Cunning Little Vixen [DVD] [1995] [US Import] [NTSC]

Janacek's Cunning little Vixen is a very good place to start appreciating Janacek's operas as it is essentially much more accessible than some of his other works which deal with particularly difficult human situations. This opera is firmly based on the woodland animal world surrounding the life of a vixen and her interaction with the woodsman who initially captures her and subsequently tries to keep her as a pet. She escapes.

The story follows the group of animals and the small group of humans as they age. The human group interact with each other and also with the woodland world. The animals do the same in reverse. Both groups inevitably clash with each other but continue to behave in their own particular ways. Basically Janacek is writing an opera showing how life continually moves on and recycles.

Janacek first came across this story as a novella `Adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears' which was published in 51 parts in a literary journal before being turned into book form. It is still in print. He immediately wanted to write the opera despite advice to the contrary. He stated that for years he had listened to the animals, memorising their speech. He declared "I am at home with them." He later confided that this score was the favourite of all his operas.

All this can all be enjoyed at a fairly superficial level as a simple tale. It can also be seen as rather moralistic which may well be what inspired Janacek to write it bearing in mind his close identification with the language of the animals.

The delightful story is beautifully performed with all the sympathy you would expect from such an experienced Janacek specialist as Mackerras. The cast is uniformly excellent and the staging makes imaginative use of rapidly changing scenery flats. The costumes are equally imaginative and brightly coloured giving a visually attractive air to all the woodland scenes.

In more detail it should be mentioned that Thomas Allen is ideally cast as the aging forester who is still able to take a delight in his woodland surroundings. His voice is as mellifluously pleasant as always. The fox is wonderfully cast with just the right air of knowing worldliness being portrayed by Hana Minutillo. The cock and hens section is mildly amusing with the hens gently clucking as an unscripted background chattery noise. However Eva Jenis as the vixen is the star of the opera with a delightfully childlike approach to her role. She is young and sprightly enough to be completely charming. Her eventual death comes as a considerable dramatic shock.

The various wood land animals are `danced' largely by adults and this brings an extra dimension of gentle adult imagination and humour that is not present to the same extent in the recent Blu-ray alternative which relies on a cast of children for the same roles.

The widescreen imaging of this 1995 production remains sharp without having the ultimate Blu-ray definition. It is typical of the reliable standards of the Brian large team. The sound is in stereo only but such is the pleasure of the production that one quickly adjusts although it is necessary to raise the volume by several decibels to obtain best results.

As a performance and production this is an easy 5 stars but because of the stereo only option and the presence of a good rival Blu-ray version I feel it is only fair to comment that for these reasons some purchasers would drop a star. However, for my taste, this is still a 5 star issue.

Performance, wonderful from conductor's interpretation (of course!), singers, dancers and orchestra. Sound quality excellent. Production really beautiful and it managed to reverse the usual balance by making the humans seem small and intrusive, isolated in their drab little 'capsule' – the colourful, larger than life world is that of the animals. The actors capture the joyful zest for living that the animals have, as well as the little twitches and gestures of the animals and insects in such a lovely way; very discrete but very effective. Contrast the plain, rather depressed walking around of the humans! Better than any production I have seen. Highly recommended.

This CD is an excellent production of the opera and is one I have viewed several times before purchase. It has been unavailable in the UK for some time and I am thrilled to have been able to buy my own copy from EliteDigital UK.