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The Excursions of Mr. Broucek
Although there is an element of the bizarre/absurd in every one of Janacek's operas, The Excursions of Mr Broucek to the Moon and the 15th Century is by far the most out there (the title says it all.) But don't be scared away, because this opera reveals that it is more than an absurdist exercise and amidst the insanity the opera does reveal its own brand of humanity. This performance was among Charles Mackerras's survey of Leos Janacek and boasts the excellent British soprano, Lorna Haywood, as Malinka, Etherea and Kunka. Haywood is a natural actress and apparently a very good sport (apparently she had to sing a good portion of the role suspended from wires.) Although the opera as a whole lacks the lyricism of Jenufa it makes up for it in orchestral inventiveness as well as some beautifully delicate sonorities.
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5.0
Based on 3 reviews
✓ Verified Buyer
United States
A great opportunity to hear a masterpiece
This opera is a truly neglected masterpiece. It is as great as Janacek’s other operas such as Jenufa, the Cunning Little Vixen and From the House of the Dead, and to boot the plot is as zany as they come, typical of the composer, with time and space travel, probably the first science fiction opera. I have the Jilek recording on Supraphon and the BBC recording on Deutsche Grammaphon, and this one is right there with them, no surprise given the man at the helm. I did not know this recording existed until I saw it listed with Opera Depot, but once known I had to get it. It’s great to hear it in English, not all operas transfer well to it, but I think this one works. The sound is excellent. While my favorite recording overall is the BBC one, that is getting harder to find, while OD makes this one readily available. If you enjoy Janacek, getting this opera is a must.
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✓ Verified Buyer
United States
Highly recommended.
A very enjoyable performance. I am big fan of opera in English and I think the Janacek operas especially benefit from translation. This set makes a great addition to Mackarras’ studio recordings of the Janacek operas in English. A terrific find.
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✓ Top Reviewer
United Kingdom
James Mertins
Great performance,saw all of them.Shows that they could sing understandable English then.
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