Dvořák Rusalka opera to libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil. Directed 2020 by Christof Loy at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Stars Asmik Grigorian (Rusalka), Eric Cutler (The Prince), Karita Mattila (The Foreign Princess), Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev (Vodnik), Katarina Dalayman (Ježibaba), Sebastià Peris ( The Hunter), Manel Esteve (The Forester), Juliette Mars (The Kitchen Boy), as well as Julietta Aleksanyan, Rachel Kelly, and Alyona Abramova (Three Nymphs). Ivor Bolton conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Real (Chorus Master Andrés Máspero). Set design by Johannes Leiacker; costume design by Ursula Renzenbrink; lighting design by Bernd Purkrabek; choreography by Klevis Elmazaj. Directed for TV by Xavi Bové. Sung in Czech. Released 2021, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This is the one where Rusalka is a prima ballerina with a broken foot and actually dances some on point. It’s another “cold” set from Loy. But when the singers are sufficiently warm, the cool background can amplify their effect. In the January 2022 issue of Gramophone, Mark Pullinger says this is one of the best Rusalkas in Blu-ray (pages 80-81). Later this was a runner-up for the Gramophone “Opera Recording of the Year” award. In the March Opera News, pages 52-53, Steven Jude Tietjen submits a glowing accolade to “Loy’s wholly original production, Bolton’s fine conducting and Grigorian’s indelible performance.” So this seems to be a worthy contender in a fairly crowded field of Rusalka Blu-rays.
Here’s an official trailer:
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