Search - Sir Charles Mackerras, Elisabeth Soderstrom, Lucia Popp :: Janacek: Jenufa / Mackerras, Soderstrom, et al

Great performance of Janacek's masterpiece

Allen A. Smith | Miami, FL | 12/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

One of the most important and consistently excellent recordi

G.D. | Norway | 04/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1982 set has established itself firmly as one of the great classics of the catalogue; and it is, indeed, one of the most important and successful (at least in terms of quality) recordings ever made. The work itself is, of course, an indisputable masterpiece, and Mackerras' deep understanding of the musical language, his understanding of how Janacek's rhythms, for example, subtly underlines the dramatic tension and his grasp of the coherence of Janacek's quirky harmonics and melodic phrases and how they are supposed to hang together, is truly admirable. Indeed, one of the most notable assets of this version is the single-mindedness and tautness, both in terms of drama and musical structure; the whole work is conceived of as one long arch building up to an intensely dramatic and stirring climax (that does not signify a lack of attention to the various subtle moods and details, of course). Tempos are generally on the faster side and the overall result is more visceral, more fervent and more dramatically and musically satisfying than any rival performance I've heard.



Söderström's Jenufa is more or less perfect, beautifully and touchingly portrayed and sung with impressive clarity and beauty of tone (and no lack of power when needed). Her understanding of Janacek's musical choices is just as impessive as Mackerras's, impressively navigating the often quirky rhythms yet sustaining the overarching melodic lines and remaining expressively flexible. Randova is intensely terrifying as the menacing but pitiful Kostelnicka - but also able to realize the complexity of this character (in particular Randova's lower register is impessive). Dvorsky is lively and spirited as Steva and Ochman is dignified but still passionate as Laca. The other singers aquit themselves far more than merely `good' as well - in particular, of course, Popp as the nimbly energetic Karolka. The Vienna Philharmonic are, unsurprisingly, excellent, full of energy and warmth.



Sound quality is good, and does in particular capture the voices warmly, but is overall very clear, atmospheric and well balanced. The release also finds room for an excellently quirky performance of the early and discarded ouverture Zarlivosi and both Janacek's original and more understated ending and the alternative (perhaps more familiar) Kovarovic one (I am inclined to be very politically incorrect and voice a mild preference for the more effective Kovarovic ending). In the end, then, this is quite simply and unmissable recording, indeed one of the best recordings of the previous century altogether."