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18
JANÁCEK
viewed
cinematically
From the House of the Death can
surely be viewed as the great musical
legacy of Leos Janácek, impressive
proof of the composer's artistic
refinement. He created the
work in 1927/28, in anticipation of
the industrial-scale mass murder
of human beings in concentration
camps. German film-maker Volker
Schlöndorff, known particularly for
his international film successes Der
junge Törless, Die verlorene Ehre der
Katharina Blum and Die Blechtrommel,
has worked with this opera
once before, in Paris during the
1980s. And his new production at
the Deutsche Oper in Berlin is the
subject of eager anticipation. Christian
Thieleman will conduct the
janácek
orchestra of Deutsche Oper Berlin,
and the première is on 19 Feb 2005.
Starting from the original 1920s
drawings which inspired Janácek
to compose his Cunning Little
Vixen, Geoff Dunbar created a cartoon
version of the opera for the
BBC, a version which has now been
brought to the market as a DVD
(Opus Arte OA 0839 DVD).
A whole palette of new animation
techniques was developed in order
to lend the pictures the necessary
depth and dimension. A sympathetic
arrangement of the score lasting
for one hour's duration and
the subsequent musical execution
were in the hands of Kent Nagano
and the DSO Berlin, plus an ensemble
of young singers. Janácek's
opera on the cycle of life, death and
new life is a story filled with love,
humour and tragedy. Dunbar's cartoon
characters underline the
drama, humour and depth of feeling
present in this work. An experience
for all age groups!