The Makropoulos Case, Janacek – concert performance, LSO/Rattle, Barbican 15/1/26,

London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle   conductor; Marlis Petersen   Emilia Marty; Aleš Briscein   Albert Gregor; Jan Martiník   Dr Kolenatý; Peter Hoare   Vitek; Svatopluk Sem   Baron Jaroslav Prus

It’s a strange piece of programming to have this concert performance (the 2^nd of two) happening only two months after the ROHCG production of the same work. However……this was just such a different experience to seeing the ROHCG production that it didn’t matter at all. Good though the ROHCG one was musically, it was let down a bit by an over-complicated production. Somehow, having the singers and orchestra on stage in a concert performance as in this performance felt more intense, clearer and easier to follow dramatically. Even the surtitles seemed to make more sense and to be easier to understand,

This was without a doubt the most convincing and gripping performance of this amazing work I have heard, and increasingly I find that this work and the Cunning Little Vixen are my favourite Janacek operas. It helped that, like the ROHCG production, it was played without a break – it would seem almost an obscenity after these two different performances for the work to be divided by an interval.

Part of the reason for the extra intensity was that Marlis Petersen’s was such a more sympathetic portrayal of EM than Ausrine Stundyte. Clearly EM is in many ways a sad and nasty piece of work and that must remain a constant in any portrayal, but somehow Ms Petersen drew out more of the humanity and more of the sadness there is in the role. The last 10 minutes were absolutely glorious,. A lot of the role is declamation but where there was a lyrical passage Ms Petersen unfailingly handled it sensitively. Ausrine Stundyte was more formidable and cold – an equally valid approach but which, together with the ROHCG production, left one a bit distanced at the end of the work. At the end of this work, I had tears in my eyes – for the sadness of EM’s fate and the affirmation of ordinary human existence.

The rest of the cast  – with the exception of Vitek and Hauk – were Czech singers, and this helped the fluency and the understandability of the story. There were no weak links – all were outstanding, and kudos to Alan Oke for his definitive performance of the ageing Baron.  The other great contributor to the success of this concert was the LSO and Rattle – balance between singers and orchestra was perfect, there were many outstanding solos from the woodwind and horns, the strings sounded glorious in the last 10 minutes or so, and Rattle gave the more energetic parts of the score a propulsive dynamism – the opening prelude was tremendous. Having the offstage brass come on at the end to add to the grandeur and tragedy of the closing bars was a magical touch.

All members of the cast were very restrained when it came to acting, so that there was no irritating distinction between those using the score and those throwing caution to the winds and singing from memory. Everyone had a score in front of them, all sung towards the person they were addressing but nobody started hogging the limelight. Ms Petersen used the same space given to everyone else in portraying so clearly the character of EM.

It will be fascinating to see what Janacek operas Rattle and the LSO want to perform next– From the House of the Dead, which I have never heard a note of, would be ideal……..

I am so lucky to have started the new year with four such very fine performances