Jenufa at CCB
REVIEW BY ANTÓNIO LOURENÇO. 3/04/2025
© TNSC -São Carlos
"When all this is united—the source of the popular song with the beautiful language and all the culture that resides in that language—only then will I be certain that true classical music will thrive here. Not the music that depends only on notes and ignores the human and what surrounds him /.../. I cannot help but laugh at those who only care about the acoustic quality of music." Leos Janáček (1926)
It was a surprise, the original production in Czech, performed by the National Theatre of São Carlos at CCB!
For several reasons, from Carson's staging to the interpretation and voice of an exceptional singer in the role of the mother and sacristan, soprano Ángeles Blancas! Indeed, when a dramatic soprano voice, with its power, even surpassed the acoustics of CCB, especially due to the earth on the stage that absorbed the sound! Blancas endowed with a beauty and dramatic expression full of interpretive strength, revealing the character of the role. The set consisting of several doors with openings for the people (Chorus) to spy, the shame of an unmarried woman being pregnant, in a society stifled by repression. It should be noted that in Act 1, the doors and scattered earth hindered and swallowed the voices, as often the productions forget that in Opera, lyrical voices reign above all!
The argument of Jenufa is based on a play 'Her Stepdaughter' premiered at the National Theatre in Prague on November 9, 1890, considered scandalous at the time, as a boy, Laca (Richard Trey Smagur), injured the girlfriend of his brother, Steva (Dovlet Nurgeldiyev), whom he loved, and a woman (Ángeles Blancas) disposed of the body of a child, a forbidden fruit.
To praise the Portuguese singers who had to learn a difficult language: Catia Moreso, Luís Rodrigues Patricia Quinta, José Corvelo, Paula Martins Dória, Rafaela Albuquerque, Ana Luísa Assunção, as well as Inês Medeiros, João Rosa, and Ana S. Franco.
Regarding the Czech musical director, Maestro Jaroslav Kyzlink, he began his career at the Brno Opera in 1992. A profound connoisseur of this opera, he conducted the Portuguese orchestra with confidence.
However, there were moments when he led the orchestra at a very high volume, focusing more on the orchestra and forgetting that the audience primarily attends and appreciates opera for the singers' voices. At times, there is a tendency to increase the orchestra's volume when the singers lower their voices.
The Croatian soprano Evelin Novak, who has previously sung in Bayreuth, delivered a lyrical interpretation of the tragic figure of Jenůfa, symbolizing the struggle between desires and the obligations of such a rigid society.
Tenors Richard T. Smagur and Dovlet Nurgeldiyev stood out among the male voices.
Composer Janáček drew inspiration from Czech folk melodies, also being influenced by verismo after attending performances of Cavalleria Rusticana as well as Puccini.
Reflecting dramatic emotions and the rural Bohemian atmosphere, while also portraying sacrifice within morality, this duality and the nature of forgiveness and redemption give the opera a unique identity. With a powerful narrative and evocative music, it stands out as a distinctive work.
This is the third time this opera has been performed in Portugal. The first time, in German, was in 1960, and the second time, in 2000, also in the original language.
#JENUFA @TNSC
Thanks to: TNSC, André Quendera, Raquel Maló Almeida; CCB, Sofia Cardim