Performing Arts
Photo: Mark Allan photography.
Leos Janáček was undoubtedly a unique figure in the history of composition. Not many others, then or now, have composed an opera that includes journeys to the moon and encounters with lunar beings, all served up with lashings of beer and sausages. This is comic opera, but not in the usual style, with eight scenes over four acts, all apparently taking place in the dreams – or the drunken imagination – of our irrepressible hero Mr Brouček.
This concert performance by the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Hall was a warm and very intimate staging, brought to life with flair and intelligence under leader Benjamin Marquise Gilmore and conductor Sir Simon Rattle. The LSO was accompanied by excellent soloists, led by the charming Peter Hoare in the titular role and the fine singers of the Tenebrae Choir.
The concert presentation, with no sets or costumes, relied on the theatrical verve of the soloists to bring their characters to life. And while there were one or two minor imperfections, the performance overall was a memorable journey through satire, time travel and Czech eccentricity. Aleš Briscein, as Mazal, and Lucy Crowe as Málinka, made a fine complement to Hoare’s Mr Brouček. There was humour here too. Málinka’s line “men just aren’t to be trusted” raised a chuckle from the audience. And more than a few people agreed with the sentiment “only vegetarians eat vegetables; normal people eat meat … not human flesh, just cows and pigs”.
The success of the performance will always rely in large part on the principal. Mr Brouček careens from being absurd and pompous to confused, deluded and rather lost. Hoare inhabited the role with energy and great comic timing, giving him a vulnerability that made up for his obvious flaws. His vocal performance was strong throughout, showing clarity and flexibility in these demanding speech-inflected vocal lines.
The work is a curiosity, both a biting satire on the state of Czech society at the time and a playful farce. But what would you expect from a composer whose other works include the colourful The Cunning Little Vixen, From the House of the Dead and The Wandering Madman? Adapted from Svatopluk Čech’s fantastical novellas, this is really Janáček’s reflection on his nation in a state of major change and evolution. There is sociopolitical realism here underpinning the surreal imaginings.
The LSO was in top form with its Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle OM CBE. His command of Janáček’s spiky orchestration and fragmented rhythms was precise yet fluid, capturing the score’s mercurial shifts and percussive bite. This is a dense, restless score with few moments to catch one’s breath.
A real highlight of the performance was the contribution from the Tenebrae Choir, performing the chorus parts with poise and clarity under Chorus Director Nigel Short. Seated alongside the Orchestra, rather than behind them as usual, their massed voices added weight to the music.
The supporting cast worked cohesively to bring Janáček’s strange gallery of characters to life, embracing the absurdity of the story. They sang their multiple roles with conviction and strong vocal agility. Mezzo-soprano Hanna Hipp and Czech baritone Lukáš Zeman were especially impressive.
Read: Theatre review: An Inspector Calls, Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
Janáček is a most original and bold composer and not one for the faint-hearted. This is familiar territory for the LSO and maestro Rattle whose recordings of Janáček’s operas are highly regarded. Indeed, Rattle’s confident hand made this performance extra special.
Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček
Barbican Hall
London Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle as conductor
Cast: Peter Hoare, Aleš Briscein, Lucy Crowe, Gyula Orendt, Lukáš Zeman, Doubravka Novotná, Hanna Hipp, Arttu Kataja, Stephan Rügamer, Linard Vrielink
Tenebrae with Chorus Director Nigel Short
Leoš Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček was performed 4 and 6 May 2025.
Dr Diana Carroll is a writer, speaker, and reviewer currently based in London. Her work has been published in newspapers and magazines including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Woman’s Day and B&T. Writing about the arts is one of her great passions.
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Music review: Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček, Barbican Hall – ArtsHub UK
