Jenufa

Jenůfa – Leoš Janáček | Opera

Approximate running time: 2 hours 20 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission
Language: Czech, with surtitles in English and Czech

WARNING: This performance contains scenes of violence and is not suitable for children.

Jenůfa is the first classical stage work by Leoš Janáček, the globally renowned Czech opera composer.

Leoš Janáček was enthralled by the Czech writer Gabriela Preissová’s realistic drama Her Stepdaughter, which had been staged in 1890 at the National Theatre without great success. Janáček himself adapted the play into a libretto, while retaining the  original literary form, thus being one of the pioneers of opera sung in prose, not in verse, as had been the convention.
With an acute sense for earthy drama and with enormous empathy, he depicted human relationships amid the harsh universe of a self-contained village community, where everyone knows each other’s business. This milieu affects the life of the young Jenůfa and, particularly, governs the behaviour of her stepmother Kostelnička, who strives to maintain her reputation as a virtuous woman and the villagers’ respect. Determined to preserve her standing, she even goes so far as to secretly murder Jenůfa’s illegitimate child.
Jenůfa is an overwhelming drama about distrust, jealousy, various forms of love and the ability to forgive the unforgivable. Janáček completed the opera in early 1903.
Owing to the dispute between the composer and its then music director, Karel Kovařovic, the National Theatre in Prague rejected it. Consequently, Jenůfa was undertaken by the National Theatre in Brno, which gave its world premiere on 21 January 1904 at the Divadlo na Veveří. Prague’s National Theatre first performed Janáček’s opera, in a revised version, 12 years later. It was subsequently staged in Vienna (1918) and other cities. Today, Jenůfa is a repertoire staple at many opera houses worldwide.

Suitable for audiences aged 15 and over.

Synopsis

Act One
Jenůfa anxiously awaits the return of her beloved Števa from the recruitment committee. Secretly pregnant with his child, she worries that if he is drafted they cannot marry and she will be left alone in shame. Not recruited, Števa comes home drunk. His stepbrother Laca, who loves Jenůfa too, is the only one not pleased by Števa’s return. Jenůfa’s stepmother Kostelnička (the local sacristan) declares that she will only consent to Števa’s marrying Jenůfa if he can stay sober for a whole year. Jenůfa reproaches Števa for his misbehaviour and expresses the fear that Kostelnička could forbid their union altogether. Angered by Kostelnička’s scolding, Števa says that she should hold him in greater esteem, bragging that other girls are interested in him. Yet he adds that Jenůfa can rest assured: he will marry her, for she is the fairest maiden in the village. Števa leaves to get some sleep. Overhearing the superficial Števa’s praising of Jenůfa’s beauty, Laca returns and proceeds to condemn his stepbrother. Overcome by jealousy, he slashes Jenůfa’s cheek with his knife.

Act Two
Kostelnička keeps Jenůfa in hiding throughout her pregnancy and after she has given birth to Števa’s son. She simply cannot come to terms with Jenůfa’s having an extramarital child. Yet her deep contempt for Števa notwithstanding, she concludes that he should marry Jenůfa. One night, while the exhausted Jenůfa is asleep, Kostelnička summons Števa and demands that he take responsibility. But, despite her humble pleas, Števa refuses to marry Janůfa, pointing out her disfigurement. He also says that he is afraid of her, as she has changed and now resembles her stepmother. What is more, he is engaged to Karolka, the mayor’s daughter. Laca, on the other hand, still loves Jenůfa and wants to wed her. When Kostelnička tells him that Jenůfa has given birth to Števa’s child, he is appalled. Worried about Jenůfa’s future as a single mother, Kostelnička lies to Laca that the baby has died. After Laca has left and while Jenůfa is asleep, she drowns the child in
the river. Meanwhile, Jenůfa wakes up and looks for her son, yet assumes that Kostelnička has gone to show him to Števa and his family. Kostelnička returns and tells Jenůfa that while she was delirious with fever the baby died. Laca reappears and comforts Jenůfa, who thanks him for always being kind to her, speaking of her nicely when she was hiding. Laca asks Jenůfa to marry him, and she agrees. Kostelnička blesses the couple and curses Števa. The wailing of a gust of the wind reminds Kostelnička of the heinous crime she has committed.

Act Three
People gather at Kostelnička’s house on Laca and Jenůfa’s wedding day. Everyone is astonished by Kostelnička’s frailty, having no inkling of what has happened over the past year or so. All of a sudden, shrieks are heard: the body of a baby has been discovered in the river. Jenůfa recognises her son. Kostelnička confesses to murder, and tells the whole story. The horrified Karolka blames Števa for the misfortune and declares their engagement over. Jenůfa defends Kostelnička, understanding that her stepmother committed the gruesome crime out of love for her. Kostelnička asks for Jenůfa’s forgiveness, realising that she was above all concerned about her own reputation. After the mayor arrests Kostelnička, the crowd leaves. Jenůfa asks Laca to leave too, as she cannot expect him to ruin his life. She forgives him for lacerating her face, convinced that he acted out of love. Laca, however, refuses to abandon her, believing that as a couple they will provide support to each other. Jenůfa realises that such is true love.

Program and cast