The Cunning Little Vixen

Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen opera to libretto by the composer. Directed by Melly Stil at Glyndebourne. Stars Lucy Crowe (Vixen Sharp Ears), Emma Bell (Fox), Sergei Leiferkus (Forester), Mischa Schelomianski (Badger/Priest), Adrian Thompson (Schoolmaster/Mosquito), William Dazeley (Harašta), Jean Rigby (Forester's Wife/Owl), Colin Judson (Pásek the Innkeeper), and Sarah Pring (Inkeeper's Wife). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne chorus (Chorus Master Jeremy Bines). Set designs by Tom Pye; costumes by Dinah Collin; lighting by Paule Constable; choreography by Maxine Doyle; fight direction by Kevin McCurdy. Directed for TV by Thomas Grimm; executive producer George Bruell.not Sung in Czech. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

David Shengold gave this Vixen a mixed review + a warning in the October 2013 Opera News at page 64. Good news: nice playing by London Philharmonic, decent singing and acting, and good costumes, sets, and lighting. Bad news: over-busy directing and choreography with too much "Tanztheater Wuppertal posing" and "blood and sex on view." The warning is that this Vixen is not for kids.

Here's an Opus Arte clip with more on why this production is not for young children:

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Feb 25. We have just completed one of our most ambitious reviews: Einstein on the Beach opera, the surreal 4 and 1/2 hour cult legend. Kudos, encomiums, and accolades to Opus Arte for giving us this authoritative and weirdly fascinating recording, which we grade A+. Absorbing and learning Einstein is uniquely challenging. We try to help out by providing aids not included in the keepcase materials: an accurate libretto and a list of segments in the opera with correct Opus Arte time stamps. Good luck!

We have some other good grades with an A for the recent Met The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) and a B- for an earlier The Pearl Fishers from Naples. Also, we recently gave an A- for the new Don Quixote from the Vienna State Ballet.