Tobias Hoheisel's designs - a combination of bare outlines and the neurotic flaring colors of
Edvard Munch's expressionistic world - provide the setting for
Nikolaus Lehnhoff's production of
Leos Janacek's three-act opera for the
Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Janacek's incandescent score, played by the
London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of
Andrew Davis, has seldom achieved such perfect unity with the dramatic action as it has in this landmark production.
"...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."
- Michael Richter, Opera Japonica
