Asmik Grigorian Leads the Met’s New Production of ‘Jenůfa’

By Elena Vasquez

Asmik Grigorian will sing the title role in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Janáček’s “Jenůfa,” which opens Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 4, according to OperaWire.

What changes in the new production?

Claus Guth directs the staging. OperaWire’s earlier review called it “A Taut and Intensive New Production.”

The Met will use Janáček’s original orchestration, OperaWire reports. OperaWire describes it as the version now heard in most contemporary productions, although a later revision displaced it for nearly 70 years after its premiere.

OperaWire identifies the Czech-language decision as a fitting context for Hanus. It describes the conductor as one of the Czech Republic’s leading conductors and a champion of Czech music, and notes that he studied at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts.

OperaWire says Hanus makes his company debut conducting the Met production.

Takeaway: OperaWire’s report identifies Czech text, original orchestration and Guth’s staging as the revival’s defining features.

Which performers anchor the cast?

OperaWire lists soprano Nina Stemme as the Kostelnička and mezzo-soprano Elena Zaremba as Grandmother Buryja alongside Grigorian.

The announcement identifies tenor Sean Panikkar as making his role debut as Laca. It also lists tenor Ryan Capozzo as Laca, assigning the role twice without explaining the overlap.

Grigorian returns to the part after what OperaWire described as her triumph in the title role at the Royal Opera House.

OperaWire presents Grigorian’s return as the production’s principal casting connection with the Royal Opera House. Panikkar’s Laca debut and Hanus’s company debut provide two further new assignments.

Takeaway: The production marks Panikkar’s role debut as Laca and Hanus’s company debut as conductor.

What does the Met’s production history show?

OperaWire traces the Met’s first staging of “Jenůfa” to 1924–25, when the company presented it in German for one season.

The company staged the opera in English in 1974 after an absence of nearly 50 years.

In 2003, Olivier Tambosi’s staging became the first Met production performed in the original Czech, OperaWire reports.

That chronology makes language the clearest thread across the Met’s 1924–25, 1974 and 2003 stagings: German, then English, then Czech, with Czech returning in the new production.

Takeaway: OperaWire’s chronology makes Czech the continuity between the 2003 staging and this revival.

How will audiences hear the production?

OperaWire says the Nov. 16 performance will broadcast on the SiriusXM app.

OperaWire says The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network and the SiriusXM app will rebroadcast a recording of a fall performance on May 15.

The broadcast schedule extends beyond the Dec. 4 closing date by arranging a fall-performance rebroadcast for May 15. OperaWire’s announcement identifies both broadcast dates without attaching a year.

Takeaway: OperaWire’s broadcast plan offers the Nov. 16 app transmission and a May 15 rebroadcast of a fall performance.

Nov. 16 brings the production’s defining elements together: Grigorian as Jenůfa, Hanus at the podium and Janáček’s original orchestration performed in Czech under Guth’s staging.