Nikolaus Lehnhoff's staging of Janácek's first operatic masterpiece entered the Glyndebourne repertory 20 years ago and has returned regularly. Faithfully revived by Daniel Dooner, its current realisation is a Glyndebourne On Tour production that reaches festival standards, with fixtures and fittings remaining impeccable. With the detailed observations of Czech village life around 1900, Tobias Hoheisel's designs stress the realist manner of the piece, while Lynne Hockney's choreography is so well integrated by the Glyndebourne Chorus into the emotional trajectory of the show that it registers as truthful rather than picturesque.

The direction of the principals is strong, too. Janácek poured his heart into this piece about a highly religious woman who murders her stepdaughter's illegitimate baby out of a mixture of pride and misguided love, and in Anne Mason's descent from unflinching rectitude to soul-shattering guilt, the linchpin character of Kostelnicka finds an outstanding exponent. Her grand and resourceful mezzo is up to every challenge the opera throws at her.

The same applies to the warm lyric soprano of Giselle Allen, who sings the wounded stepdaughter, Jenufa. Together, their partnership places these two strong women firmly and unforgettably at the centre of attention.

But the male leads are excellent, too. Pavel Cernoch offers a fine-grained portrait of the handsome wastrel, Steva, who gets Jenufa pregnant then deserts her. As his damaged half-brother Laca, who slashes Jenufa's face out of jealousy, Peter Wedd develops a complex picture of a man struggling with his inner demons, yet also capable of immense love.

Robin Ticciati conducts a performance inclined to smooth away some of the rougher edges of Janácek's splintered orchestration, but otherwise it is beautifully balanced.