Grandmother Buryja – Mette Ejsing Laca Kleme? – Miroslav Dvorský Števa Buryja – Nikolai Schukoff Kostelni?ka Buryja – Deborah Polaski Jen?fa – Amanda Roocroft Foreman – Károly Szemerédy Mayor – Miguel Sola Mayor’s wife – Marta Mathéu Karolka – Marta Ubieta Shepherdess – María José Suárez Barena – Sandra Ferrández Jano – Elena Poesina Aunt – Marina Makhmoutova
Teatro Real Chorus and Orchestra Ivor Bolton, conductor
Stéphane Braunschweig, stage director
Recorded live at the Teatro Real, October 2009.
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Illustrated synopsis
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Running time: 136 mins No. of DVDs: 1
The vulnerable young woman at the heart of Janacek's breakthrough opera is a signature role for the English soprano Amanda Roocroft. Here, in Stéphane Braunschweig's clear but deeply affecting production, she is partnered by the Slovak tenor Miroslav Dvorsky, as the man through whom she finds redemption, love and hope. The complex figure of the Kostelnicka becomes both tormentor and tormented in this fearless interpretation by the great dramatic soprano Deborah Polaski.
Review:
“Braunschweig’s directing is very good indeed. A minimalist production needs a lot of intervention by the director as well as outstanding lighting, particularly in the interior scenes. Both were very well achieved here. The sets consist of simple movable walls, opening and closing for different scenes and creating an appropriately oppressive atmosphere throughout. Apart from that, a few very significant props; a rosemary plant, a cradle in Act II, some benches that represent a church in the last Act and a windmill sail (almost another of the protagonists for this opera) are the only representations of different settings. The costumes move simply between white and black and are invariably appropriate. There is excellent lighting too. But the stage direction is remarkable, helped along by singer/actors who are genuine specialists in their roles, and more than decent management of the crowd scenes. And what is even more important is that Braunschweig's work is always at the service of music and libretto with the result that real emotion is transmitted to the public.”
