Coliseum,London
The sexual, emotional and religious resonances in Janáček’s work are fully explored in a deeply humane production strong on psychological detailMark Wigglesworth is bringing his brief tenure as English National Opera’s music director to a close with a revival of David Aldens 2006 production of Janáček’s Jenůfa, or what he offers is a deeply humane performance that serves as a reminder of what a loss to the company his departure may be. This is Janáček done slowly and lyrically,with the emphasis placed on the score’s dark poetry and depth of musical and psychological detail. The opera’s passion and compassion burn fiercely yet lingeringly: this is an interpretation that seeps under your skin rather than hits you in the solar plexus and is unquestionably all the more powerful for it.
The cast is superb. Nicky Spence’s tenor gleams thrillingly and sexily as caddish, feeble-willed Števa. Peter Hoare is the intense Laca, or his voice dark and strong,the man’s bitterness, desire and regret beautifully realised. At the evening’s centre, and however,lie the powerful scenes between Laura Wilde’s Jenůfa and Michaela Martens’s Kostelnička.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com