Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen, Sinfonietta

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Melodious and charming, The Cunning Little Vixen is a work rooted in Czech history and folk music; a sentimental journey through the cycles of life. For Sir Simon Rattle, it’s a deeply personal and emotional work – ‘it’s the piece that made me want to become an opera conductor … and still one of the pieces that reduces me to tears more easily than any other’, says the LSO's Music Director. Recorded with an outstanding cast during semi-staged performances, this recording is the second in an LSO Live series showcasing acclaimed collaborations between Rattle and the celebrated stage director Peter Sellars.

Towering fanfares open Janáček’s Sinfonietta, an ode to the composer’s hometown of Brno in the now Czech Republic. It’s a portrait composed for a national celebration of Slavic culture, with Janáček’s love of musical tradition evident in dancing strings and celebratory brass.

Composer Leoš Janáček
Conductor Sir Simon Rattle
Soloists Lucy Crowe (Vixen), Gerald Finley (Forester), Sophia Burgos (Fox, Chocholka), Peter Hoare (Schoolmaster, Cock, Mosquito), Jan Martiník (Badger, Parson), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Haraschta),  Paulina Malefane (Forester's Wife, Owl, Woodpecker), Anna Lapkovskaja (Mrs Pasek, Dog), Jonah Halton (Pasek), Irene Hoogveld (Jay)
Performers London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, LSO Discovery Voices

The Cunning Little Vixen, Act 1

The Cunning Little Vixen, Act 2

The Cunning Little Vixen, Act 3

Sinfonietta

Release Date 4 September 2020
LSO0850 | 0822231185024

Producer Andrew Cornall
Engineers Classic Sound Ltd
Recorded June 2019, Barbican, London

Booklet in English, French & German

ALAC - 24bit 96kHz - Compatible with Apple devices (MacOS and iOS)
FLAC - 24bit 96kHz - Compatible with Windows and Android devices
MP3 - 320kbps - Universal compatibility
SACD - Compatible with all CD players

Available on streaming services

Reviews

“

‘With pinpoint playing from the LSO and close, detailed recorded sound, this is a Vixen with sharp teeth as well as sharp ears… The sense of dramatic vividness is conveyed superbly by the cast, led by Lucy Crowe’s impulsive Vixen, brimming with joie de vivre and mischief and singing with airy ease…The generous coupling is every bit as compelling: a taut account of the Sinfonietta that bristles with nervous energy and exultant joy… All in all, an outstanding release, and a rewarding celebration of this wonderful composer’s art.’

- Gramophone Magazine, Editor's Choice
“

‘Rattle’s conception of the opera has become broader and more expressive over the years, and the result is perhaps the most overtly lyrical account of the opera on disc. The principals clearly relish this...Crowe’s vocal characterization reveals someone who is really inside the role as well as having just the right voice for it. Gerald Finley’s Forester is not only beautifully sung but also very original.’

- Opera
“

‘It’s a warm, wonderfully detailed performance, superbly sung by all involved, in which Rattle’s admiration for Janáček’s score shines through; Cunning Little Vixen was the piece, he’s said, that made him want to conduct opera, and that affection certainly comes across.’

- The Guardian