Janacek: Kat'a Kabanova (Glyndebourne, 1988)

Cast: Nancy Gustafson (Kat'a), Felicity Palmer (Kabanicha), Ryland Davies (Tichon), Barry McCauley (Boris), John Graham-Hall (Kuligin), Louise Winter (Varvara), London Philharmonic, Andrew Davis (conductor), Nikolaus Lenhoff (director), Tobias Hoheisel (designer), Derek Bailey (video director)

Recorded at Glyndebourne 1988

Issued on DVD by Kultur in 2002 [D0036, NTSC/all regions, menu in English, obligatory subtitles in English]

Technical details
Aspect ratio 4:3
Sound PCM Stereo

Running time: 100 minutes

Sung in Czech
A stark, spare, stunning presentation of a great work of the 20th century, this recording complements the comparably effective Jenufa and should be considered for every DVD library. Davis's reading is direct and richly colored; the orchestra balances the stage ideally. The simple sets and staging are sufficient to frame the action, which is appropriately intense and athletic where appropriate.

Gustafson's portrayal cannot be faulted vocally, visually or dramatically. Davies' Tichon offers rare dimension in a role which assumes surprising depth here. McCauley's quasi-hero is well sung, but less than convincing; in contrast, Winter and Graham-Hall convey the young lovers impeccably. The one weakness in performance is that of Felicity Palmer in the pivotal role of the Kabanicha. I find her nasty, not venal; vocally correct, not emphatic; small, not petty.

Technically, the recording shows its age and the publisher has done little to improve it. There are visual artifacts suggesting an attempt to enhance the video beyond what the source can support. Sound is accurate but not crisp. Subtitles cannot be suppressed. Documentation is ludicrous, consisting only of a list of principal singers and other contributors; even the region information must be read from the disc with computer software. Despite those limitations and my reservations about the Kabanicha, the recording is recommended.
 
Related website:
Kultur Video www.kultur.com
 
Michael Richter, 24 January 2004
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.