Janácek: Káta Kabanová

An Australian conductor, an Austrian orchestra and a Swedish soprano might sound like an unusual line-up for Káta Kabanová—the Moravian composer Leoš Janáček’s volcanic 1921 opera of longing and despair set in a storm-swept 19th-century Russia. In fact, the result is pure alchemy on every level, and it’s not going too far to say that this electrifying, award-winning recording transformed attitudes towards this opera when it first appeared in 1977. With fervent, headlong conducting from conductor Charles Mackerras, vividly coloured playing from the Vienna Philharmonic and a soaring performance from soprano Elisabeth Söderström as the unhappily married Katya, it’s still the definitive recording of this extraordinary opera. If you’re interested in discovering Janáček at the height of his dramatic powers, you should dive straight in.