by usia review
Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa at the CCB. Truth, Folk Roots, and the Power of the Human Voice
“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 care only about acoustic quality.”
— Leoš Janáček, 1926
It came as a genuine surprise to witness Janáček’s Jenůfa performed in its original Czech language by the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, presented at the Centro Cultural de Belém. This alone marked the production as a significant artistic event.
But the impact of the evening went far beyond linguistic authenticity. From Katie Mitchell’s (Carson’s) stark staging to the overwhelming vocal and dramatic presence of soprano Ángeles Blancas in the role of the Kostelnička (the Sacristan), this production left a deep impression.
Staging and Dramatic Concept
The set consisted of a bleak structure of multiple doors—openings through which members of the chorus silently observe the drama, embodying a society obsessed with surveillance, repression, and moral judgment. The earth spread across the stage, symbolizing guilt, burial, and concealment, also had a practical consequence: it absorbed sound and often swallowed the singers’ voices, especially in Act I.
This highlights a recurring issue in contemporary opera staging: visual concepts taking precedence over vocal projection, forgetting that opera is, above all, the realm of the human voice.
The Opera and Its Scandalous Origins
Jenůfa is based on the play “Her Stepdaughter”, which premiered at the National Theatre in Prague on November 9, 1890, and caused a scandal at the time. Its themes—sexual jealousy, illegitimacy, infanticide, and social hypocrisy—were shocking for late-19th-century audiences.
The plot centers on a rigid rural society in which:
Laca (tenor Richard Trey Smagur) disfigures Jenůfa out of jealousy,
Števa (tenor Dovlet Nurgeldiyev) abandons her after impregnating her,
and the Kostelnička—Jenůfa’s stepmother—murders the newborn child to preserve social honor.
Vocal and Musical Performances
The evening belonged unquestionably to Ángeles Blancas as the Kostelnička. Her dramatic soprano voice, of immense power and projection, overcame even the difficult acoustics of the CCB. Her singing combined vocal authority with profound psychological insight, creating a terrifying and deeply human portrait of a woman crushed by moral rigidity and social fear.
Her performance was one of rare intensity—vocally commanding, emotionally devastating, and theatrically unforgettable.
In the title role, Croatian soprano Evelin Novak, who has previously sung at Bayreuth, offered a lyrical and touching portrayal of Jenůfa. Her interpretation captured the character’s fragility, inner conflict, and gradual path toward forgiveness and redemption.
Among the male voices, Richard Trey Smagur (Laca) and Dovlet Nurgeldiyev (Števa) stood out for their dramatic commitment and vocal presence.
Special praise must be given to the Portuguese singers, who faced the considerable challenge of singing in Czech—a language of great rhythmic and phonetic complexity:
Cátia Moreso, Luís Rodrigues, Patrícia Quinta, José Corvelo, Paula Martins Dória, Rafaela Albuquerque, Ana Luísa Assunção, Inês Medeiros, João Rosa, and Ana S. Franco. Their professionalism and courage deserve recognition.
Orchestra and Direction
The Czech conductor Maestro Jaroslav Kyzlink, a specialist in Janáček’s music and a former member of the Brno Opera, led the orchestra with stylistic authority and confidence.
However, there were moments when the orchestral volume became excessive, overshadowing the singers. This tendency—often justified by the singers’ softer dynamics—remains problematic, as opera audiences attend primarily to hear voices, not to witness a symphonic competition between pit and stage.
Janáček’s Musical Language
Janáček drew deeply from Czech folk music, speech rhythms, and local inflections, while also absorbing influences from Italian verismo, particularly after attending performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and works by Puccini.
The result is a musical language of striking originality:
raw, fragmented, emotionally charged, and profoundly human.
Jenůfa reflects the rural atmosphere of Moravia and Bohemia while exploring themes of guilt, sacrifice, repression, forgiveness, and redemption. This duality—between cruelty and compassion—gives the opera its unique and enduring power.
Historical Context in Portugal
This marks the third performance of Jenůfa in Portugal:
1960, sung in German
2000, in the original Czech
2024, once again in Czech, in a production of high artistic ambition
Conclusion
This production reaffirmed Jenůfa as one of the most profound operatic works of the 20th century. When vocal excellence, dramatic truth, and respect for the composer’s language align—as they largely did here—opera transcends aesthetics and becomes a mirror of human conscience.
Janáček would have approved.
A Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Opera
#JENUFA @TNSC
Thanks to: TNSC, André Quendera, Raquel Maló Almeida; CCB, Sofia Cardim