Classical Source

…You might think given Mackerras used an all-Czech cast with the exception of the great Swedish soprano and polymath, Elisabeth Söderström, that he would win out in terms of authenticity and certainly in the opening scene their pronunciation and declamation are obviously absolutely right. On the other-hand Rattle’s singers respond with equal conviction and make sure every word can be heard.

As Káťa’s vicious mother-in-law Kabachina, Katarina Dalayman is malevolent without going OTT. The love interest Boris’ equally nasty uncle Dikoj is finely characterised by Pavlo Hunka, as is Ladislav Elgr as his assistant Kudrjáŝ, who is more animated than Mackerras’ Zdenĕk Švehla in his Act 2 ballad and all of the smaller roles are well-taken.

Simon O’Neill uses plenty of dynamic variation and is suitably impassioned as Boris, if rather more Wagnerian than the fresh-voiced 25 year old Petr Dvorský. One can say much the same of Amanda Majeski, who uses her powerful voice to delineate every aspect of Káťa’s character, although Söderström’s top is sweeter and her death is unforgettably poignant.

Sound-wise I downloaded the DSD512 from NativeDSD, which, with the warts and all acoustic, is as near as you can get to being there, with tremendous presence and projection and analogue-like instrumental and vocal timbres.

Rob Pennock - Source

MusicWeb International

This review is of the recently-released recording of concert stagings sung in Czech and recorded live at the Barbican in January 2023 by a cast of distinguished soloists and the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) under Sir Simon Rattle. It has to be said at the outset that this Káťa Kabanová is superb; it is recommended without hesitation as an additional and/or first recording of Janáček’s most lyrical opera.

Mark Sealey - Source