The vocal performances are nearly all compelling. The men - Janacek's usual weak and neurotic bunch - are entirely believable...Both the lead and female roles are remarkably complete. Jurgita Adamonyte as the starry-eyed Krista, delivers abundant ravishing tone, and Angela Denoke is an utterly credible Marty: commanding elegantly seductive and exuding a poignantly believable world weariness.

the Prelude is done with energy and a fine sense of Janacek's gritty, brilliantly lit orchestral writing...[Denoke] is vocally strong as well as having a striking stage presence: mysterious in the first and vulnerable in the last...Very's Albert Gregor is accurately sung and well characterized: Gregor is a hopelessly weak figure, in thrall to Marty and ridiculed by her. Very captures this astutely and sings the taxing role with a welcome lack of strain.

Musically this is a very fine version of The Makropulos Affair. It’s dominated by the superb presence of the Vienna Philharmonic in the pit. They’re Salzburg regulars but here they cast a special magic over a score that can sometimes sound jagged or fragmentary...[Denoke] commands the stage with her charismatic presence...her voice is superb, rich and beautiful with a lovely bloom that helps to suggest the character’s great experience