JANÁČEK: JENŮFA, soloists, London Symphony Orchestra, Simon RATTLE/LSO Live SACD

A powerful cast here includes Agneta Eichenholz’s remarkable performance in the title role – this is a Jenůfa to match any previous sopranos who have tackled the role. This third in a series of Janáček operas presented by Conductor Emeritus Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO maintains the exceptionally high standard of its predecessors, Katya Kabanova and The Cunning Little Vixen, both of which enjoyed considerable acclaim. There may have been a time when people felt that the last word on the great Janacek operas consisted of the splendid Charles Mackerras recordings of the past, but the London Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle has demonstrated with élan that other approaches to these operatic masterpieces are feasible. Accorded magnificent sound, this new Rattle recording of Jenufa, one of the composer’s most distinctive pieces, becomes nigh definitive