Release 11: Janaček's "The Cunning Little Vixen"

Wonderful recording — with a caveat!

     

This is an excellent recording of (IMO) one of the best 20th century operas. If you love this piece as I do it is a special treat to hear it played by a full symphony orchestra, especially since long sections of the opera are written without voices. The NY Phil plays excellently, and Mr. Gilbert takes his time and seems to relish and bring out some of the smaller details buried in the score. All that being said, this is probably the noisiest “live” opera recording I've ever heard — and I've heard plenty! Apparently the mikes were placed directly on the stage floor. They picked up every movement of the singers with thudding sometimes overpowering the music. If you find stage noise annoying, this might not be the recording of “Vixen” for you. But if this piece is a favorite, the stage noise, while frequently irritating, fails to diminish the magic of this recording. Kudos to Mr. Gilbert & co. And thanks to iTunes for making this a stand-alone purchase.