This year's Janáček Brno festival of opera and music had to adapt to a complicated situation in the context of the pandemic. Despite that, the festival was a great success. The organisers managed to do as much as they could to keep its programme, which touched on the artistic turmoil at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the search for new approaches in the musical expression of operatic and instrumental works.
The first week of the festival (28 September to 4 October) took place with only minor changes to the programme; the Janáček Brno festival was very successfully launched with the opera Destiny, directed by the world-famous Robert Carsen. The exceptional premiere was attended by several Czech and foreign guests and journalists. "In any case, the premiere of 'Destiny' in Brno had an almost fateful effect. During his debut in the Czech Republic, director Robert Carsen celebrated an emotionally exciting show with his smart leadership." MDR Kultur – Das Radio / LFH Dresden, Michael Ernst. The festival also offered a number of excellent concert productions, such as concerts by the Zemlinsky Quartet, the Arnold Schoenberg Choir and other top artists. The end of the week was dominated by Jenufa in the production of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno, featuring an outstanding guest – the world-famous soprano Karita Mattila. "Mattila doesn't play her role - she lives it instead. Her agony was tangible, and her despair was like a flame that grew to eventually lead her to the unthinkable." Bachtrack, Frank Kuznik.
In the week from 5 October, following additional measures measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the festival continued with a different programme. It was possible to preserve most of the festival events, either by modifying the programme or through new concert dates. It is clear that the overall lockdown situation hit the Janáček Brno festival hard, even its concert series, as several shows were built on a vocal component. That notwithstanding, the programme was modified so that it was still attractive and interesting and remained in the context of the original concept of the festival programme. The production of the opera Salome, which could not take place as a result of government measures, was replaced to great acclaim by an extraordinary concert of the orchestra of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno, held on 10 October 2020 at the Janáček Theatre.
In the week starting 12 October, the festival had to bar audiences from all events held at indoor venues due to the lockdown, but the programme was replaced by live streams of scheduled concerts of this year's festival and recordings of important events of past festivals so that each festival day offered attractive productions. The festival thus was presented to audiences not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad. The closing concert of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra on 16 October 2020 also took place in the form of a live stream from the concert hall in Bamberg on the Janáček Brno festival website. "I am happy that despite the unfavourable situation, we managed to organise a virtual live streaming of an unchanged programme." Jakub Hrůša, conductor.
The festival website has thus become a powerful platform. The festival website had more than 100,000 visitors from more than a hundred different countries. Live streams of the festival were watched by people from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Great Britain, the USA, Poland and other countries.
Some of the productions of the Janáček Brno 2020 festival were moved to postponed dates in November and December of this year, one of the productions will be presented in as a live stream.
List of postponed productions of the Janáček Brno 2020 festival:
17 November 2020 – Brno Children's Choir, Reduta Theatre
18 November 2020 – Church songs from Znorovy – folklore concert, Red Church
25 November 2020 – Recital by Tomáš Král and Matan Porat (this production will be presented as a live stream)
28 and 29 November – Destiny, Janáček Opera of NdB, Janáček Theatre
19 December 2020 – Concert of the Prague Philharmonic Choir, Besední dům
Greek Passion, Janáček Opera of NdB – we are currently looking for a production date at the Janáček Theatre
Recital by Pavol Breslik and Róbert Pechanec – we are currently looking for a production date at the Reduta Theatre
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