Dvorak: Rusalka - Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz (2015) [Blu-ray]

Date of the premiere: 2012-04-28

The Bydgoszcz singers are quite fine. Magdalena Polkowska as Rusalka sings pleasingly with considerable power. She does not efface thoughts of Renée Fleming (who has recorded this role at least three times – in Prague, Paris, and New York), but I enjoyed her performance. Tadeusz Szlenkier is sometimes a little stiff as the Prince, but deploys his sweet voice ardently and powerfully. Jacek Greszta’s Water Goblin is appropriately melancholy as the troubled father, and conveys a sense of the patriarch who has lost control. Darina Gapicz’s Jezibaba is a great witch, more stylish than most, yet funny and engaging.
Richard Kraus (musicweb-international)

Impressive in scope is Maciej Figas’ brilliantly grounded musical blanket that provides itchy impulsiveness which churns the gears in anxious excitement. We witness a pace that magically lifts notes right off the stand and spins the viewer into a mesmerizing channel. The rock-solid performances within this slim list of principals aid in effectiveness of presentation and likeability.
Christie Grimstad (concertonet)