JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 12/21/1974
Nelson; Kubiak, Varnay, Vickers, Lewis, Kraft
SID.19080426
This was my second encounter with Jenufa, the first had been 7 years earlier when Hamburg brought a German language version to the 1967 Lincoln Center Festival. This performance is in English, which is a rarity on Sirius since almost no translations are ever heard. The standout performance for me is Jon Vickers as Laca. The giant disappointment was Varnay’s Kostelnicka. I had been much impressed by Kniplova (native Czech, but singing in German with Hamburg) in this pivotal role, but Varnay was a dud dramatically and vocally. Later on I saw Rysanek (San Francisco and New York) and Eva Marton (Barcelona) and each time the effect was powerful. I view Varnay’s Elektra as one of the great assumptions by any dramatic soprano, but I find her late appearances in New York not so much to my taste. Kubiak’s English is surprisingly adequate, and overall I enjoy listening to this performance.
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