The slimlined BBC Symphony Orchestra adapts admirably to Jiri Belohlavek's blend of rustic cheerfulness and Wagnerian hues; they are absolutely irresistable in the Dance of the Comedians...Dana Buresová and Tomás Juhás are not, perhaps, the most warm-hearted of lovers, but both negotiate Smetana's technical challenges with aplomb.

[Belohlavek] has something of Wolfgang Sawallisch's temperament: intelligent, alert but observing the music from an objective mid-distance...But even chestnuts such as the famous Overture lack that extra edge of vitality often heard elsewhere...[Buresova] comes to the role of Marenka as a Smetana specialist whose every phrase has a ring of truth.

If none of the names in Belohlavek’s all-Czech cast is of the household variety, they have this “nationalist” tragicomedy in their blood.

It's a thoughtful, searching interpretation that emphasises Smetana's bittersweet sense of comedy and is, at times, extraordinarily moving; it might not be quite to your taste if you view the piece primarily as bucolic farce. Bělohlávek occasionally deploys bigger, more dramatic voices than we would usually find in western European performances...Voráček [is] the best ever Vašek

an irresistible performance...Effervescent from overture to the finale, the BBC Symphony Orchestra plays with sheeny strings, while the BBC Singers deliver crisp and clear ensemble...although Dana Buresova and Tomas Juhas enjoy the sweetest melodies as the frustrated lovers, tenor Ales Voracek steals the show as the stuttering Vasek.

Deep joy…One of those opera recordings that you’re reluctant to switch off