Stars: Nancy Gustafson, Felicity Palmer, Ryland Davies, Glyndebourne Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Davis

Summary: The celebrated production by Nikolaus Lehnhoff of Janacek's work in a definitive performance.

An all-star production of Leos Janacek's opera in three acts performed by the Glyndebourne chorus and the London Philharmonic, under the direction of conductor Andrew Davis. A sparse and intense production depicting suffocating emotions that destroy a straight-laced, middle-class household.

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Kát'a Kabanová, Janácek's 1921 tragedy, is proof if any were needed that tales of personal oppression and turmoil will always make fine raw material for opera composers. Janácek took Ostrovsky's tumultuous drama of infidelity , The Storm, and created a compelling piece in which his music heightens the relationship between the troubled landscape of Kát'a's inner mind and the elements doing battle outside.

In 1988, this Glyndebourne Festival production successfully distilled the heroine's wretched journey from put-upon wife and daughter-in-law to suicide via the ecstasy of a forbidden love affair into 100 minutes of intensely emotional operatic drama. At its heart, Janácek's unique tonal score underlines a powerful, almost naturalistic dialogue and exposes the impact of Kát'a's experiences on her escalating self-destruction. Felicity Palmer's Kabanicha--the mother-in-law from hell and the real instrument of Kát'a's downfall--is curiously remote and muted rather than the domineering figure of fear that we might expect. But the singing, particularly by Nancy Gustafson (tremendously affecting and emotionally convincing in the title role) and Ryland Davies as Kát'a's weak husband Tichon, is outstanding. Gustafson's performance alone makes this essential viewing for anybody with a passion for the great modern soprano roles.

On the DVD: Sadly the only additional features are trailers for Seven Gates of Jersualemand The Damnation of Faust. The sound quality (PCM stereo) is more than fair, but inevitably the film of the production is constrained by the design: the stylised set is either very light or very dark and we don't get as close as we'd like to the characters in what is, after all, a disturbingly intimate piece. Arthaus Musik's booklet meets the expected high standards of information and background. --Piers Ford

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Subtitles:	Dutch, English, French, Spanish
Year:	1988
Release Date:	February 26, 2001
Runtime:	99 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	100 158
Keywords:	Music, Opera, Works, Stage, Kabanova, Classical, Performing, Operetta, Kat'a, Arts
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts