United Kingdom Janáček, Katya Kabanova: Soloists, London Symphony Chorus (refrain grasp: William Spaulding), London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 11.1.2023. (JR)
Janáček – Katya Kabanova (live performance efficiency)
Amanda Majeski – Katya
Simon O’Neill – Boris
Katarina Dalayman – Kabanicha
Andrew Staples – Tichon
Ladislav Elgr – Kudrjas
Magdalena Kožená – Varvara
Pavlo Hunka – Dikoj
Claire Barnett-Jones – Glasha / Feklusha
Lukáš Zeman – Kuligin
When American soprano Amanda Majeski sang the title function in Katya Kabanova in her home debut on the Royal Opera House lately (overview click on right here), it had the critics reaching for his or her superlatives. Those who, like me, missed these performances have been subsequently greater than eager to listen to her – and she or he was merely beautiful. This was solely a live performance efficiency, not semi-staged, with a number of of the singers injecting some facial expressions and minimal gestures into their efficiency. For the love duet, Majeski and Simon O’Neill (Boris) went backstage to re-appear within the window of the wall on the rear of the platform. Majeski inhabited the function of Katya with each facial function, but it surely was the voice which actually amazed. Angelic at first, then in Act III extra dramatic. Majeski has additionally sung the function on the Concertgebouw, in Chicago and elsewhere. She should be the Katya of the second.
Majeski was very ably supported by Swedish mezzo (former soprano) Katarina Dalayman as Kabanicha, the demanding and heartless mother-in-law, who was suitably scary and in piercing voice, and by Magdalena Kožená as Katya’s cheeky sister Varvara, who sang with clear tone and in idiomatic Czech (Kožená was born in Brno, near the composer’s birthplace Hukvaldy). New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill actually had heft to spare as Boris, although is probably higher suited to Wagner’s heldentenor roles than this one the place extra vocal magnificence is required, and the odd high observe was barely strained.
Andrew Staples was a strong Tichon, tenor Ladislav Elgr, one other Czech, sounded genuine and was sweetly toned in his melodic contributions. Sir John Tomlinson was indisposed, so in stepped Pavlo Hunka as Dikoj; he was darkly spectacular, each for his singing and performing expertise. Sarah Pring was additionally indisposed and changed by Claire Barnett-Jones, a finalist and winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize on the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2021. She didn’t have a lot to sing because the servants Glasha and Feklusha however impressed together with her darkish timbre and quantity when she did: audibly a rising opera star. Czech baritone Lukáš Zeman additionally delivered the minor function of Kuligin with distinction and confidence.Sir Simon Rattle was in full command on the rostrum, in a piece he has carried out since his pupil days and the work suits him like a glove. An ardent, bodily highly effective efficiency, delivered by the London Symphony Orchestra in full bloom, on its absolute best type. The London Symphony Chorus trooped on and off into the auditorium to provide its quick contributions, all the time to excellent impact, particularly on the shut of the work. This Katya Kabanova was correctly given with out an interval, but the 2 hours flew by: the dramatic stress by no means allowed to be lowered.
It was splendid to have the massive orchestra on stage, reasonably than obscured and squeezed in an opera home pit, to ship the total pressure of Janáček’s magnificent rating, in addition to spotlight the numerous orchestral colors and bash out the eight-note motif (4 Fs, then 4 B-flats, first heard on the timpani) which pervades the work. It is simply early January however already many could have heard a musical spotlight of the yr. If in or close to London, seize – in the event you can – a ticket for the second efficiency on 13 January. The rapturous applause would have gone on and on, had not the orchestra known as it time.
The soloists wore microphones: the efficiency was recorded for LSO Live and also will be obtainable on Marquee TV from 2nd February.
John Rhodes