Dvořák’s Rusalka is pretty well served on video but the latest recording has a very strong cast and I was intrigued.  It was recorded at the Royal Opera House in 2023 and features, among others, Asmik Grigorian in the title role and Sarah Connolly as Ježibaba.

The production is designed and directed by Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami.  It’s parrticularly interesting as it’s an attempt to make a “sustainable” production using primarily recycled materials etc.  There’s a useful extra feature on the disk going into that in more detail.  It’s fairly straightforward with a “fairy tale realistic” vibe but it does have some interesting and unusual ideas.  For example, in the “potion scene”, Ježibaba cuts out what seems to be Rusalka’s “spirit essence” with a large curved knife and adds it to the potion.  This leaves Rusalka with a livid scar all down her spine which is visible for the rest of the opera.  The take on Ježibaba by Connolly is interesting too.  She is very much not a Hänsel und Gretel style witch.  She’s sardonic, worldly wise and cynical.

The one place the production doesn’t really work for me is the predictable one; the transition to Act 3.  To be fair, few productions succeed in making much sense of what’s going on here.  In this one we find Rusalka by the lake which is polluted amid the ruins of the palace.  It’s consistent with the generally ecological theme of the production that betrayal etc is signified by environmental degradation but there’s no real indication of how this has happened.  Still it’s not too jarring and the chemistry between Rusalka and the prince in the final scene is compelling.

Performances are first class across the board.  Grigorian is an excellent Rusalka.  Predictably, she tends to favour drama over sheer beauty of tone, even in the “Song to the Moon” but there’s no lack of luscious tone in her singing.  For once, she doesn’t totally dominate the stage.  I have already mentioned Connolly’s compelling Ježibaba but the other principals are excellent too.  David Butt Philip is an ardent Prince with quite beautiful high notes and excellent acting and Emma Bell makes the most of the role here called “The Duchess” rather than the “Foreign Princess”.  But perhaps the stand out is Aleksei Isaev as Vodník.  There’s a gravitas, almost a sense of stillness, about him that is really compelling.

The minor roles are done nicely and, as so often at the ROH, dance is integrated extremely well into the production.  Ann Yee’s choreography is quite creepy and an excellent group of dancers and aerialists make the most of it.  The chorus is in good form and the orchestra gives great support to Czech specialist Semyon Bychkov who conducts a thoroughly idiomatic performance.  Musically this recording is right up there.

Video direction is by Bridget Caldwell and it’s unobtrusive.  The picture and both stereo and surround sound tracks are excellent on Blu-ray.  The booklet is vestigial but there are good interviews on the disk with the creative team, Bychkov and some of the cast.  They are well worth a look.  Subtitle options are English, French,German,Japanese and Korean.

So how does this compare to other recordings in the catalogue?  It stands up well to some tough competition.  David MacVicar’s excellent production seen in Toronto and Chicago is not, alas, available on video so, for me, the real competition is with the 2019 Glyndebourne recording, the older Paris one and a 2021 Munich recording, also with Grigorian, which I haven’t seen. The Glyndebourne one, while an interesting production and well sung, didn’t really work so well on video.  The Paris one, with excellent singing and one of my favourite Robert Carsen productions is over 20 years old and the technical values reflect that (I’m not sure it’s even available any more).  The Munich disk got excellent reviews.  So, as so often, lots of good choices.

Catalogue information: Opus Arte Blu-ray OABD7332D