Janacek: the Cunning Little Vixen (in English).(Sound Recording Review)

[] Watson, Montague; Tear, Allen; Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Rattle. 1990. English text. Chandos CHAN 3101

Two issues will determine whether a listener finds this Vixen worthwhile. One, obviously, is one's reaction to opera in translation. Translating Czech vocal music into English (or German) can be particularly tricky, because of the languages' differing stress patterns; some editions resort to wholesale rhythmic resettings to solve the problem. The English-language libretto heard here, by Yveta Synek Graft and Robert T. Jones, not only adheres to the rhythmic patterns of Janacek's original--eliminating superfluous repeated notes in perhaps a handed of places--but manages to sound reasonably conversational in the process. While the singers project the text with variable proficiency--the fast patter of the scene with the Vixen and the Hens, alas, is a dead loss--the opportunity to hear the piece unencumbered by linguistic barriers, with libretto and a helpful synopsis in hand, makes for a more directly communicative experience.

A more serious question will be one's response to Janacek a la Simon Rattle, vintage 1990. (This, like several other issues in this Chandos series, is a licensing of an EMI original that hasn't previously received U.S. distribution.) Rattle favors smooth rather than sharp edges, cushioned rather than pinpoint landings at cadences. Sometimes the music benefits: if you think of Janacek as angular and "difficult," the luxuriant, almost Hollywood glamour of the full orchestral passages will surprise you. But the ...