The Guardian today has a LEADER about Janacek's Jenufa! And jolly good it is.
Lest anyone mistake this for a sudden cultural shift in favour of opera in the UK, I should probably add a reminder that that won't be indicated unless the Daily Mail follows suit.
6 comments:
Hurrah! Can't stand Janacek myself, but this is has gotta be good news.
How can anyone not stand Janacek??
Ah, well, to each his own.
I know, Lisa - it's a blind spot, is all. Novak- now that's a different kettle of fish! :)
A little reference from a couple of years ago to my post about this opera.
Here.
Sorry, did someone say they can't stand Janacek? Why? Please explain!
I thought the comments after that Guardian article were especially funny, though, from a singer's vantage point.
Not the predictably boring carping about "elitism", of course (snore!), but duckyjibes' 1st comment about the (complete lack of) vowels & "wouldn't want the words to disturb the beauty of the line", then his/her 2nd comment about how Roocroft does "a very nice impersonation of an opera singer." Ouch!
The elitism argument is so unwinnably trite (get over it!), but the cast should know the audience can't hear the words, I think, don't you?
I thought the thing about the comment on how you can't hear the vowels because it spoils the line was hilarious. The real trouble is that you ONLY hear vowels. It's the consonants that get lost! Vowels create the line (don't they?).
My favourite line in Jenufa is when the evil mother-in-law shouts something that sounds like NAJEHAVOLA! at the end of Act II. I haven't a clue what it means, but it sounds fabulous.
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