THE WORLD'S FINEST OPERA
BALLET, THEATRE AND MUSIC
Janáček: Jenůfa
Asmik Grigorian (Jenůfa); Elena Zilio (Grandmother Buryjovka); Nicky Spence (Laca Klemeň); Yaritza Véliz (Jana); David Stout (Foreman At The Mill); Saimir Pirgu (Števa Buryja); Karita Mattila (Kostelnička Buryjovka); April Koyejo-Audiger (Barena); Angela Simkin (Herdswoman); Jeremy White (Mayor); Helene Schneiderman (Mayor’s Wife); Jacquelyn Stucker (Karolka)
Award-winning director Claus Guth’s acclaimed production of Jenůfa is a striking representation of an oppressed society ‘infused with heart-warming humanity’ (Evening Standard ★★★★★)
Two courageous women struggle for fulfilment against the backdrop of a claustrophobic rural community. With music inspired by the traditional folk melodies of his native Moravia, Janáček’s score movingly captures Jenůfa’s progression from hope to despair to eventual radiant happiness, while her stepmother, the Kostelnička, is one of opera’s most complex maternal figures.
Hungarian conductor Henrik Nánási conducts Asmik Grigorian in her much-anticipated Royal Opera House debut in the title role, alongside Karita Mattila as the Kostelnička and a star cast.
DVD
Genre: Opera
Release Date: 01/08/2022
Sound Formats: LPCM 2.0 & DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO
Catalogue Number: OA1351D
BLU-RAY
Genre: Opera
Release Date: 01/08/2022
Sound Formats: LPCM 2.0 & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Ratio: 16:9
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO
Catalogue Number: OABD7302D
Conductor(s):
Henrik Nánási
Henrik Nánási
Orchestra(s):
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus
Artist(s):
Asmik Grigorian; Elena Zilio; Nicky Spence; Yaritza Véliz; David Stout; Saimir Pirgu; Karita Mattila; April Koyejo-Audiger; Angela Simkin; Jeremy White; Helene Schneiderman; Jacquelyn Stucker; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Henrik Nánási
Asmik Grigorian; Elena Zilio; Nicky Spence; Yaritza Véliz; David Stout; Saimir Pirgu; Karita Mattila; April Koyejo-Audiger; Angela Simkin; Jeremy White; Helene Schneiderman; Jacquelyn Stucker; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Henrik Nánási
"... Grigorian, making her house debut, looked vulnerable and sounded lovely ... Mattila, as one might expect, was formidably intense and utterly commanding ... Saimir Pirgu, meanwhile, made an excellent Steva, vapid and attractive, his voice cutting easily through the sometimes ramped up textures." (The Guardian ★★★)
"Grigorian superbly incarnates the tragic role of Jenufa, both in her anguished body language and her command of the part’s passion-infused lyricism. Mattila, for her part, delivers an acutely perceptive reading of the role of the Kostelnicka: terrifying she may be, but she also suffers. Nicky Spence’s splendidly sung Laca matures from a lumbering, sinister social reject into a figure capable of a loyalty that offers some hope for the future. Saimir Pirgu is an impassioned Steva, his half-brother and rival.
Claus Guth’s production is at the same time powerfully, even heavily, symbolic and psychologically probing. Henrik Nánási’s fine conducting highlights the textures that glint like a knife, yet captures also the heartwarming humanity that throbs through the work." (The Evening Standard ★★★★★)
"Jenůfa makes a triumphant return to Covent Garden" (Bachtrack ★★★★★)
"In any normal cast Mattila’s decay from rigid authority to howling animal, voice flayed down to sinew and rasp, would set her apart, but here she’s just the disintegrating centre of a flawless ensemble cast – from Elena Zilio’s Grandmother, held together by dignity and black velvet, and Nicky Spence’s profoundly moving Laca, rash and loving and radiantly sung, to Saimir Pirgu’s strutting Steva...
And then there’s Asmik Grigorian, the Lithuanian soprano currently dominating every stage she steps onto.
Lustrous at the top of the voice but with real bite at the bottom, energy coiled and trapped in her rigid body, she carries the force of Greek myth with her – stepping here not just into Mattila’s former role, but her shoes." (The Independent ★★★★★)
"exceptional casting..." (The Arts Desk ★★★★★)
"Accomplished performances" (The Stage ★★★★)
"We’ll be talking about Royal Opera’s Jenufa two decades from now" (The Spectator)
"Guth has a fine cast to work with...Nánási understands the architecture of Janáček’s score, too, building each climax with proper care as the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays its heart out. In all, it’s a very fine performance." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)
"The singer/actors’ performances are certainly of a scale to hold this space, no one’s more so than Karita Mattila’s Kostelnička… In the pit Hungarian maestro Henrik Nánási…obtains a strong result…Guth’s production is impressive in its refusal to kowtow to comfortable rustic romanticism" (Gramophone Awards 2022)
"Claus Guth's production of Janáček's great tragedy transcends its nationalistic origins and makes it a tale about all oppressive society" (The Times ★★★★★)
"Grigorian superbly incarnates the tragic role of Jenufa, both in her anguished body language and her command of the part’s passion-infused lyricism. Mattila, for her part, delivers an acutely perceptive reading of the role of the Kostelnicka: terrifying she may be, but she also suffers. Nicky Spence’s splendidly sung Laca matures from a lumbering, sinister social reject into a figure capable of a loyalty that offers some hope for the future. Saimir Pirgu is an impassioned Steva, his half-brother and rival.
Claus Guth’s production is at the same time powerfully, even heavily, symbolic and psychologically probing. Henrik Nánási’s fine conducting highlights the textures that glint like a knife, yet captures also the heartwarming humanity that throbs through the work." (The Evening Standard ★★★★★)
"Jenůfa makes a triumphant return to Covent Garden" (Bachtrack ★★★★★)
"In any normal cast Mattila’s decay from rigid authority to howling animal, voice flayed down to sinew and rasp, would set her apart, but here she’s just the disintegrating centre of a flawless ensemble cast – from Elena Zilio’s Grandmother, held together by dignity and black velvet, and Nicky Spence’s profoundly moving Laca, rash and loving and radiantly sung, to Saimir Pirgu’s strutting Steva...
And then there’s Asmik Grigorian, the Lithuanian soprano currently dominating every stage she steps onto.
Lustrous at the top of the voice but with real bite at the bottom, energy coiled and trapped in her rigid body, she carries the force of Greek myth with her – stepping here not just into Mattila’s former role, but her shoes." (The Independent ★★★★★)
"exceptional casting..." (The Arts Desk ★★★★★)
"Accomplished performances" (The Stage ★★★★)
"We’ll be talking about Royal Opera’s Jenufa two decades from now" (The Spectator)
"Guth has a fine cast to work with...Nánási understands the architecture of Janáček’s score, too, building each climax with proper care as the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays its heart out. In all, it’s a very fine performance." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)
"The singer/actors’ performances are certainly of a scale to hold this space, no one’s more so than Karita Mattila’s Kostelnička… In the pit Hungarian maestro Henrik Nánási…obtains a strong result…Guth’s production is impressive in its refusal to kowtow to comfortable rustic romanticism" (Gramophone Awards 2022)
"Claus Guth's production of Janáček's great tragedy transcends its nationalistic origins and makes it a tale about all oppressive society" (The Times ★★★★★)
Asmik Grigorian (Jenůfa); Elena Zilio (Grandmother Buryjovka); Nicky Spence (Laca Klemeň); Yaritza Véliz (Jana); David Stout (Foreman At The Mill); Saimir Pirgu (Števa Buryja); Karita Mattila (Kostelnička Buryjovka); April Koyejo-Audiger (Barena); Angela Simkin (Herdswoman); Jeremy White (Mayor); Helene Schneiderman (Mayor’s Wife); Jacquelyn Stucker (Karolka)
Award-winning director Claus Guth’s acclaimed production of Jenůfa is a striking representation of an oppressed society ‘infused with heart-warming humanity’ (Evening Standard ★★★★★)
Two courageous women struggle for fulfilment against the backdrop of a claustrophobic rural community. With music inspired by the traditional folk melodies of his native Moravia, Janáček’s score movingly captures Jenůfa’s progression from hope to despair to eventual radiant happiness, while her stepmother, the Kostelnička, is one of opera’s most complex maternal figures.
Hungarian conductor Henrik Nánási conducts Asmik Grigorian in her much-anticipated Royal Opera House debut in the title role, alongside Karita Mattila as the Kostelnička and a star cast.
DVD
Genre: Opera
Release Date: 01/08/2022
Sound Formats: LPCM 2.0 & DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO
Catalogue Number: OA1351D
BLU-RAY
Genre: Opera
Release Date: 01/08/2022
Sound Formats: LPCM 2.0 & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Ratio: 16:9
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO
Catalogue Number: OABD7302D
Conductor(s):
Henrik Nánási
Henrik Nánási
Orchestra(s):
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus
Artist(s):
Asmik Grigorian; Elena Zilio; Nicky Spence; Yaritza Véliz; David Stout; Saimir Pirgu; Karita Mattila; April Koyejo-Audiger; Angela Simkin; Jeremy White; Helene Schneiderman; Jacquelyn Stucker; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Henrik Nánási
Asmik Grigorian; Elena Zilio; Nicky Spence; Yaritza Véliz; David Stout; Saimir Pirgu; Karita Mattila; April Koyejo-Audiger; Angela Simkin; Jeremy White; Helene Schneiderman; Jacquelyn Stucker; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Henrik Nánási
"... Grigorian, making her house debut, looked vulnerable and sounded lovely ... Mattila, as one might expect, was formidably intense and utterly commanding ... Saimir Pirgu, meanwhile, made an excellent Steva, vapid and attractive, his voice cutting easily through the sometimes ramped up textures." (The Guardian ★★★)
"Grigorian superbly incarnates the tragic role of Jenufa, both in her anguished body language and her command of the part’s passion-infused lyricism. Mattila, for her part, delivers an acutely perceptive reading of the role of the Kostelnicka: terrifying she may be, but she also suffers. Nicky Spence’s splendidly sung Laca matures from a lumbering, sinister social reject into a figure capable of a loyalty that offers some hope for the future. Saimir Pirgu is an impassioned Steva, his half-brother and rival.
Claus Guth’s production is at the same time powerfully, even heavily, symbolic and psychologically probing. Henrik Nánási’s fine conducting highlights the textures that glint like a knife, yet captures also the heartwarming humanity that throbs through the work." (The Evening Standard ★★★★★)
"Jenůfa makes a triumphant return to Covent Garden" (Bachtrack ★★★★★)
"In any normal cast Mattila’s decay from rigid authority to howling animal, voice flayed down to sinew and rasp, would set her apart, but here she’s just the disintegrating centre of a flawless ensemble cast – from Elena Zilio’s Grandmother, held together by dignity and black velvet, and Nicky Spence’s profoundly moving Laca, rash and loving and radiantly sung, to Saimir Pirgu’s strutting Steva...
And then there’s Asmik Grigorian, the Lithuanian soprano currently dominating every stage she steps onto.
Lustrous at the top of the voice but with real bite at the bottom, energy coiled and trapped in her rigid body, she carries the force of Greek myth with her – stepping here not just into Mattila’s former role, but her shoes." (The Independent ★★★★★)
"exceptional casting..." (The Arts Desk ★★★★★)
"Accomplished performances" (The Stage ★★★★)
"We’ll be talking about Royal Opera’s Jenufa two decades from now" (The Spectator)
"Guth has a fine cast to work with...Nánási understands the architecture of Janáček’s score, too, building each climax with proper care as the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays its heart out. In all, it’s a very fine performance." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)
"The singer/actors’ performances are certainly of a scale to hold this space, no one’s more so than Karita Mattila’s Kostelnička… In the pit Hungarian maestro Henrik Nánási…obtains a strong result…Guth’s production is impressive in its refusal to kowtow to comfortable rustic romanticism" (Gramophone Awards 2022)
"Claus Guth's production of Janáček's great tragedy transcends its nationalistic origins and makes it a tale about all oppressive society" (The Times ★★★★★)
"Grigorian superbly incarnates the tragic role of Jenufa, both in her anguished body language and her command of the part’s passion-infused lyricism. Mattila, for her part, delivers an acutely perceptive reading of the role of the Kostelnicka: terrifying she may be, but she also suffers. Nicky Spence’s splendidly sung Laca matures from a lumbering, sinister social reject into a figure capable of a loyalty that offers some hope for the future. Saimir Pirgu is an impassioned Steva, his half-brother and rival.
Claus Guth’s production is at the same time powerfully, even heavily, symbolic and psychologically probing. Henrik Nánási’s fine conducting highlights the textures that glint like a knife, yet captures also the heartwarming humanity that throbs through the work." (The Evening Standard ★★★★★)
"Jenůfa makes a triumphant return to Covent Garden" (Bachtrack ★★★★★)
"In any normal cast Mattila’s decay from rigid authority to howling animal, voice flayed down to sinew and rasp, would set her apart, but here she’s just the disintegrating centre of a flawless ensemble cast – from Elena Zilio’s Grandmother, held together by dignity and black velvet, and Nicky Spence’s profoundly moving Laca, rash and loving and radiantly sung, to Saimir Pirgu’s strutting Steva...
And then there’s Asmik Grigorian, the Lithuanian soprano currently dominating every stage she steps onto.
Lustrous at the top of the voice but with real bite at the bottom, energy coiled and trapped in her rigid body, she carries the force of Greek myth with her – stepping here not just into Mattila’s former role, but her shoes." (The Independent ★★★★★)
"exceptional casting..." (The Arts Desk ★★★★★)
"Accomplished performances" (The Stage ★★★★)
"We’ll be talking about Royal Opera’s Jenufa two decades from now" (The Spectator)
"Guth has a fine cast to work with...Nánási understands the architecture of Janáček’s score, too, building each climax with proper care as the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays its heart out. In all, it’s a very fine performance." (BBC Music Magazine ★★★★)
"The singer/actors’ performances are certainly of a scale to hold this space, no one’s more so than Karita Mattila’s Kostelnička… In the pit Hungarian maestro Henrik Nánási…obtains a strong result…Guth’s production is impressive in its refusal to kowtow to comfortable rustic romanticism" (Gramophone Awards 2022)
"Claus Guth's production of Janáček's great tragedy transcends its nationalistic origins and makes it a tale about all oppressive society" (The Times ★★★★★)
