Based on an illustrated tale published as a newspaper serial, this fanciful opera is one of Janáček´s true masterworks – at once charming, frightening, tragic and, in the end, life-affirming. “The Cunning Little Vixen” has been seldom staged in Italy, and this Florence production stars Seiji Ozawa as conductor and Laurent Pelly as stage director and costume designer. The cast of unbelievable 13 soloists is lead on by the Armenian/Canadian soprano star Isabel Bayrakdarian as a sensual “Bystrouška” (vixen) and American Quinn Kelsey as the brash yet reflective Gamekeeper. This production received rave reviews for beautifully bringing to life on stage the opera´s fantasy world of animal protagonists. This is a work that can be enjoyed by not only classical music fans but by anyone, from child to adult.
