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New Edition of Leoš Janáček's The Makropulos Case at San Francisco Opera

Oct. 04, 2016

New Edition of Leoš Janáček's <em>The Makropulos Case</em> at San Francisco Opera

Universal Edition's new critical edition of Leoš Janáček’s The Makropulos Case receives its ​US premiere at the San Francisco Opera, in a co-production with the Finnish National Opera, on October 14. The production stars Nadja Michael as the eternal Emilia Marty and features direction by Olivier Tambosi with conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov. Additional performances take place on October 18, 23, 26, and 29 at the War Memorial Opera House.

In contrast to previous existing editions of The Makropulos Case, Univeral Edition's new critical edition, edited by Janáček scholar Jirí Zahrádka, is exceptional in its faithfulness to the composer’s original intentions (including the re-inclusion of special instruments such as viola d’amore, childrens drum and five-stringed double bass). The score has been revised to reflect all existing preserved source material, in particular incorporating details contained in a duplicate of the full score by Janáček's principle copyist, Václav Sedláček. This score is housed in Universal Edition's archive and may well be considered the work's most important primary source.

Based on a play of the same name by Czech writer Karel Čapek, The Makropulos Case chronicles the life of the beautiful Elina Makropulos (known throughout most of the opera as Emilia Marty), a great prima donna whose 16th-century alchemist father was forced to give her an experimental elixir granting eternal life. Originally composed between 1923-25, Janáček based the opera's main character on the real-life Kamila Stösslová, a married woman nearly forty years the composer's junior who remained the subject of his infatuation for the final decade of his life. Interestingly, Stösslová also served as the inspiration for the lead characters in two of Janáček’s other operas: Kát'a in Katya Kabanová, and the Vixen in Cunning Little Vixen.

Also this month, the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs Janáček’s rhapsody for orchestra Taras Bulba, a three-part symphonic retelling of Gogol’s handling of the Ukranian legend of Cossack Taras Bulba. The performance takes place at Boston’s Symphony Hall on October 13.

For more information on Leoš Janáček, visit universaledition.com. For complete details on the new critical edition of The Makropulos Case, click here.

Leoš Janáček
The Makropulos Case (1925)
opera in three acts
revised edition by Jirí Zahrádka
libretto (Cz) by the composer
for dramatic soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, 4 tenors, baritone, bass-baritone, bass, actor and TTBB chorus
4(3., 4.pic).2.ca.4(2.Ebcl, 3.bcl).3(3.cbsn)-4.3.3.1-timp.3perc-hp.cel-str(solo viola d’amor)
on stage: 2hn.2tpt-timp
120'

Taras Bulba (1915-1918)
rhapsody for orchestra
3.3.3.3-4.3.3.1-timp.4perc-hp.org-str
24' 

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