Interview with the Jenůfa Cast

Our new release of Leoš Janáček’s opera Jenůfa with Sir Simon Rattle tells a dramatic tale of suffering and redemption. Ahead of the album’s release, we caught up with the four main soloists to learn about the production and story from their perspectives.

How would you describe the plot of Jenůfa in one sentence?

Agneta Eichenholz (Jenůfa): It’s about a strong woman who tries to survive!

Katarina Karnéus (Kostelnička): Honour and pride above love and reason.

Nicky Spence (Steva): The ultimate human sacrifice story, portraying the lengths a loved one will go to protect their family from the imagined scrutiny of society.

Aleš Briscein (Laca): The unfulfilled love between the two leads to a catastrophe.

How would you briefly summarise the story? 

Nicky: Jenůfa is a tale as old as time in that we find Jenůfa in love with a wrong ‘un (Števa) whose child she bears out of marriage. In an alarming twist, Jenůfa’s jealous childhood friend, Laca, slashes her face in an unfortunate knife incident, and the father of the baby loses interest before the baby is even born. To save Jenůfa from a life of shame, her mother figure, Kostelnicka, hides and drugs Jenůfa, kidnaps the newborn and murders it beneath the icy water. Come spring when the discovery of her child is made, the community’s blood rises and Kostelnička is forced to confess what she did. Resolutely Jenůfa looks past the trauma to a new life with Laca and acceptance of her mother’s crime.

What’s your favourite moment in the opera? 

Agneta: The start and the end! The rest is fantastic surviving mood!

Katarina: Steva, the father of the baby, pays a visit but refuses to even look at his child and wants to buy himself out of the situation. Kostelnička goes down on her knees and begs him to take on both Jenůfa and the baby, but he refuses.

Nicky: I adore the last scene of the opera when Jenůfa is ready to go it alone, but Laca decides that after so much shared trauma that they’ll continue into a new future together. They’ve both been fundamentally changed by events, but they are bonded by their ability to embrace the imperfect perfection of it all. It’s an anti-fairy tale that celebrates the honest grey areas of life and I find that very moving.

Aleš: My favourite part of the opera is in the third act. Laca realises how much he has hurt Jenůfa when he accidentally cuts her face. He tells her that he has never stopped loving her and that the most important thing for him is to forgive. Despite all the complications of their story, Jenůfa and Laca stay together. It is a very nice dramatic part of the opera.

How would you introduce someone who is new to opera to this work, and how do you think new listeners can relate to Janáček’s music? 

Aleš: Leoš Janáček is one of the most remarkable composers of the Czech modern period. His style is very original and distinctive. The melody of his compositions is unique and is based on Moravian folk music. When you listen to Janáček’s music for the first time, you will definitely recognise his influence upon other composers.

Katarina: By simply studying the plot, researching the opera and its story, and also listening to the music which is very beautiful and full of strong emotions.

Nicky: I’ve long said that Janáček’s Jenůfa is the perfect first opera as its themes are so universal and the narrative is so compelling. Janáček is also one of the only composers who unfurls the drama almost in real time, so it’s like watching a drama or a juicy Netflix series.

Agneta: I would say that it is very modern, romantic and emotional. It goes straight to your heart and grows every time you listen to it!

What do you hope listeners take away from this recording?

Katarina: The wonderful orchestral music, the chorus singing, and all the soloists playing and singing their parts in the original Czech language and acting out the story emotionally, with the superb Maestro Sir Simon Rattle on the stand.

Agneta: I hope they feel all our love, blood, sweat and tears we put into our characters!

Aleš: Listeners can take away from this recording a very strong experience of the original way Janáček was able to set to music such a powerful dramatic story of all the characters in this opera.

Nicky: I’m sure the audience will love the orchestral playing as the players are so committed and play out of their skins for Simon, who knows this music so well. I hope they’ll also hear the enjoyment of the cast who really rubbed along well and enjoyed the collaboration and challenge of bringing this amazing opera to life in concert and on record. It’s also a great advert for family therapy!

What do you think makes this opera relevant to audiences of today? 

Katarina: The dangers of keeping up appearances at all costs and the power of shame in any religion.

Agneta: Unfortunately, there are a lot of places on earth where it is very challenging for girls if they are pregnant outside of marriage. That theme is sadly always relevant.

Aleš: The story of this opera is universal. I have sung Jenůfa in many countries around the world and everywhere this story of an unwanted child and its consequences, which led to the killing of the newborn, resonated very much.

Nicky: Seeing people pushed to extremes for love is something we can all resonate with, and the thought that our perceptions of what others must think of us can be overwhelming. I think this opera has particular resonance for us, as it highlights the disconnect between humans and how so much heartache can be avoided if we take time to listen and understand another’s point of view while embracing the vulnerability and potential beauty of imperfection.

This opera has a strong woman at the forefront of the story. What was it like inhabiting the character of Jenůfa and how do you hope the audience can relate to her? 

Agneta: I think it’s very easy to relate to Jenůfa. As a female, we all meet a lot of norms and rules we have to follow, and learning how to navigate in different difficult situations is a part of life. To be young and naive about love is fantastic, but in a dysfunctional family and dysfunctional society it can be a catastrophe! Jenůfa has the strength to stay hopeful for life and even to forgive!