Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček album review – eccentric opera has sparkle and muscle

Březina/Briscein/Poláčková/Prague National Theatre/Kyzlink
(Supraphon)
Jaroslav Březina is characterful in the title role for this new studio recording, heading an excellent cast and orchestra who know this music inside out

Janáček’s The Excursions of Mr Brouček is an opera that’s easy to like, hard to love. Premiered at Prague’s National Theatre in 1920, its balance of endearing eccentricity and brittleness tips precariously towards the latter. Brouček is a David Brentish landlord who has two dreams while passed out after a night of beer and sausages: one in which he arrives on the moon and encounters a colony of pretentious artists; another in which he time-travels back to the 15th century and dodges a battle. There’s some lovely music in the moonlit scenes, with the medieval ones harder-edged and heroic. There’s no emotional payoff, though, and Brouček remains staunchly unredeemed.

More than most Janáček operas it’s at a disadvantage without visuals, and few audio recordings are available, though the BBCSO and Jiří Bělohlávek made a fine one in concert 16 years ago. This new studio version, conducted by Jaroslav Kyzlink, sounds cleaner and more muscular, and 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.