Leoš Janáček: The Excursions of Mr. Brouček – Prague National Theatre Orchestra & Jaroslav Kyzlink

In April 1920, following 12 years of intricate work, Leoš Janáček’s The Excursions of Mr. Brouček premiered at the National Theatre in Prague, the one and only work of his to do so. A century later, the self-same theatre’s soloists, chorus and orchestra returned to the “Broučekiad” at the Rudolfinum in Prague. The present studio recording, after Neumann’s and Jílek’s only the third in the Supraphon catalogue, was thus in part made owing to the closure of theatres and concert halls during the recent Covid pandemic. Janáček dedicated The Excursions of Mr. Brouček to T. G. Masaryk, the first President of the newly founded Czechoslovak Republic. Declining to celebrate the two nations’ acquired freedom and statehood by foregrounding Saint Wenceslas, Charles IV or another great figure of Czech history, the composer chose as the protagonist of his “national” opera one Mr. Brouček, a narrow-minded oaf, coward, hypocrite, liar, boor and drunkard. A man overly fond of food and beer, possessing a simplistic worldview, suspicious of everything different and unaccustomed, loathing artists and intellectuals. In The Excursion of Mr. Brouček to the Moon, his crassness clashes with the Moonlings’ aesthetic, highbrow affectation, while in The Excursion of Mr. Brouček to the Fifteenth Century his unflinching self-centeredness, servility and mendacity contrast starkly with the ideals of the uncompromising Hussite warriors, fighting for “God’s truth”. As Janáček himself put it: “Brouček embodies our pettiness; made for stage.” One hundred years down the road, this picture of the “ordinary Czech” is still befitting, worthy of exposing. The new album features Jaroslav Březina, brilliantly portraying the lead character, and other distinguished Czech singers, under the seasoned conductor Jaroslav Kyzlink.

A significant role in enhancing the recording’s quality is played by spatial feeling of the recording process itself as well as by the Dvořák Hall’s splendid acoustics and colourful sound. By releasing the album, the National Theatre in Prague commemorates the 170th anniversary of the birth of Leoš Janáček, the most globally renowned of Czech opera composers.

Reviews

BBC Music Magazine September 2024

“Kyzlink has all the right instincts, capturing the multiple settings brilliantly while keeping a tight grip on the often hectic crowd scenes. The orchestra plays with chamber-like ensemble and the choir is fearless in attacking their stratospheric parts. – 4 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 5 out of 5 stars (Recording)

Gramophone Magazine September 2024

“Orchestrally, Supraphon conductor Jaroslav Kyzlink better projects the opera’s more spontaneous, chaotic moments than the BBC Symphony and finds more meaning in the details.

The Guardian 4th July 2024

“the orchestra of the Prague National Theatre understands Janáček’s style inside out. Characterful in the title role, Jaroslav Březina heads up an excellent cast, with Alžběta Poláčková sparkling as the love interest and the three young-man roles outstandingly sung by Aleš Briscein, whose tenor rises seemingly effortlessly to the moon and beyond. – 4 out of 5 stars