Rattle conducts a Jenůfa to sear the soul at the Staatsoper Berlin

By Mark Valencia, 16 February 2021

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“vocally ruthless as the Kostelnička... a killer with a crucifix brooch that proclaims her hypocrisy”

Reviewed at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin on 13 February 2021

Janáček, Jenůfa

Staatsoper Berlin

Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor

Damiano Michieletto, Director

Paolo Fantin, Set Designer

Carla Teti, Costume Designer

Alessandro Carletti, Lighting Designer

Camilla Nylund, Jenůfa

Evelyn Herlitzius, Kostelnička

Ladislav Elgr, Števa Buryja

Stuart Skelton, Laca Klemeň

Hanna Schwarz, Grandmother Buryjovka

Adriane Queiroz, Barena

David Oštrek, Mayor

Natalia Skrycka, Mayor's wife

Victoria Randem, Jano

Evelin Novak, Karolka

Jan Martiník, Stárek, Mill foreman

Staatsopernchor Berlin

Staatskapelle Berlin

Eyes wide shut for Berlin’s new Ballo

Mark Pullinger, 29th March

At the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Rafael R Villalobos addresses the problems he perceives with Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, although the musical performances – led by Anna Netrebko – compensate.

***11

Young stars shine in the Staatsoper Berlin’s Rosenkavalier

Mark Pullinger, 28th March

Patricia Nolz makes an outstanding role debut as Christian Thielemann conducts a thrusting Rosenkavalier to open the Staatsoper Unter den Linden's Festtage.

*****

Love is in the hare: a new Cunning Little Vixen opens in Berlin

Elena Luporini, 28th February

The Staatsoper's new production of Janáček's opera buzzes with life thanks to Sir Simon Rattle's conducting and an excellent cast led by Vera-Lotte Boecker and Magdalena Kožená.

****1

Pintscher’s Das kalte Herz premieres at Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Elena Luporini, 14th January

On a snowy January evening, the premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s new opera Das kalte Herz fails to warm up the Berlin public.

**111

Happy 100th birthday, Wozzeck! Thielemann leads Berlin revival

Elena Luporini, 14th December

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden celebrates the 100th birthday of Alban Berg's masterpiece with a stellar cast in Andrea Breth’s revived production.

***11

Low on laughs: Die schweigsame Frau in Berlin

Elena Luporini, 19th July

Newly General Music Director Christian Thielemann and Jan Philipp Gloger bring Richard Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau to the Staatsoper Berlin for the first time, but la commedia is hardly stupenda.

**111

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.