Jenufa

"Karita Mattila sensitive singing of Kostelnička and her great stage presence make her the star of this performance, but the Jenůfa of Asmik Grigorian reveals her as a major future star, and while there are few splendours in Janacek's vocal writing, her 'Jenůfa's prayer' aria underscores her outstanding talents, accentuated by her magnificent characterisation ... The composer's intense and colourful score is superbly performed by the Covent Garden Opera Orchestra under the direction of Henrik Nánási here making his debut ... This new Covent Garden production offers superlative world class singing in a truthful and powerful representation of Janáček's masterpiece".

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"Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian sings Jenůfa in her debut at Covent Garden. The performance can only add to her already considerable reputation, formed by several awards and a triumph as Salome at the 2018 Salzburg Festival. She sings here with consummate authority in a title role which is no less demanding musically and abve all emotionally ... In 2001 at Covent Garden Karita Mattila took the title role. In this production, she sings the role of the Kostelnička. This veteran artist is also outstanding ... The orchestra play very well for conductor Henrik Nánási, who impresses with his command of this unique composer's idiom ... The production is coherent and compelling, though its near-remorseless intensity is not for the faint-hearted. But I do not know of a finer version musically, so this will be a top choice for anyone who is not averse to all contemporary operatic stagings".

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"Here the staging by Damiano Michieletto is ... simplistic with water and ice, including an icy boulder suspended above, evoking the "icy atmosphere of a society that despises women" according to a rather brief note in the accompanying booklet ... The one positive is that it encourages the viewer to focus on the characters and their voices, which I guess in the long run is a good thing. At the same time, one gets used to the watery setting especially in such admirable performances by the principals and the Staatskapelle Berlin under Simon Rattle ... I have nothing but praise for Camilla Nylund's Jenůfa. Vocally, she is fresh-voiced, ... mesmerizing and inhabits her role as well as any I have heard ... Simon Rattle has become a fine Janáček conductor, as witnessed here and elsewhere in recent years".

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"The sound is adequate. While there are a couple of good performances here (Stemme certainly, and Marton if you take the voice), this DVD isn't competitive and it's completely outclassed by the Glyndebourne production".

"Few familiar names are found among the singers and creative team that brought this distinctive, modern-dress Jenufa at Malmö Opera. Yet this tale ... is sung with musical and dramatic precision by the kind of tight ensemble not often seen in world-class opera ... revealing powerful undercurrents of sexual shame and religious devotion borne out of fear ... The opera's problematically tidy ending works beautifully ... For an unflinching Jenufa I'll choose Malmö".

"Veteran dramatic soprano Gitta-Maria Sjöberg is a magnificent Kostelnicka ... The two tenor contribute valuably ... The orcheatra shows itself to be one og the finest opera ensembles in Scandinavia".

"Diesmal ist die "Jenufa"-Mühle eine zunächst seltsam anmutende Mischung aus Soldatenschlafheim und Asyl für ledige Mütter ... Claus Guths elegant-minimalistischer Surrealismus und Leoš Janáčeks geradlinig mitfühlender Realismus, das geht nicht wirklich zusammen ... Nur auf sie kommt es in dieser von Henrik Nánasi feinfühlig und warmherzig dirigierten Produktion an. Und auf die tolle Besetzung ... : Die Finnin Karita Mattila, einst grandios als Jenufa, ist noch besser als verhärmte Küsterin ... Asmik Grigorian ist mit herz-süsser Stimme und intensivem Spiel die gegenwärtig beste Ziehtocher in diesem immer wieder packenden Drama ... Eine ungewöhnliche, spannende Bezetzung".

"Here, Claus Guth and designer Michael Levine magnify the work's scenography up to the more Grand Opera-suited size of three large empty spaces ... The singer/actors' performances are certainly of a scale to hold this space, no one's more so than Karita Mattila's Kostelnička ... Grigorian brings her increasingly familiar detail and authority to the title-role while remaining determinedly unsemtimental. It's an interesting and uncommon asset of the character ... In the pit the Hungarian maestro Henrik Nánási ... obtains a strong result ... Guth's production is impressive in its refusal to kowtow to comfortable rustic romanticism ... If you still want more 'romantic' atmosphere, go back to the old Glyndebourne (Arthaus), otherwise I's settle for the new Guth, minor hiccups and all".

"Folk fra alle verdenshjørner indløste billet til denne opsætning af Janáceks hjerteskærende 'Jenufa' ... Operaen blev opført af et drømmehold ... Nogle fandt Damiano Michielettos moderne iscenesættelse kedelig og selvfølgelig, mens andre så skønheden. Men alle lod til at være enige om, at trioen Nylund, Skelton og Hertzilius var perfekte sammen i denne lidenskabelige opera ... Takket være denne dvd kan man selv bedømme".

"It's a hugely powerful performance ... At the head of the tragedy is Evelyn Herlitzius's astonishing Kostelnička, a portrayal of visceral dramatic force ... She's in fine, penetrating voice, too, and this version is worth seeing for that alone. But there's also a moving, powerfully acted performance of the title-role from Camilla Nylund ... Rattle secures playing of imposing lyrical sweep and power from the Staatskapelle. The conductor provides the foundations for a superb musical performance all round, the power of which is ably amplified by Damiano Michieletto's spare, concentrated production ... This new performance from Berlin can be highly recommended".

"Mitten im Lockdown 2021 inszenierte Italiens bester Opernregisseur Damiano Michieletto ebenfalls an der Berliner Staatsoper Leos Janaceks "Jenufa", die der Wiederholungstäter Simon Rattle mit weicher, transparenter Emphase dirigiert. Die mähriche Bauerntragödie im neutralen Kubus aus milchigen Plastikpaneelen ... Evelyn Herlitzius ist die sich verzehrende herb-harsche Stiefmutter, Camilla Nylund ist Jenufa, die auftrumpfen und sich verinnerlicht zurücknehmen kann. Stark die beiden rivalisierenden Tenöre Ladislav Elgr und der wuchtige Stuart Skelton".

"The supporting cast and chorus perform satisfactorily rather than outstanding ... The DVD's big problem is its poor video direction which, due to excessively distant camera position, misses innumerable crucial actions from the principals ... Still, I wouldn't want to be without Madrid's principals".

"Ivor Bolton's conducting is well paced, but the ends of both Acts I and II seem slightly underpowered ... The production is well filmed, but poor dubbing robs the experience of immediacy".

Vurdering (performance): 4/5.

Vurdering (picture & sound): 3/5.

"Braunschweig gives us Jenufa stark and simple, the stage almost bare, the opera's emotions stripped to the bone".

"Nicht wirklich klar wird allerdings die Beziehung zur reifen, sehr überlegten Jenufa der Michaela Kaune ... Die Personen hingegen stehen meist weit auseinander, isoliert und starr ... Loy sucht offensichtlich die Empathie, ebenso der Dirigent Donald Runnickles ... Fast zu schön klingt das".

"If you like dramaturgical solutions to an opera hinted at rather than spelt out in capitals, this revival of Christof Loy's 2012 Deutsche Oper production may please. The action is lightly moved into the 20th century, to around the time of the opera's premiere ... Both Larmore and Michaela Kaune's older-looking than usual Jenufa give full-voiced, fluent readings of their roles".