No one who heard young Charlie Mackerras conduct Kát’a Kabanová at Sadler’s Wells in 1951 is likely to have forgotten the occasion, for most of us a revelation of a composer of whom we knew little. Now Sir Charles is 80 and has built upon that occasion with so much, none of it more substantial than his long association with Janácek’s operas. Here is a birthday package of nine records, including five of the operas transferred from Decca’s cycle, each of which was a major event during the years 1976-82. Only two regrets. One is that Sir Charles never recorded The Excursions of Mr Broucek for the series. Not surprisingly, he shares the Czechs’ affection for that work, which speaks with a particular voice to a nation of which he is practically an adopted son. The other is that the accompanying material is parsimonious. The original LPs included texts, translations and fascinating essays by John Tyrrell which almost amounted to a book on Janácek’s operas. The first CD reissues reduced all this, and now room is made for only a short introductory essay and mini-synopses: no libretti. Still, if Decca has not done Sir Charles proud here, he has done Janácek proud over the years with these recordings, for which one can only return affectionate thanks and congratulations.