a rhythm that works, though once again slow, and the end though well sung, (Mattila sounds wonderful in this part of the opera) is without significant support from Haitink and so lacks fulfillment.

This could have been a wonderful new addition, but I do not recommend it to anyone. I bought it because I LOVE this work, and am willing to listen to all who choose to embody it.

Average customer rating:

Song to the Moon Manufacturer: Cbc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Goldmark | Goldmark, Karl | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weber | Weber, Carl Maria von | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000025VE5 Release Date: 2001-07-01

Tracks:

1. Ov The Freeshooter
2. The Freeshooter-Act II Scene 2: 'How Did Sleep Come To Me...Softly, Softly, My Pure Song!'
3. The Queen Of Sheba-Act II, Intro: Night Piece
4. Das War Sehr Gut.../Dann Aber, Wie Ich Sie Gespurt Hab' Hier Im Finstern Stehn
5. Ov To May Night-Act III
6. May Night-Act III: Sleep My Beauty 'Cradle Song'
7. Rusalka-Act I: Song To The Moon
8. 'Jenufa's Prayer-Jenufa-Act II: Surely This Is My Mother's Room
9. The Little Boots Or Oxana's Caprices-Entracte Act III, Scene 1: Christmas Eve
10. The Little Boots Or Oxana's Caprices-'Maria's Lullaby-Mazeppa-Act III: Sleep My Small One And Dream
11. The Little Boots Or Oxana's Caprices-Pique Dame-Act III: Twill Soon Be Midnight
12. The Little Boots Or Oxana's Caprices-Eugene Onegin-Act I: Letter Scene

Average customer rating: blazing apocalyptic roars for Rysanek If you love opera, you MUST have this recording! Rysanek is Kostelnicka

Jancek - Jenufa / Benacková · Rysanek · Kazaras · Ochman · NYCO · Queler Eve Queler , Gabriela Benackova , Opera Orchestra of New York , Peter Kazaras , Wieslaw Ochman , Leos Janacek , and Leonie Rysanek Manufacturer: Bis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk ASIN: B0000016FL Release Date: 1994-09-26

Tracks:

1. Jenufa: Applause
2. Jenufa: Act I, Scene I
3. Jenufa: Act I, Scene II
4. Jenufa: Act I, Scene III
5. Jenufa: Act I, Scene IV
6. Jenufa: Act I, Scene V
7. Jenufa: Act I, Scene VI
8. Jenufa: Act I, Scene VII
9. Jenufa: Applause
10. Jenufa: Applause
11. Jenufa: Overture
12. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene I
13. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene II
14. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene III
15. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene IV
16. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene V
17. Jenufa: Act Two (opening), Scene VI (Opening, to Fig. 85)

Tracks:

1. Jenufa: Act Two (Conclusion), Scene VI
2. Jenufa: Act Two, Scene VII
3. Jenufa: Act Two, Scene VIII
4. Jenufa: Applause
5. Jenufa: Act Three - Applause
6. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene I
7. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene II
8. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene III
9. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene IV
10. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene V
11. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene VI
12. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene VII
13. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene VIII
14. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene IX
15. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene X
16. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene XI
17. Jenufa: Act Three, Scene XII
18. Jenufa: Applause

Customer Reviews:

blazing apocalyptic roars for Rysanek.......2007-04-29

I was lucky enough to be inside Carnegie Hall for this performance. The final few minutes of Act II have to be heard to be believed. Rysanek's performance was beyond Total Theater. The audience response, the wild roaring, is testment to her achievement. Luckily, the engineers don't cut off the ovation. It just keeps going on and on. Time and time again, the artists return for bows, but then Rysanek gets called back for solo bows. You might think you have heard audience hysteria before, but you have to hear this. Then the end of Act III is also followed by the prolonged audience frenzy. The sound of a packed house roaring over and over and over is something we just don't hear anymore. In case I haven't made my point, the final minutes of Act II and the audience roar that follows is probably the greatest documentation we have of the effect Leonie Rysanek had on an audience live in the house.

If you love opera, you MUST have this recording!.......2001-02-23

This is a live recording of Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall. Despite a few quibbles about sound quality, this recording is extraordinary. Leone Rysanek is magnificent! She was one of the greatest singing actresses of all time. Everyone one else in the cast is terrific but Leone definitely steals the show. This is a life changing performance. Buy it!!

Rysanek is Kostelnicka.......1999-12-24

When I went to hear this Jenufa, I was a little afraid: I didn't know either the conductor or some of the singers, but I tried. What I met was a marvellous performance of this marvellous opera. Eve Queler gives the opera all its dramatic urgency, and I think you can guess that a woman is behind this drama between womans. I think Queler understands the situation between Jenufa and Kostelnicka better than any other conductor. Benackova as Jenufa is impressing too. She has a warmer voice than, for example, Soderstrom, in Mackerras' recording and she understands his role very well (like Queler). All the other singers are very good, especially the two tenors. But what is the most marvellous of this performance is the way Rysanek shows Kostelnicka's feelings about sin, moral, redemption, ... Rysanek IS Kostelnicka. Her voice may be not as sure as others, but her top voice at the end of the second act is frightening. She is really the moral's voice in the first act. She is atormented in the second. And she is a frightened girl in the third. She is, in short, the best Kostelnicka I have heard, and the best I can imagine. My note is five stars, and five more for Rysanek.

Average customer rating:

Janácek: Jenufa Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Smetana: The Bartered Bride Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen Donzetti: Don Pasquale Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle Janácek: Osud (Fate) ASIN: B00022M496 Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

1. Soon It Will Be Evening
2. What Are You Doing Here, Laca?
3. Come Now, Jenufa
4. They're All For Marrying
5. My Dear Heart, My Steva, Stevuska!
6. Steva, Steva, I Know You Got Drunk Today
7. How All This Boasting Of Steva
8. Introduction
9. If I Leave The Door Ajar A Little
10. Yes, In All These Twenty Weeks
11. Aunt Kostelnicka, In The Note You Sent Me
12. But I Saw A Man Come In Here Just Now

Tracks:

1. One Moment... In That Moment Must I Lose Hope
2. Mamicko, My Head Is Aching
3. Who Is There?
4. He's Coming Now!...
5. Don't You Feel Nervous, Jenufka?
6. God Be With You!
7. There Now, Laca, Just As I Foresaw
8. Aha! Here They Are
9. There's No Denying That All That Was Really A Sight Worth Seeing
10. God Be With You One And All!
11. What Baby's That They're Shouting About?
12. Come Quickly Now!
13. Steva, This Is Terrible
14. Ha, There Now, You See His Baby Clothes!
15. Do Not Kneel, Dear Mother!
16. They Have Gone! Now You Go!

Amazon.com

Aficionados will tell you that because of the musical, rhythmic, way he sets the language, Janácek's operas are most effective when they are sung in Czech. This performance, sung in English, therefore deserves extra praise. The end product is almost overwhelming in its potency and ability to move. Here the orchestra does a remarkable amount of expressing, from the chilling xylophone figures, which always foreshadow trouble for poor Jenufa and which can "feel" like the rattling of bones, to the tender accompaniment of Jenufa's prayer in Act II and the confused ruckus which occurs when the dead infant is discovered. Sir Charles Mackerras (whose previous recording of the opera, on Decca, is also magnificent) keeps the level of tension in this tale of misplaced anger, humiliation, infanticide and forgiveness almost uncomfortably high. The singers are superb: Janice Watson's Jenufa sounds correctly young and vulnerable, but her voice is substantial and quite beautiful in the gentler passages. As the Kostelnicka, perhaps the greatest character role for female voice in all of opera, soprano Josephine Barstow is towering--authoritative, filled with anguish, then paranoia, then guilt--and although they aren't pretty, her repeated high Bs in Act II are suitably hair-raising and solid. Peter Wedd's callow Steva is callous and specifically vivid and Nigel Robson, starting with little character as Laca, is warm and believable in the second act and reaches great heights by the final duet. The other cast members draw their characters with great individuality. The playing and singing of the WNO forces are nothing less than brilliant. This, even more so than Mackerras's other recording (in Czech), does this complex work justice. --Robert Levine

Average customer rating: a voice that lets you indulge Mattila's best album to start An Outstanding Recital Total excitement from Mattila in wide-ranging repertoire Magnificent

Karita Mattila - Arias & Scenes / Yutaka Sado, LPO Karita Mattila , Yutaka Sado , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Giacomo Puccini , Tchaikovsky , Richard Wagner , Giuseppe Verdi , Franz Lehár , and Leos Janácek Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Karita Mattila: German Romantic Arias Karita Mattila Live in Helsinki Excellence: The Artistry of Karita Mattila Sumi Jo - Les Bijoux / Carella Grieg and Sibelius Songs ASIN: B000059ZHW Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

1. Tchaikovsky: Uzh polnoch blizitsa
2. Puccini: In quelle trine morbide
3. Wagner: Einsam in truben Tagen
4. Wagner: Euch Luften, die mein Klagen
5. Tchaikovsky: Zachem zhe eti sliozi?
6. Verdi: Come in quest'ora bruna
7. Janacek: Mamicko, mam tezkou hlavu
8. Wagner: Der Manner Sippe
9. Wagner: Du bist der Lenz
10. Strauss: Ich kann nicht sitzen ins Dunkel starren
11. Lehar: Vilja-Lied

Amazon.com

This is a wonderful record. Karita Mattila's voice is ravishingly beautiful: velvety, caressing, intense, focused, gloriously radiant in the high register, full and warm in the low one, even in quality and purity throughout a span of more than two octaves. She can color and inflect it at will. Her intonation, breath control, and phrasing are impeccable.

Here, impersonating heroines from a heady mix of Russian, Czech, German, and Italian operas, Mattila displays an extraordinary vocal, stylistic, and emotional range--whether it's the wild despair of Janacek's Jenufa and Tchaikovsky's Lisa; the ecstasy of Wagner's Elsa and Sieglinde; the wistful nostalgia of Puccini's Manon and Verdi's Amelia (from Simon Boccanegra); the agonized outcry of Strauss's Chrysotemis; or the simplicity, humor, and charm of Lehar's Hanna, the famous Merry Widow. The program has the usual problems besetting excerpts from operas. The endings always seem arbitrarily cut off, and one of Sieglinde's arias begins in the middle. However, Mattila succeeds not only in setting mood and atmosphere, but also in creating real characters by purely musical and expressive means. The orchestra is excellent, balance and sound are first-rate, and Duncan Riddell plays the difficult violin solo in Jenufa's aria splendidly. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

a voice that lets you indulge.......2006-02-21

I had the pleasure of seeing Miss Mattila in Puccini's Manon Lescaut recently at Houston Grand Opera. Heretofore, I didn't know what her voice sounded like. An Italian friend of mine does not like her, so I figured she was one of those hyped-up divas that we encounter so frequently these days. But, I have to confess that Mattila blew me away in the theater. Her performance was full of nuances and telling gestures; Mattila is a very gifted singing actress, not to mention striking. Then there's that voice, which is creamy, with a touch of smokiness. The richness of her voice would lead you to believe her incapable of a thrilling high note, until she wows you by opening up her top with laser-like intensity.

Some Fleming fan had the nerve to claim that she ranked far below Fleming in terms of vocal assets. By that, I guess they meant scooping, sliding, conspicuously sighing, bellowing, etc.

This is a stupendous first CD recital for Karita. We are treated to some of the most dramatic and moving music in the whole opera canon. Mattila leaps head-first with an excerpt from Pique Dame. Here, she demonstrates how well she can connect with the words and mood of what she sings.

Next follows In Quelle Trine Morbide. Unfortunately, she mars the aria with some audible breathing, something I also noticed in the theater. Never fear- from here on, Mattila's top notch.

When I first heard Einsam in Truben Tagen, it was rather jarring. I was so accustomed to Nilsson's and Schwarzkopf's interpretations on disc. But, after repeated listens, I can say with confidence that Mattila's delivery of the aria is no less triumphant. Her richness pays even greater dividends in the second excerpt from Lohengrin.

By the time she sings Come In Quest'ora Bruna, I found myself really cheering the diva on. The role of Amelia is perfectly tailored to her voice. I asked myself why this aria almost never surfaces on recital discs. Maybe it took a Karita Mattila to demonstrate Verdi's genius.

Now, as others her have stated, the scene / prayer aria from Jenufa may well be the highlight in a disc full of highlights. Mattila masterfully navigates the complex range of moods in this pivotal sene, never succumbing to Fleming-like sighs and histrionics. Simply put, Karita proves capable of bringing a tear or two to your eye.

By now, you are in aural heaven. Mattila keeps you on cloud nine with two superb excerpts from Die Walkure, and a very fine one from Elektra. In the latter, she is given a formidable test of her vocal talents, and soars with flying colors.

Like many others, I find the Vilja-Lied as the end piece rather odd, after some twenty minutes-plus of riveting drama. I wish it could have been Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata instead. Oh well, nevermind. This recital is pure gold.

Don't let anyone tell you that the golden days of operatic singing are over. Grazie, Mattila.

Mattila's best album to start.......2005-01-12

This is my favorite soprano. So full of energy, clear and beatiful sound. The best about her is when you hear her or see her on stage. I just saw her the 1st of January at the Met in Janacek's Katia Kavanova, i just got hooked with the interpretation. She is magical.

This is for me the best cd of her collection. Because it has the best of her repertoire. My favourites arias here are Jenufa and Pique Dame. This album is very well done, and if you don;t kow her, this is the first one you have to buy. Then, i recommend the live album, and then, the last compilation. Is a must have!!

An Outstanding Recital.......2003-09-01

Karita Mattila, the famous dramatic soprano from Finland, has a wide-ranging repertory that includes Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, and Richard Strauss, as well as Slavic composers like Tchaikovsky and Janacek (she is especially admired as Jenufa). Mattila's soprano is one of crystalline purity, with a rapid vibrato adding a thrill to the tone. Unlike many big voices, hers has lightness and grace -- obviously a result of her Mozart singing. Her musical/vocal precision reminds me of Birgit Nilsson, while her dramatic intensity and commitment recall Leonie Rysanek. Mattila sings each of the selections on this disc beautifully, and with a sense of drama that never distracts from the music. A favorite track of mine is "Come in quest'ora bruna" from Verdi's SIMON BOCCANEGRA, sung with the most exquisitely pure, youthful tone. The JENUFA, WALKEURE, and ELEKTRA excerpts are all thrilling and justify her reputation in those operas. My one and only regret is that Mattila did not include the two arias of Donna Anna in Mozart's DON GIOVANNI (a role for which she is highly acclaimed). This is a real shame: I would have loved to hear her sing those arias, as they are favorites of mine and would seem to be ideally suited to her voice and temperament. But as it is, this is an outstanding soprano recital.

Total excitement from Mattila in wide-ranging repertoire.......2003-06-13

It's not difficult to choose a highlight here: the stunning "Meditation and Prayer Scene" from Janacek's "Jenufa," eight minutes of some of the most moving singing you will ever hear. Alternating between stark drama and intimacy, the scene makes an unusual choice, and is perfect for Karita Mattila's powerful artistry.

But everyone who hears this gorgeous recording will have favorites, such as the two Tchaikovsky selections from "Pique Dame," and Mattila's choices from "Lohengrin" and "Die Walkure" -- all precisely sung. And no matter how many times one encounters the aria from Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," it will rarely sound as effortless as it does here.

The closing track, a frolicking "Vilja-Lied" from Lehar's "The Merry Widow," finds Mattila employing a slightly darker tone and adding mystery to a song that can sometimes sound relentlessly chirpy. In this case, it seems like a cannily judged encore, almost a balm following the intensity of music from "Elektra" that immediately precedes it.

Conductor Yutaka Sado, whose work is new to me, is superb. He finds colors in every track and encourages the London Philharmonic to play with terrific tone and nuance. The entire orchestra sounds marvelous, but special mention must go to Duncan Riddell, whose sensitive, heartfelt violin solo in the Janacek is one of the highlights of the whole recording. The sound quality is excellent; Erato's warm, natural ambience suits Mattila's velvety voice perfectly.

It would not be difficult to recommend this as one of the finest vocal recordings of recent years. In many ways, it's almost a model recital: a great artist, unusual selections, and intelligent collaboration from the conductor and orchestra -- just outstanding in every way.

Magnificent.......2001-11-28

My first impression of Karita Mattila and her voice was "breathtaking!" What a magnificent voice, expressive and true, and filled with a rich vibrato and a memorable tone. I've been recommending this CD to everyone I know who is into opera!

Average customer rating:

Janácek: Jenufa Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music ASIN: B000KQGOAE Release Date: 2007-05-08

Average customer rating:

Janácek: Jenufa Manufacturer: Gala ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00066FBC0 Release Date: 2004-10-26

Average customer rating: Benackova: THE Jenufa

Janácek: Jenufa Manufacturer: Supraphon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000EJ9LWU Release Date: 2006-06-27

Customer Reviews:

Benackova: THE Jenufa.......2006-09-22

I reviewed a previous incarnation of this recording for Amazon earlier, and I have reprinted my comments below. This new set, just released, is considerably cheaper at mid-price (and note that some sellers are offering used copies for as little as 15 dollars), plus it boasts 24-bit remastering. I have not actually heard it, but Supraphon's efforts at 24-bit refurbishment have been almost invariably huge successes, and then the price...... Janacekians should leap at this chance to hear Benackova's gorgeous Jenufa considering the upgrades in sound and affordability. My earlier review follows:

Supraphon has issued three recordings of "Jenufa," all of them excellent, though this last of the trio from 1978 might be placed a rung or two below its predecessors. Even so, my impression of it is extremely good, mostly because I hear in Gabriela Benackova an ideal Jenufa. Supraphon's previous heroines have been Stepanka Jelinkova (1953), who for the most part sings and phrases well though I find her timbre too dark and knowing; and Libuse Domaninska (c.1968), whose voice has more of the girlish, innocent quality I prefer but, caught late in her career, exhibits too much unsteadiness and breathiness to be ideal. Both are worthy interpreters. In Benackova, however, I find girlish innocence, tonal security and a certain ethereal quality all wrapped up in a meltingly beautiful voice. She is steadier and more substantial than Domaninska, creamier than Jelinkova, more radiant than both; her expressive means, though less intellectual, are always humane, tender and poignant. This suits the ideal Jenufa of my tastes.

The remainder of the cast is dominated by Nadezda Kniplova's legendary Kostelnicka, a role she repeats from the 1968 set under Bohumil Gregor. In '68 the voice was fresher and had more gleam, but her often hysterical utterances compromised the vocal line (which is not always bad). In this present recording, she is much more controlled and is able to make more musical sense of her great scena "Co chvila" in Act 2. The emotional impact even seems to gain from her more carefully channeled outbursts, yet her attack is as electrifying as ever. Also note the wonderfully coppered middle and lower registers, exotic colors that offset encroaching unsteadiness.

The Laca of Vilem Pribyl, another holdover from 1968, sounds customarily firm and heroic, but less nuanced than ten years earlier. Vladimir Krejcik's voice doesn't immediately strike one as a swaggering village Romeo, but through canny vocal acting he brilliantly puts across Steva's brutish insensitivity. The supporting cast is altogether less distinguished than those of Supraphon's previous releases, but it suffices. It's worth singling out old Karel Berman's bluff and imposing Miller.

Frantisek Jilek presents a more graceful and restrained view of the score than Vogel or Gregor (perhaps Kniplova took her cues from the conductor), but his reading is emotionally vital. Orchestral details often seem muted, which may have been Jilek's choice, but I think it owes more to the flat and distant recorded quality of the orchestra. Supraphon's engineers blew it. This, coupled with the comparatively uncompelling supporting cast, is what ultimately demotes this recording to four stars. But even without that fifth star, it upholds Supraphon's tradition of excellent "Jenufa" recordings.

The 1953 set is available on CD from Opera D'Oro and the original Supraphon (I hear that audiophiles should definitely choose the latter); the 1968 was briefly released on EMI CD's and disappeared quickly. It will hopefully be released again.

Average customer rating: A powerful, crude, visceral reading A Superb Performance, But Get The Supraphon Best Conductor; Best Pair of Tenors

Janacek: Jenufa Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Osvaldo Golijov: Ainadamar ASIN: B0001EFU0U Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Uz Se Vecer Chyli
3. Vy Stafenko, Uz Tak Na Vselicos Spatne Vidite
4. Starenko, Nehnevejte Se
5. Co To Robis, Mladku?
6. Co Ty, Jenufo, Za Mamickou Nevejdes?
7. Dusa Moja, Stevo, Stevusko!
8. A Tak Bychom Sli Celym Zivotem-Celym Zivotem
9. A Ty, Jenufo, Neplac, Neplac!
10. Stevo, Stevo Ja Vim
11. Neskleb Se!
12. Jaka Razem Vsecko To Stefkovo Vypinani Schliplo
13. Prelude
14. Necham Jeste Dvere Otevreny
15. Porad Se S Tim Deckem Mazes
16. Ba, Ta Tvoye Okenicka Uz Pres Dvacet Nedel Zabednena
17. Tetko Kostelnicko, Poltala Jste Cedulku
18. Tetusko, Kamen By Se Ustrnul
19. Jenufa, Bedna Devcica, Nebyla Jak Ziva Ve Vidni

Tracks:

1. Co Chvila...Co Chvila...
2. Mamicko, Mam Tezkou Hlavu, Mam, Mam, Jako Samy, Samy, Kamen
3. Zdravas Kralovno
4. Kdo To Je?
5. Toz Umrel
6. A Coz Steva?
7. Prelude
8. Neni Ti Teskno, Jenufko?
9. Vidis, Laco, Ja To Tusila, Ze To Kazdemu Napadne
10. Panbuh Rac Dat Dobry Den, Dobry Den!
11. Kazdy Z Vas Ma Neco Pekneho Na Sobe
12. Uctivo Vas Prosim, Uctivo Vas Prosim O Pozehnani
13. Jeste Jsem T Ja! Vy Niceho Nevite!
14. Vstante, Pestounko Moja
15. Odesli...Jdi Take!

Customer Reviews:

A powerful, crude, visceral reading.......2007-07-13

Compared to this classic Supraphon performance of Jenufa from 1953, every subsequent one has sounded pale and polite. Eery singer here adopts a loud, visceral style that is quite wrenching. The quality of the voices is fine, especially the two tenors singing Luca and Steva. They are loud and tireless, similar in style to Soviet tenors of the era. Everyone stands close to the mike and tries to be as hair-raising as possible, which is also true of Vogel's fiery conducting.

I am pointing out these qualities to temper anyone's expectations from the two rave reviews posted here. If you think of Jenufa as a lurid peasant opera, a harrowing ordeal from beginning to end, look no further. But to me Janacek also provided psychological depth, subtlety, and contrast. Those qualities have been almost entirely erased, whereas we hear them displayed beautifully in recordings from Mackerras (Decca) and Queler (Bis). I find the most recent Jenufa, the live performance with Karita Matilla under Bernard Haitink, too lacking in visceral excitment. It's at the opposite pole form this hell-for-leather version. So there's a wide choice in this great opera, form ild to wild.

A Superb Performance, But Get The Supraphon.......2005-05-20

I am in basic agreement with the excellent review here by Czech opera maven Sean Coxen, except for his modified rapture regarding Stepanka Jelinkova's Jenufa. I don't hear the "slavic squall" that he describes. What I do hear is flat-out gorgeous singing by the finest of ALL recorded Jenufas. And I certainly share Coxen's enthusiasm for Beno Blachut, a Bjoerling-like tenor who was the pride of Czechoslovakia.

But I would like to add that, having owned the original LP set for decades, this Opera d'Oro transfer does no credit at all to the fine mono sound that Supraphon achieved back in 1953. I recently acquired Supraphon's own CD transfer (SU 3331-2 602), and it is virtually identical to my LPs (without the pops & crackles that my worn LP surfaces now generate). And with it you get a full Czech-English libretto and a separate commentary booklet. This Opera d'Oro set (with no libretto) retails for about $12, whereas the Supraphon is $24. However, if you check Amazon's alternate vendors under "new & used," as of this writing there are brand-new Supraphon sets out there for around $16 or less.

So for that small price differential, the Supraphon issue gives you VASTLY better sound AND a full libretto.

Suggestion: don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to getting the most out of this Janacek masterpiece. This is by FAR the finest performance recorded of the composer's most accessible work.

Perhaps this recording's biggest asset is its conductor Jaroslav Vogel (1894-1970), who studied under Novak at the Prague Conservatory and later under d'Indy in Paris. He was, to my taste, one of Czechoslovakia's four greatest conductors, along with Vaclav Talich, Karel Sejna, and Karel Ancerl. Vogel also authored the first serious monograph on Janacek in 1958. Nearly all of his great recordings are currently out of print - hopefully Supraphon will re-release them in the not too distant future. My introduction to this conductor was his beautifully lyrical account, with the Czech Philharmonic, of the Good Friday Music from Wagner's Parsifal on an old Parliament LP (I think I still prefer it even to Knappertsbusch's). Most of Vogel's recordings were of Czech music: excerpts from Dvorak's "Rusalka" and "The Jacobin," Janacek's "From the House of the Dead" and "The Makropoulos Affair." In 1978 the Heritage Rediffusion LP label in England issued Vogel's complete recording of "The Bartered Bride" (I still kick myself that I didn't purchase a copy when it was available).

Other noteworthy Vogel recordings include the overtures to Dvorak's "Armida" and "Dimitrij," Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes of Weber," and Richard Strauss's Oboe Concerto with Hantak (all with the Brno State Philharmonic). To my knowledge, none of these LPs have received CD transfers. However, there is an Ultraphone CD of Novak's "De Profundis," the "South Bohemian Suite," and "Lady Godiva" that was recently available at Amazon. I have all these performances on LPs except the Hindemith, and they are all magnificent. The Strauss is arguably the work's greatest recording ever. So let's hope that Supraphon gets into a re-issue frenzy, starting with that elusive "Bartered Bride."

Recommended, but only in Supraphon's own release.

Best Conductor; Best Pair of Tenors.......2004-10-14

The sound on this 1953 "Jenufa" -- taken from Supraphon's first complete recording of this work -- exhibits the glaring, gritty sort of harsh mono that afflicted many eastern European recordings of the day; also, the big moments suffer from heavy constriction. (Perhaps Opera D'Oro did less to mitigate these problems than did Supraphon on its own reissue.) Despite these problems, all Janacek enthusiasts should seek out this performance immediately.

This is due mainly to the conducting of Jaroslav Vogel, a brilliant musician and a Janacek specialist. The near ferocious sweep and intensity of Vogel's interpretation may take some by surprise; indeed, I found it a bit unrelenting at first, but once Vogel gets into your bones, the tamer versions just don't stir the blood like this one. The cruel winter chill of the prelude to Act 2, not to mention the thundering voice of fate in the same act's epilogue, have no equal. Tempi tend to be swift.

The finest singing comes from the two tenors. Beno Blachut is simply the most believable and naturally endowed of all Laca's. His voice rings out resplendently, and his justly lauded artistic instincts never fail. No one has made more sense of or brought more beauty to this part on records. A very young Ivo Zidek injects youthful swagger and a steely toughness into Steva's music, easily capturing the part's conflicting blend of charm and vulgarity. He shows greatest artistry in his scene with the Kosteclnicka, undertaken here by the superb mezzo Marta Krasova. She began her career in the late 1920's or so; some 25 years later, her voice is still in magnificent shape while showing an apt tinge of age. She remains utterly secure in even the most difficult passages, not quite as hair-raising as Kniplova, Rysanek or Silja perhaps, but nevertheless comprehensive, even if a trifle "correct." Unfortunately, she tosses an unconvincing cackle into her grand scena. Not quite up to this level is Stepanka Jelinkova, our Jenufa. Her tone is deeper and darker than most Jenufa's and therefore sounds a tad too mature and worldly. At mezzo forte and above she exhibits some Slavic squall, but fortunately there is no wobble, and in quieter moments she emits a deep saphire shimmer that is quite lovely. She is also an intelligent artist who delivers many a poignant line reading without ever sounding contrived.

The strong supporting cast includes a grandmother of unusually rich, firm and alluring tone, two excellent basses (Karel Kalas sings the Old Miller), plus the stupendous Milada Subrtova at the beginning of her career as the shepherd boy Jano. Perhaps she and Jelinkova should have traded places. The Prague National Theater chorus and orchestra are rugged and assertive, very much in line with Vogel's view of the score.

Supraphon's CD release of this performance may have better sound: it will certainly have a libretto and detailed notes, but it costs twice as much. Prospective buyers must weigh the options. Either way, listen!

Meditation Music:

1. Libuse
2. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
3. Millöcker: The Beggar Student
4. Mozart and Salieri
5. Mozart: Arias
6. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
7. Mozart's Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through 'The Magic Flute' [Blisterpack]
8. Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
9. Mussorgsky: Boris Godunow
10. Norma

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Sensational '70s [Box set]

Monteverdi: Musica Sacra

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 / Schumann: Cello Concerto

Music: Percussion Perkulator

Pleasure Is All Mine: Remix Album [Import]

Old School Freestyle, Vol. 1

Litanies Pour L'an 2000 [Import]

Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute to Sublime [Explicit Lyrics]

Love Songs [Import]

Maximum Fleetwood Mac [Import]

Live & Rare [Import]

Mandu Sarara [Import]

Mr. Nobody [Explicit Lyrics]

West Coast Mardi Gras Party

Detente