# Your opinion of Jenufa



## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Among my recent classical music discoveries there's Janaček's _Jenufa_, a really disturbing and brutal but gorgeous opera. Also I think I've never before encountered an opera that had so many debates about the ending: I've read a dozen opinions on it, and some are polar opposites (the most pessimistic end vs. the brilliantly hopeful one).

As for me, I am on the "brilliantly hopeful" side, as I believe that the final act is all about repentance and forgiveness, which is shown in the characters of Kostelnička and Laca (yes, I believe that he regrets what he's done).

By the way, I also don't agree with those who see Kostelnička as a selfish evil stepmother from the start. I mean, she had been married to Števa's uncle who was very similar to Števa, and she is frightened that Jenufa would meet the same fate. As for the baby, I'm not trying to make excuses for her, not at all, but in a small village, where everyone knows everything, Jenufa's honor will be tainted forever (that's why I think after the ending Laca and Jenufa will move to Prague or Vienna or another large city to start afresh). And Kostelnička is already half-crazed (really, hiding Jenufa in her room for months, then having to kneel before Števa of all people, and now Laca is appalled at the thought of his rival's baby), so she panics and sees the child's death as her and Jenufa's only way out.

Some reviews of _Jenufa_ criticize the way Jenufa seems to suddenly fall in love with Laca. I don't agree: remember that several months pass between acts one and two (with Laca coming regularly to visit Kostelnička and Jenufa able to hear them talk), and another two or three months between acts two and three; no one would call this development sudden. By act two Jenufa doesn't love Laca yet but agrees to marry him (a development already), and before their wedding it can be safely assumed they did have the chance to know each other better and to get over their disastrous past.

Now, what are your thoughts?

I've listened to the 2014 recording with Jennifer Larmore as Kostelnička, Will Hartmann as Laca and Hanna Schwarz as Grandmother, and in two weeks I'm going to see _Jenufa_ live at the Mariinsky. Maybe (or not maybe; it's practically a fact) after different productions people have different conclusions. But with _Jenufa_, the same production sometimes gets vastly different interpretations...


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I love _Jenůfa_. It is one of my favorite operas. The score is incredibly lovely and vibrant, with such fantastic vocal writing. San Francisco Opera did a run last summer; I saw it three times.

In these performances Karita Mattila was the Kostelnička, and as she has taken the role of Jenůfa numerous times (including in this same physical production, by Tambosi) it was really easy to see that she understood what the younger woman was going through. And yes, of course what she does is awful, but there is a lot to help us understand what contributes to that act. She kills the child, but she never would have considered it if the local village life (including Laca's reaction!) didn't put her in such a difficult spot.

Clear and simple choices made by purely good or purely evil characters rarely make for good drama; give me realistic characters in difficult situations, with no perfect options!

I find the ending difficult. I think Janáček saw this as a hopeful, positive ending; that's what I get out of the music. Well, probably. Maybe there's still enough melancholy to the music that we should be seeing that this is merely the best ending that is reasonable given the situation. That is to say, I don't see Jenůfa and Laca moving away and starting over after the opera ends. Jenůfa's only real choices are Števa and Laca because she isn't going to leave.


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

mountmccabe said:


> I find the ending difficult. I think Janáček saw this as a hopeful, positive ending; that's what I get out of the music. Well, probably. Maybe there's still enough melancholy to the music that we should be seeing that this is merely the best ending that is reasonable given the situation. That is to say, I don't see Jenůfa and Laca moving away and starting over after the opera ends. Jenůfa's only real choices are Števa and Laca because she isn't going to leave.


Well, they talk about starting a new life in the finale (although that might be some translators' reinterpretation; I don't know Czech so I hardly can figure out the details of what they sing, apart from the few words that sound and mean about the same in Czech and Russian).

At least Števa is the only one currently receiving votes for least favorite. In some of the reviews I read, he was pretty much overlooked and Laca and/or Kostelnička were described as practically the big bads. Yes, I know he's a minor character and has next to no character development (Jenufa might believe that he truly loves Karolka but I don't), yet still I was afraid not everyone likes him least


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