Jenůfa

Synopsis

A remote Moravian village.

Following the deaths of her sons, the mill-owner Grandmother Buryjovka lives with her two orphaned grandsons, Števa and Laca. Their step-aunt, the Kostelnička (or church warden), is foster-mother to Buryjovka’s other orphaned grandchild, Jenůfa. The Kostelnička and Jenůfa live at Grandmother Buryjovka’s mill, which Števa will one day inherit.

ACT I

Jenůfa has become pregnant by Števa. She waits anxiously to hear if Števa has been conscripted into the army. Grandmother Buryjovka scolds her for not getting on with her work. Laca, who has been in love with Jenůfa since their childhood days, complains that his grandmother has never loved him, and favours Števa. He is trying to carve a whip handle but complains that the knife is blunt. He asks the Foreman to sharpen it. Jana, a herdswoman, jubilantly announces that Jenůfa has taught her to read. The Foreman confirms that Števa has not been drafted into the army. Jenůfa is thrilled but Laca is desolate. A group of villagers and soldiers arrive with Števa, who is drunk. Števa boasts about his wealth and popularity with the girls, then forces Jenůfa to dance.

The Kostelnička arrives and scolds Števa for his drunkenness. She recalls her own unhappy marriage to Grandmother Buryjovka’s alcoholic younger son Tóma, who beat her, and tells Števa that he cannot marry Jenůfa until he has managed to stay sober for a year. Grandmother Buryjovka orders everyone away, and Števa and Jenůfa are left alone. Jenůfa begs him for some reassurance. Initially Števa scolds her for nagging him, but then relents and praises her beauty, particularly her rosy cheeks. Laca overhears him.

When Števa has gone, Laca confronts Jenůfa, criticizing Števa for his overbearing behaviour. Jenůfa refuses to hear a word against Števa. As Jenůfa and Laca argue, his knife accidentally slashes her cheek. Full of remorse, he runs off. The Foreman shouts that he cut Jenůfa on purpose.

INTERVAL

ACT II

Five months have passed. Jenůfa has given birth to a baby boy, now a week old. Ashamed of the baby’s illegitimacy, the Kostelnička has hidden the mother and child away, pretending that Jenůfa has gone to stay in Vienna. The Kostelnička arranges a meeting with Števa, in the hope of saving her stepdaughter’s reputation, and gives Jenůfa a sleeping draft. When Števa arrives, the Kostelnička implores him to see his son, and to marry Jenůfa. Števa assures the Kostelnička that he feels sorry for Jenůfa. He says that he will provide money in secret, as no one must know the baby is his. But he refuses to marry Jenůfa: now that her face is scarred he no longer loves her, and in any case he has become engaged to the Mayor’s daughter Karolka.

The Kostelnička continues to plead, and Števa runs away. The Kostelnička curses him and his son. Laca appears. The Kostelnička confesses to him that Jenůfa never went to Vienna, and tells him about the child. Laca wants to marry Jenůfa but is reluctant to take on Števa’s baby. The Kostelnička quickly lies that the child has died. Laca leaves, promising to return and propose to Jenůfa when she wakes up. In desperation, the Kostelnička decides to murder the illegitimate baby, and runs with it from the house.

Jenůfa wakes, and panics when she cannot find her baby. She hallucinates that he has been taken from her by angry villagers, then, as her head clears, guesses that her foster-mother must have taken him to the Buryjovka mill. To calm herself, she prays. The Kostelnička returns and informs her foster-daughter that she has slept for two days, during which time her baby died. She also tells Jenůfa that Števa no longer loves her, and urges her to marry Laca. Laca returns and begs Jenůfa to be his wife. Still stunned at the loss of her son, Jenůfa agrees. As the Kostelnička blesses the couple and curses Števa, she has a terrifying vision of divine vengeance. Jenůfa and Laca support her as she collapses.

INTERVAL

ACT III

On Jenůfa’s wedding day two months later, the Mayor and his wife comment on the Kostelnička’s frailty and nervousness, and Jenůfa’s sadness. Laca tells Jenůfa how much he loves her, and how their relationship has transformed his life – he is even prepared to invite Števa to their wedding. Števa and Karolka arrive. While Karolka chats cheerfully and flirts with Števa, he seems ill at ease. A group of village girls come to sing a wedding song to Jenůfa, and Grandmother Buryjovka prepares to bless the couple.

The wedding celebrations are interrupted by Jana, who announces that the frozen corpse of a baby has been discovered in the river. Jenůfa recognizes the baby as hers. The villagers accuse her of infanticide, and call for her to be stoned to death. Laca attempts to protect Jenůfa, but it is the Kostelnička who manages to silence the crowd, by confessing her crime. She kneels to beg Jenůfa’s forgiveness and is stunned when Jenůfa asks her to get up: she understands that her foster-mother only committed murder in an attempt to protect her. The Mayor leads the Kostelnička away and the crowd disperses.

Jenůfa and Laca are left alone. She tells him that he should not marry a disgraced woman, and praises his goodness, assuring him that she forgives him for slashing her cheek. Laca insists that he wishes to remain with Jenůfa. Overwhelmed by his loyalty, Jenůfa declares that she can at last reciprocate his love, and that they will try to go on to make a new life together.