Janacek's operas took awhile to catch on over here on this side of the Atlantic. Jenufa was popular in the German speaking world as well as in Czechoslovakia so it's not surprising that this performance is sung in German. The Vienna State Opera fielded a great cast, not only with four strong leads, but the supporting cast made up of singers who had been members of the company for decades.Jurinac is a lovely Jenufa, capturing her constant anxiety, but also her acceptance of her fate. When she and Laca are united at the end, her voice takes on a shining glow. Hoffman was a very busy mezzo at this time and was a big favorite in Vienna (the Met just sort of shrugged at her skills, engaging her once in 1958 and then only three more times in 1971 always as Brangäne). She sings the Kostelnicka's jagged music with beauty and power. She doesn't tear up the stage as some other actresses do, but gives her a smoldering dignity not often seen in other portrayals.Kmentt and Uhl are each excellent in their roles as the men in Jenufa's life. Reinhard Schwarz conducts a moving performance preserved in clear broadcast sound.Now if we can get Andy to give us a Jenufa with a distinguished cast in the original Czech or one with Jurinac as the Kostelnicka Life will be even better!

THis production was the start (and long the only child) of Janacek's operas at Vienna Staatsoper. Beside the superheroines Mödl and Varnay, Hofmann gave a great, sonvincing, and well sung portrait of Kostelnicka (as Jurinac two decades later, even in the sam production). Jurinac is impeccable as Jenufe, Kmentt and Uhl are stepbrothers at the stage and schoolmates in real life. Both very good as Laca resp. Steva. "Pleasant" is not only praising the performance - the orchestra is really dwelling in beauty of sound, but also a tiny flaw: Today, we would expect a more harsh, even brutal reading of the depressind, but not hopeless story.

As one might expect, Sena was a deeply moving, vocally impeccable Jenufa before moving on to the Kostelnicka towards the end of her career, a role she also sang in San Francisco with Elisabeth Söderström as Jenufa. This recording is in German, as was then common and the version works well, as the German libretto was by no less than Max Brod. Kmennt and Uhl as the rivals for Jenufa’s hand, Grace Hoffmann a thrilling Kostelnicka and even Hilde Konetzni right at the end of her career as the local justice’s wife. I recall the performance well having attended in the legendary Vienna Stehplatz (standing room) at the back of the State Opera stalls.