# Janacek: Recommendation for Opera Orchestral Music or Cunning Little Vixen



## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

I'm a big fan of Janacek's orchestral, chamber, and piano music, but I'm probably missing out on a lot because I've never heard his operas. I rarely listen to opera, but my love for Janacek's music is so great that I would like to hear some of it, in one form or another. Did he ever make an orchestral reduction or suite from any of his operas? Is there a good disc you knowledgeable people can recommend? Am I better off just buying a recording of the Cunning Little Vixen? What would be a good recommendation for that opera? Thanks for your help.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

In the 1980s, Charles MacKerras recorded the major operas with the VPO for Decca and they are all good. I_'d start with vec Makropulos or Katya Kabanova, which are more traditional than Vixen._


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

SearsPoncho said:


> I'm a big fan of Janacek's orchestral, chamber, and piano music, but I'm probably missing out on a lot because I've never heard his operas. I rarely listen to opera, but my love for Janacek's music is so great that I would like to hear some of it, in one form or another. Did he ever make an orchestral reduction or suite from any of his operas? Is there a good disc you knowledgeable people can recommend? Am I better off just buying a recording of the Cunning Little Vixen? What would be a good recommendation for that opera? Thanks for your help.











Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen: (complete opera)


Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen. Decca: 4171292. Buy download online. Dalibor Jedlicka, Vladimir Krejcik, Lucia Popp, Richard Novák, Eva Randová Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Mackerras



www.prestomusic.com




That Decca recording is the best narrowly followed by:
Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen 
Good luck .


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

Mackerras in the original language or Rattle in English


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

SearsPoncho said:


> I'm a big fan of Janacek's orchestral, chamber, and piano music, but I'm probably missing out on a lot because I've never heard his operas. I rarely listen to opera, but my love for Janacek's music is so great that I would like to hear some of it, in one form or another. Did he ever make an orchestral reduction or suite from any of his operas? Is there a good disc you knowledgeable people can recommend? Am I better off just buying a recording of the Cunning Little Vixen? What would be a good recommendation for that opera? Thanks for your help.


This 

The Cunning Little Vixen - Animated - YouTube


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

There is about a 20 minute 'suite' from Vixen prepared by Vaclav Talich which I know has been recorded but, according to one source, 'smooths out Janacek's orchestration'.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Becca said:


> There is about a 20 minute 'suite' from Vixen prepared by Vaclav Talich which I know has been recorded but, according to one source, 'smooths out Janacek's orchestration'.


He does indeed "smooth out the orchestration", but then again so does Peter Breiner, and he has done three CDs of his opera orchestral music on Naxos. They're really very good, and I have to confess I am not generally too enamoured of such undertakings....I recommend them hand on heart.

I am afraid you won't beat Mackerras on the operas themselves. Some earlier recordings on Supraphon are very good as well, and for Mr. Brouček or Osud, there isn't much choice. Try and get the original packaging for the Mackerras, there's a single box, but without librettos, which is not helpful with Czech, or indeed Janacek's Czech...!


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## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

It's a broken record that you should automatically get Mackerras in Janacek but in what's my favourite opera he simply is not the best choice. He is too hard and aggressive and misses out on some of the charm and magic of this wonderful score. The stereo Neumann is the safest bet overall -- though his earlier 1958 recording is interesting as well. And please don't get it in English -- it sounds ridiculous and misses one of the whole points of Janacek which is the speech rhythms and inflections.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Mandryka said:


> This
> 
> The Cunning Little Vixen - Animated - YouTube


Awesome! Thank you.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

CnC Bartok said:


> He does indeed "smooth out the orchestration", but then again so does Peter Breiner, and he has done three CDs of his opera orchestral music on Naxos. They're really very good, and I have to confess I am not generally too enamoured of such undertakings....I recommend them hand on heart.
> 
> I am afraid you won't beat Mackerras on the operas themselves. Some earlier recordings on Supraphon are very good as well, and for Mr. Brouček or Osud, there isn't much choice. Try and get the original packaging for the Mackerras, there's a single box, but without librettos, which is not helpful with Czech, or indeed Janacek's Czech...!


I might get those Peter Breiner cds of the orchestral music/suites on Naxos. Thank you.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Janacek - Operatic Orchestral Suites
F. Jilel, CzechPO Supraphon 33CO-1018
1. Cunning Little vixen
2. Fate
3. From the House of the Dead

excellent disc, beautifully played by CzPO...


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

This is an excellent orchestral suite...

Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen - Orchestral Suite from the Opera - YouTube 

Does anyone know who's conducting? Thank you for any info.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Jakub Hrůša








Janáček: Lachian Dances, Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen, Taras Bulba – Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Jakub Hrůša


Many seasoned conductors keep returning to Janáček's symphonic works - owing to their sparkling expressiveness, colourful emotions and lucid purity drawn deep from the wellspring of folk music. Jakub Hrůša proves that fascination with Janáček'smusic applies to the youngest generation of conductors…




www.supraphon.com


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Whether the opera or an orchestral suite, I love _The Cunning Little Vixen_ however I can get it. Beautiful work.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Here's a top notch recording with some of everything


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Yes, I have Mackerras' great orchestral recordings of the Sinfonietta and Taras Bulba. I was looking for orchestral suites of his operas. 



Becca said:


> Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Jakub Hrůša
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Becca,
Is that the recording of the Cunning Little Vixen Suite on youtube I posted a link to?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

SearsPoncho said:


> Yes, I have Mackerras' great orchestral recordings of the Sinfonietta and Taras Bulba. I was looking for orchestral suites of his operas.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Becca said:


> Yes


Thank you! That's exactly what I was looking for.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

dko22 said:


> It's a broken record that you should automatically get Mackerras in Janacek but in what's my favourite opera he simply is not the best choice. He is too hard and aggressive and misses out on some of the charm and magic of this wonderful score. The stereo Neumann is the safest bet overall -- though his earlier 1958 recording is interesting as well. And please don't get it in English -- it sounds ridiculous and misses one of the whole points of Janacek which is the speech rhythms and inflections.


I do thoroughly agree with you that getting any Janáček opera in English is daft, what on earth do you mean by your "broken record" comment? I have been listening to Janáček for years, and unless there is something wrong with me, the Janáček guru is Charles Mackerras. Perfectly happy to hear the great Václav Neumann, but the Aussie-Czech wins every time. Emphatically not a knee-jerk reaction, from someone who doesn't know any better, as you seem to imply.


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## dko22 (Jun 22, 2021)

The contribution Mackerras has made to Janacek scholarship and performiong versions is not to be under-estimated and indeed with Kata at the very least, I still think he has the best recording. The only thing which annoys me is the assumption in the Anglo-Saxon world is that he is automatically the best interpreter of this composer and I simply don't always find that is the case. Everyone should listen to the alternatives and decide for him or herself. That's all I meant.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I can assure you not all Anglo-Saxons blindly follow the crowd.....! And I'm writing this from just outside Prague, by the way, not a guarantee of perfect taste and balanced opinion, but there is enough Czech in me to feel informed....weirdly, just noticed my profile has got a Czech flag on it, clever stuff!

.....went past Mr. Brouček's pub yesterday!!!


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