A lavish animation of Janácek’s well-loved classic featuring Sharp Ears, the loveable, flirtatious fox. The innovative animator Geoff Dunbar brings fresh life to this charming opera with its new sound track made in 2001 with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester under Kent Nagano. The story is a dramatic tale of love, death and rebirth that is guaranteed to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Plus

ANIMATING THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN - Director Geoff Dunbar reveals the inspiration behind the characters created for Janácek’s score.
INTERACTIVE STORYBOARD - Geoff Dunbar’s visual concept for the film.
STAGES OF ANIMATION - Takes you through a short section of the film, and compares the stages on ‘quad split’ showing all four angles on one screen.
16 page, full colour illustrated booklet in English, French and German.


Reviews
‘Dunbar’s imagination and Kent Nagano’s adapted score are a delight – a splendid alternative to Jungle Book’ Classic fM Magazine
‘…a deliciously mischievous lifecycle opera... This film is about as close to nature as art will ever get...an unmissable treat.’
The Evening Standard

‘Alert to nature's sounds… Janácek's wondrous animal opera, a lovable yet unsentimental celebration of nature… Janácek's incandescent score glows musically under Kent Nagano's baton, and under Geoff Dunbar's luminescent paintbrush, the film glows, literally. …a film that presents opera as something real and yet fantastical. Kids should see it, and this DVD is the only way.’ **** Stars
Los Angeles Times

‘…brilliantly inventive, very appealing and likely to become a classic’
Classical Music

‘Perfect diction, an essential is ensured. I urge any parent with a musical child to acquire this DVD...’
The Sunday Telegraph

‘…beautiful animation film…the rough brushstrokes of Geoff Dunbar in this film are atmospheric, the animals (the stars of the performance) masterfully cast…’
Knack (Translation)

‘It was an inspired idea to make an animated film version of Czech composer Leos Janácek’s 1923 opera The Cunning Little Vixen which he based on a serialized newspaper cartoon. Conductor Kent Nagano’s condensed version of the score retains the opera’s touching core, and Geoff Dunbar’s animation has charm for adults and children alike.’
Newark Star Ledger (USA)

Awards & Accolades:
Diapason d’Or – 2003
Recommandé de Répertoire

Best of the Year list Opera News (January 2005)

Golden Prague Festival Czech Republic 2004 (2nd prize – Music /Dance TV)

Opera News “Best of the Year” list 2004

CAT NO: OA 0839 D
FORMAT: 0
REGIONS: 0
PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9
LENGTH: 75 MINS
NO OF DISCS: 1