Opera reviews aren’t exactly my comfort zone, though it is an art form I keep meaning to learn more about, so please bear with me while I make my first attempt. Janacek’s Jenufa (1904) is roughly contemporary with the period in which Puccini was composing his masterpieces, and yet it feels like a world away. While Puccini portrayed Bohemian poverty with lots of lovely music and high romance, I’d be hesitant to describe the music in this as attractive to the ear and there’s very little in the way of romance. Most of Act I is very conversational, which makes the soliloquizing in Act II all the more powerful in the absolute despair. It’s a really interesting mix of melodrama with a strong social conscience, depicting a world that’s completely unsympathetic to unmarried mothers. For such a mundane story of jealousy, seduction and abandonment, it’s incredibly gripping.
When reading the synopsis beforehand, I wasn’t expecting the characters to have such depth, Kostelnicka (Michaela Martens) probably being the most complicated of the lot. Certainly, baby-killing is never something to be condoned, but under such circumstances, in which Jenufa would be disgraced and the child never acknowledged, she actually seemed to have a point in suggesting that the death of little Stevushka would be a blessing in comparison. Martens has such powerful stage presence, even all the way up in the balcony, and as the downtrodden heroine with a core of steel (doesn’t that sound familiar?), Amanda Roofcroft sang and acted her heart out. The entire cast was excellent, and if Tom Randle’s voice was sometimes weak, he embodied the role of ne’er-do-well Steva perfectly. It’s so easy to forget that it does have an unexpectedly redemptive ending in which forgiveness triumphs- Jenufa certainly is a very forgiving woman.
A thoroughly interesting experience. I was never bored (it’s just the right length, Janacek had the good sense not to drag the angst out for too long), which is high praise indeed.
(This review refers to a performance that took place on March 21st 2009)
