Opera Scotland

Kátya Kabanová 1978Frankfurt Opera

Read more about the opera Kátya Kabanová

1978 marked Peter Diamand's final Festival, and many of his old colleagues returned for the occasion. The opera programme seems generous by more recent standards. The previous season's 'house' staging of Carmen was repeated. Scottish Opera revived its superb Pelléas et Mélisande, while the Frankfurt Opera brought a good cast in a staging of Kátya Kabanová. There was also a first visit by the Zurich Opera, bringing their cycle of the three full-length Monteverdi operas, L'Orfeo, L'incoronazione di Poppea and Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.

Following the Czech visits of 1964 and 1970, and the Swedish staging of Jenůfa in 1974, Scottish Opera had started to mount its series of joint productions with Welsh National. Janáček was therefore a popular favourite with Scottish audiences, and this staging by a German film director had been received positively in Frankfurt. Sadly, it turned out to be a slight disappointment. Musically it was old-fashioned, ignoring the research done by Charles Mackerras – no interludes, corrupt performimg edition. The staging introduced some controversial elements as well,  implying a relationship between Dikoj and Kabanicha. However, the cast was excellent, especially the younger couple and Sona Cervena, even playing Kabanicha in the style required by the director (so different from her portrayal under the direction of David Pountney at Wexford and York in 1972/73). There was one overriding positive element, and that was the fine performance by Hildegard Behrens in her only Scottish appearance.