Leoš Janáček's (1854-1928) Moravian national opera Jenůfa was brought to Brno for the Janáček Brno 2024 festival by the Moravian Theatre Olomouc in a co-production with the Janáček Opera NdB. Rather than using the Czech title Její pastorkyňa, the production team, headed by director Veronika Kos Loulová, decided to stage the work as Jenůfa, the name under which it is performed abroad. On Wednesday, 20 November, five days after its première in Olomouc, the audience at the Mahen Theatre could also see the latest domestic take on Janáček's most widely performed opera. The musical staging of the significantly modified original version from 1904 was the work of conductor Anna Novotná Pešková, and the main roles were played by Barbora Perná (Jenůfa), Eliška Gattringerová (Kostelnička), Josef Moravec (Laca Klemeň) and Roman Hasymau (Števa Buryja).
It was already clear upon entering the hall that this would not be a traditional concept. The scene was overlaid with a large painting based on Jamie McCartney's The Great Wall of Vulva, which depicts forty different images of female genitalia. Director Veronika Kos Loulová has tried to update the story and bring it in line with modern times. However, the result was not a success. Instead of sensitively extrapolating the feminism from the libretto, which is undoubtedly there in its own way (as in many of Janáček's operas), Loulová decided to forcibly impose modern feminism on the work. This was most evident around the middle of the second act, when phrases that translate as suction pump, nipple ointment, chewed nipples and others began to be heard from the speakers. The compilation of these words, which lasted around two minutes, absolutely disrupted the continuity of Janáček's music and did the opera a real disservice. A similar disruption came in the first act, when the actors on stage recited excerpts from contemporary reviews and authentic quotes from clients of the organisation A Mother's Smile. This bit was more natural and tasteful, yet it did not fit the opera. The darkest point of the concept was the ending, which has been completely changed from Janáček's original version. After the end of Janáček's music, the electropop group VIAH came on stage and, I kid you not, got a disco going. The originally gentle touch of their music turned into a dance vibe, with the actors performing various creations on stage. This is not how Jenůfa should end and it was a bad move. The scene in the first act, when the musicians arrive in the village with Števa, was particularly weird. The actors tried to dance some modern moves, as if they were in a club, but most of them were not very good. Several times during the production, Jenůfa was approached by a couple of vague female characters, presumably to illustrate that she was not alone in her problems. This was an interesting touch and did not harm the production. The significant cuts in the original music were also questionable to say the least. A couple of characters were struck out of the plot and the ending itself, as mentioned, was altered to the point of being cheesy. The director deprived the audience of a rare opportunity to hear the uncut version of Jenůfa in the original version from 1904 and to compare it with the most performed version.
Irina Moscu's set was largely concentrated in an elevated, fluorescent-framed block whose interior, like the colour of the fluorescent lights, changed slightly from act to act. In the first act it depicted a modern kitchen/dining room, in the second it showed Jenůfa's room, and in the third act the garden. Part of the action, when the choir was on stage, took place in front of the block. The scene was reminiscent of an Ikea show room, but the result was not too bad. If Veronika Kos Loulová had dropped those aspects, it would have been quite a successful production, as she did not do badly with the set itself. Moscu also designed the costumes, which were neither complex nor distinctive. For the main characters, they were based on the 21st-century aesthetic. Jenůfa, for example, was dressed in black trousers and a black T-shirt in the first act, and later in light-coloured casual attire. The costume design always tried to have at least one element connecting Jenůfa and Kostelnička. Števa appeared on stage in brown trousers and a leather jacket, Laca in a slightly varied costume of beige trousers and a brown sweatshirt. The choir was largely dressed in women's and men's suits.
The orchestra, led by conductor Anna Novotná Pešková, struggled with intonation problems from the very beginning, which were especially apparent in the violin and brass section. It certainly cannot be said that the orchestra was off all the time; it was often only for a brief moment. However, significant intonation glitches returned throughout the production. In contrast, the woodwind section played well and can undoubtedly be described as the best part of the orchestra. The tempos chosen by the conductor were also not always the most ideal and several times there was a rhythmic clash, such as at the very beginning. The choir, under the direction of Michael Dvořák, was well prepared. The only notable hesitation occurred in the "We will not keep you busy for long" section of the third act, where the intonation was somewhat unclear. The other passages sounded fine and the orchestral singing was not bad, either.
The strongest part of the production is undoubtedly the performances of the soloists. Barbora Perná's singing as Jenůfa sometimes got lost in the overall sound, such as when the orchestra played with greater dynamism. Nevertheless, her intonation was nice and clear. It was only on some of the highest notes that it was slightly off. Josef Moravec (Laca) and Roman Hasymau (Števa), on the other hand, had very strong voices and they did an excellent job, except for a few minor issues. The star of the production is Eliška Gattringerová, who handled the demanding part of Kostelnička with flying colours. Even the performances of the smaller roles were very good. The good singing was also complemented by some excellent playing. However, the clarity of the text was average. However, there were subtitles so this wasn't a major problem.
The scripted take on Jenůfa was unfortunate, especially in terms of direction. The production took poor Jenůfa hostage and tried to force modern feminism down her throat at any cost. Paradoxically, the deletion of passages, the weird added spoken parts and the absurd ending was not only detrimental to Janáček's opera itself, but also perhaps went against what the director had originally intended. Feminist themes, here represented mainly through the issue of postpartum depression, should be emphasised and talked about as much as possible. Their connection with Janáček's Jenůfa did not work, however, and is more likely to turn many people away from taking an interest in these topics. By interrupting Janáček's music with various slogans and modifying the tone of the opera itself, Veronika Kos Loulová showed that she has no respect for Janáček and his opera. It must have taken a lot of courage to bring this version of Jenůfa to Brno. However, I also have reservations about the behaviour of some members of the audience, who could have spared us some of their comments, or at least saved them for the end. It's also worth mentioning that the name of the author of the artwork, which was tastelessly placed in front of the stage at the very beginning, was misspelled in the programme, which underscores the absurdity of the whole idea.
Leoš Janáček: Jenůfa (Her Stepdaughter), 1904 version
Libretto: Leoš Janáček based on the drama of the same name by Gabriela Preissová
Moravian Theatre Olomouc in a co-production with the Janáček Opera NdB
Conductor and musical staging: Anna Novotná Pešková
Director: Veronika Kos Loulová
Dramaturgy: Marta Ljubková
Stage sets: Irina Moscu
Costumes: Irina Moscu
Lighting: Fiammetta Baldiserri
Choirmaster: Michael Dvořák
Cast:
Jenůfa - Barbora Perná
Kostelnička - Eliška Gattringerová
Laca Klemeň – Josef Moravec
Števa Buryja – Roman Hasymau
Grandmother Buryjovka - Sylva Čmugrová
Stárek - Jiří Pribyl
Karolka - Helena Beránková
Barena - Anna Moriová
VIAH
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