Another opera I never heard about – Janacek’s “Jenufa.”
It’s not that common that you come to the opera and are captivated by the twists of the plot, trying to catch each and every single word said on stage, and that was the case with Jenufa. It’s anything but simplistic: no heroes and no villains, clashes of the characters, horrible decisions, and life-long regrets…
The whole cast was outstanding, but Lise Davidsen, the Norwegian soprano in the title role, stands out even among this superstar cast – just watch the final scene:
I think that for most of the patrons, “Jenufa” was a new and previously unknown piece of music, and the only Janacek’s opera most people heard was “The Canning Little Vixen,” and the exhibit in the Lyric Opera Foye was really helpful.
My attempts to capture the curtain call:
Images from the Lyric Opera website:
The set is a little bit too avant-garde (to my taste), but not to the extent that it would take your attention away from the music.
Hettie's Reflections 