United Kingdom Janáček, The Makropulos Affair: Soloists, London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Barbican Corridor, London, 13.1.2026. (JR)
Forged:
Marlis Petersen – Emilia Marty
Aleš Briscein – Albert Gregor
Jan Martiník – Dr Kolenatý / Strojnik / Machinist
Peter Hoare – Vitek
Doubravka Novotná – Krista
Svatopluk Sem – Baron Jaroslav Prus
Vit Nosek – Janek
Lucie Hilscherová – Cleansing Girl / Chambermaid
Alan Oke – Depend Hauk-Šendorf
Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra proceed their unmissable Janáček opera cycle. Having carried out splendid live performance performances of Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, The Crafty Little Vixen and the Excursions of Mr Brouček, Rattle now turned his consideration to maybe essentially the most trendy and least sentimental of Janáček’s operas, The Makropulos Affair (also called The Makropulos Case). And a very marvellous affair it was.
I noticed Dmitri Tcherniakov’s manufacturing of The Makropulos Affair at Zurich Opera in 2019 (evaluation right here) performed by Jakub Hrůša, and with Evelyn Herlitzius within the title position. Might I refer you to that evaluation for the convoluted and in all senses unimaginable plot and the historical past of the opera. Put merely, the opera centres round a regulation case, contentious probate, which has continued for thirty years, the form of case legal professionals salivate about. Clearly that’s the reason Dr Kolenatý doesn’t need the case going into one other lawyer’s fingers; to proceed to obtain charges, he’s even prepared to commit housebreaking. The opposite plot aspect is a magic potion or elixir making certain excessive longevity (there are dozens of opera plots involving potions and elixirs): I’m by no means solely satisfied, although, by Marty’s assertion that we ought to be thought of fortunate in ‘solely’ residing, often, into our eighties or nineties, and residing past 100 is a misfortune.
I used to be considerably underwhelmed by the Zurich manufacturing (aside from the real looking set of the lawyer’s workplace), the place – oddly – not one of the singers have been truly Czech: I didn’t then really feel the opera deserved extra frequent outings. Rattle, nonetheless, makes no errors in that regard and finds splendid Czech nationals for a lot of the roles. Janáček’s consideration to matching the phrases to the notes is nearly distinctive and the sound of the Czech language, with its consonant clusters, provides to the flavour and high quality of the efficiency, when the language is pronounced precisely with its Slavic timbre.
This opera additionally lends itself very properly to live performance efficiency. There aren’t any choruses, and little or no motion, barring a number of entrances and exits into the lawyer’s workplace (Act I), opera home dressing room (Act II) and lodge room (Act III). No set or props are actually wanted. It’s set solely indoors. This efficiency was virtually semi-staged with all of the singers performing their components (Peter Hoare and Alan Oke have been stand-outs): this added a lot to the entire.
German soprano Marlis Petersen made a super Emilia Marty, glamorous of look and wonderful of voice, with harsh vocal assaults the place referred to as for. All of the male voices, proper throughout the board, have been of the very highest order, Janáček calling principally for a declamatory and conversational type all through. On one event Svatopluk Sem’s quantity as Baron Jaroslav Prus needed to be reined in by Rattle. On the opera’s première, Janáček was involved the orchestra would possibly drown out the soloists however there was no such threat right here. The singers have been all positioned on the entrance of the stage and stuffed the corridor with ease. Rattle saved a agency hand on the dynamics of his orchestral forces.
There have been apparently 9 (!) rehearsals for this efficiency (which option to be repeated in three days), and it confirmed. The orchestra have been on high of the rating, which fizzed with vim and brio from starting to finish. The primary violins have been strongly led, audibly and visually: by each Roman Simovic and Benjamin Marquise Gilmore on the entrance desk. Rattle drew wondrous sounds from all sections of the orchestra and has made the strongest of instances that this opera, rare as performances are, ought to be included together with the composer’s best operatic works. While it’s nonetheless not a mainstay of the operatic repertoire, that will now be altering.
So, what subsequent for this cycle? The Home of the Lifeless appears the plain, although maybe much less engaging alternative. We must wait and see. I look ahead to the discharge of this Makropulos Affair on LSO Dwell; it will likely be a tremendous addition to any CD library.
John Rhodes
Featured Picture: Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra’s The Makropulos Affair © LSO/Mark Allan
