It's not for nothing that Janáček's opera is properly titled Její pastorkyňa (Her Stepdaughter). Karita Mattila's Kostelnička was at the centre of a powerful concert performance of Jenůfa.
Although professing a great admiration for Mascagni and Cavalleria rusticana in particular, Janáček’s concept of Slavic verismo is diametrically different.
