Jan�cek: Orchestral Suites from the Operas Volume 2

�the Naxos sound�is satisfyingly deep and wide�Breiner�does capture some of the opera�s distinctive rhythms and colours�just listen to those dashes of Taras Bulba starting at 1:52. Also, there is some lovely, tender playing at the start of the second movement, while in the third�where K�t�a looks forward to her clandestine meeting with Boris�Breiner conjures up vivid, authentic-sounding harmonies; there is more dramatic thrust here as well, although perhaps the sharper edges of Jan�cek�s score are somewhat blunted.

 

I particularly liked the free-flowing music of Intermezzos and Songs (tr. 4), where Breiner teases delectable sounds from his orchestra�the New Zealand Symphony�with flair and character throughout. The lovers� brief moments of happiness are glowingly done, but before long we are plunged into the final movement and the approaching storm. This pivotal event is a lightning rod for all the opera�s pent-up emotions, rendered by Jan�cek in music of extraordinary tension and power. Yes, Breiner is exciting here and he does capture the pain of K�t�a�s dilemma, but in this arrangement we lose sight of the opera�s broader span, its cumulative tension.

�The New Zealand Symphony sound thrilling here [The Makropulos Affair], Wellington Town Hall a good match for Breiner�s more expansive view of the score�Breiner finds a good balance between lyricism and drama, seriousness and absurdity, in tracks 8 and 9. In the end Emilia is within reach of that elusive potion but decides to embrace death instead. Despite the absurdities of the plot Jan�cek�s potent score makes it remarkably easy to suspend disbelief, nowhere more so than here.

�Some listeners will enjoy this selection of tunes; others will surely prefer the emotional and musical maelstrom of the operas themselves. --MusicWeb International, July 2009