Jenůfa by Janáček - English National Opera - 22.3.24 (4/5)
Její pastorkyňa (Her Stepdaughter; commonly known as Jenůfa) , opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer, based on the play Její pastorkyňa by Gabriela Preissová. English National Opera at the London Coliseum. Directed by David Alden. ENO Orchestra and Chorus. Conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson. Cast Fiona Kimm, Susan Bullock, Jennifer Davis, Richard Trey Smagur, John Findon, Darren Jeffery, Julieth Lozano Rolong. Revival, first performed October 2006. Brno version edited by Sir Charles Mackerras and Dr John Tyrell. English translation by Otakar Kraus and Edward Downes.
Jenůfa is a horrible story - a grim tale of infanticide and redemption. A love struck girl made pregnant by Števa, her thug of a fiance, is hidden away by her stepmother. Fiance refuses to marry her as she has been disfigured with a knife by a love-struck alternative suitor, Laca. Stepmother murders the baby to avoid the shame and disgrace of a child out of wedlock, but just as the girl is to marry Laca, the corpse of the baby is discovered. Jenůfa forgives her stepmother, who is led off to face the authorities.
Lovely evenings entertainment! However it is glorious music which mirrors the raw emotion of the story in a very effective way. Although the staging, setting the opera in a rather depressing Eastern European factory village of maybe the 1960s wasn't all that inspiring, the singing was glorious. The stand-out was Jennifer Davis signing the lead role whose voice commanded the stage and story with power.
It occurred to me this could be almost the last thing I see from ENO at the Coliseum given the plans to move to Manchester. A season full of revivals (and few at that) has been less than ideal, and next year may be worse. Who knows what will happen then. I have been coming to the Coliseum for over forty years. So very, very depressing.
