Janacek's Jenufa

Nigel Simeone joins Hannah to discuss a wide variety of recorded performances of Janacek's opera Jenufa.

Completed in 1902 Jenufa was Janacek's first great masterpiece. It is a tragic tale of small-minded village attitudes, infanticide and redemption. But as with all Janacek, the music is totally life-enhancing without being in the least sentimental. At the heart of the story is the strong but complicated relationship between Jenufa and her mother: they share some of the most heart-breaking music in the opera.