Fabrice Bollon • Janáček Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen (arr. Bollon); Šárka (arr. Bollon); Fabrice Bollon Twelve Lilies for Leoš Samantha Gaul, Irina Jae-Eun Park (soprano) et al; The Lily’s Project/Fabrice Bollon Naxos 8.660526-27 138:18 mins (2 discs)
Fabrice Bollon made his chamber orchestra arrangement of The Cunning Little Vixen as a cheaper alternative for those who want to perform ‘an opera that works as well for adults as it does for children … yet because of the large orchestra it is only affordable for big companies.’
His version requires just 12 players: string quartet, double bass, flute, oboe/cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon, harp, keyboard and percussion.
Inevitably a good deal is lost – including not only some of the score’s magic but also some of its punch (there’s no brass): yet much of its idiosyncratic character remains intact. This live recording gives a perfectly good idea of its qualities.
While there are no stars, there’s a perfectly capable set of singers, with Samantha Gaul a vital Vixen and Michael Borth a grounded Forester.
Bollon’s fascination with the Czech composer has also led him to make a three-movement, nine-minute operatic fantasy (2021) for violin and cello out of the early opera Šárka. There’s some characterful, little-known music here and the piece, played with passion, is a useful addition to a limited repertoire.
Bollon has also wondered ‘What would happen if I used Janáček’s musical world to write my very own music?’ The result is Twelve Lilies for Leoš – a chamber concerto for the same instrumentation as the arrangement for Vixen.
The three movements all pay homage to Janáček – the opera Osud and the symphonic poem Taras Bulba in particular. The result is intriguing.
George Hall