Janácek: Sárka

Track Listings

1. Ov - Brno RSO/Bretislav Bakala

2. Act 1: Jak Za Hory - Frantisek Kunc

3. Act 1: Kdo Serem Lesu Prichazi - Frantisek Kunc

4. Act 1: Posvatne Ticho - Antonin Jurecka

5. Act 1: Tak Slavik - Antonin Jurecka

6. Act 1: Nuz Vzhlednete - Alena Novakova

7. Act 2: Procz Zachvelo Se - Alena Novakova

8. Act 2: O Klame Izivy - Alena Novakova

9. Act 2: Nemam Zeny - Antonin Jurecka

10. Act 3: Prld - BRNO Chor/Bretislav Bakala

11. Act 3: O Jinochu - Frantisek Kunc

12. Act 3: Vyselehni, Rudy Plameni - Josef Valka

Customer Reviews:

SUMMATION OF A LIFETIME'S DEDICATION TO JANACEK.......2006-04-12

Maybe these two discs are to be Sir Charles' farewell to recording Janacek. I wouldn't bet the house on it, though, because he still shows amazing energy levels at 80 years of age and is to conduct Makropoulos at the ENO next month. Nevertheless, you could certainly argue that these performances provide us with a summation of a lifetime's love and scholarly work on these scores from Janacek's greatest proselytiser.

Many of these works have been recorded by Sir Charles before, notably on his ground-breaking Pye recording from the 50's. There was a certain rawness about that recording (partly because of the musicians' unfamiliarity with the music and their sense of discovery, partly because of the dry acoustic) that suited this music particularly well - better, I think, than the plushness and greater security of the later Vienna Philharmonic performances.

The Sarka and Katya excerpts here come from Mackerras' complete Supraphon recordings of the operas. The Katya interludes really exist only as a result of Sir Charles' research and this is wonderful music that we (and the opera) would now be much poorer without.

Most of the other performances are taken from live performances in Prague. They are consistently fine and carry a strong feeling of authenticity when played, as here, by a Czech orchestra. The Jealousy Overture is a great opener, much better in a concert context than in Jenufa for which it was originally written. The Vixen Suite is just gorgeous. There are none of the humans in this Suite, not even the Forester's pantheistic final aria. It is all about the animals and includes the inspiring ballet in which the Vixen dreams of her freedom. Sir Charles and his Czech players give a truly uplifting performance.

Perhaps the most intriguing piece here is the rarity, the orchestral music Janacek wrote for the play, Schluck und Jau. This is the last orchestral music that the composer ever wrote. There are echoes in it of the imperial fanfares from the Makropoulos Affair and of passages from the House of the Dead but it also shows him still questing for new sonorities, fully brought out in this definitive performance.

The two big pieces on these discs - Taras Bulba and the Sinfonietta - are both great live performances. In the former, Sir Charles really gives the graphic and illustrative instrumentation full reign - the integrated organ sounds, the strangulated clarinet, the ideally crisp timps, the solo horn way up high in its register and the full rich brass ensemble of Taras' final apotheosis. The Sinfonietta, too, is as near definitive as you'll get. The full compliment of brass for the opening and closing fanfares are there and the tiered effects the composer demands are ideally realised. I suspect a bit of textual tidying up here and there from Sir Charles the scholar. Certainly the results are as clear and crisp as you could ask, whether in chattering woodwind, crystal bright trumpet playing or perfectly intonated string playing whether at speed or at rest.

All in all, these discs represent a wonderful summary of a lifetime's dedication the Janacek. Worth every penny.

Sir Charles in Prague.......2005-02-16

Charles Mackerras is probably the greatest exponent of Janácek's music of all time. This fine Supraphon set collects his excellent Prague recordings from the recent years. It appears to be his testimony to Janácek's fans. The set includes not only the famous workds but also some of the rarely performed pieces (it is not a complete set, however).

Taras Bulba and the Sinfonietta are recorded live, which adds to the dramatic thrill of these masterworks. Czech Philharmonic plays them marvellously, and the interpretations are second to none.

Some of the material have already appeared in opera boxes: the ouvertures and other music from Kát'a kabanová and Sárka. But the Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen is a fresh recording, in Janácek's original orchestration. The performance is nothing but superb.

Schluck & Jau was Janácek's last orchestral score. It is a fascinating piece, wonderfully scored, and performed with precision and enthusiasm. The performance of the Jealousy Overture - the original Jenufa ouverture - is also very fine.

Moreover, recording quality is state of the art.

Warmly recommended!

Smetana: My Country; Janácek: String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonate"

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly good

Smetana: My Country; Janácek: String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonate"

Manufacturer: Ent. Media Partners
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

From 'My Country' Symphonic Poems: No.2 The Moldau - LSO/Alfred Scholz
From 'My Country' Symphonic Poems: No.3 Sarka - Philharmonia Slavonica/Alfred Scholz
From 'My Country' Symphonic Poems: No.4 Bohemian Fields And Groves - Philharmonia Slavonica/Alfred Scholz
From 'My Country' Symphonic Poems: No.5 Tabor - Philharmonia Slavonica/Alfred Scholz
Str Qt No.1 'Kreutzer Sonate': Adagio-Con Moto - Endress Qt
Str Qt No.1 'Kreutzer Sonate': Con Moto - Endress Qt
Str Qt No.1 'Kreutzer Sonate': Con Moto-Vivo-Andante - Endress Qt
Str Qt No.1 'Kreutzer Sonate': Con Moto-Adagio-Piu Mosso - Endress Qt

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly good.......2005-04-11

You wouldn't expect a CD that costs less that $3 to have many merits at all, yet this particular CD is excellent regardless of price.

I purchased it for the Janacek String Quartet #1, since I already have #2 on another disc and was trying to find a reasonable version of #1. The playing by the Endress Quartet is very good, and it's a worthy version of the String Quartet.

The Smetana excerpts from Ma Vlast are also exceedingly good, the quality of the orchestra and the sound are first-rate. Although I imagine that most would want to have a complete recording of this Smetana piece.

This is a very enjoyable disc; how can you go wrong with a disc of this quality for the price of a cup of coffee?

Janácek - Sarka / Urbanová · Straka · Czech PO · Sir Charles Mackerras

Average customer rating:

Another real discovery of Janacek's first opera.

Janácek - Sarka / Urbanová · Straka · Czech PO · Sir Charles Mackerras
Leos Janácek , Sir Charles Mackerras , Eva Urbanova , Peter Straka , Czech Philharmonic Orchestra , Prague Philharmonic Choir , and Ivan Kusnjer
Manufacturer: Supraphon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005BGWK
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Amazon.com

Sárka was Janácek's first opera, discarded until the composer dug it out after the success of Jenufa, revised it, and had it performed in 1925. Janácek was fond of the work, but it fell into obscurity. One reason is its succinctness. Barely over an hour, the narrative is severely telescoped. Sárka, drawn from Czech mythology, is an Amazonian warrior, leader of a band of fierce women fighters ready to do battle with Ctirad, the tenor leader of their opponents. The protagonists meet, fall instantly in love, and just as instantly, Sárka sets a trap and her band beats Ctirad to death. Sárka then goes to the enemy camp and, distraught by her betrayal, commits suicide. Janácek's music here is more conventionally Romantic than it became, although hints of his later style peek through the revision. The opening instrumental prelude is lovely, but the drama is too abruptly sketched to create much involvement. Supraphon's team, though, makes a strong case for the work. Eva Urbanová, today's leading Czech soprano, is the star, and the others acquit themselves well. Sir Charles Mackerras and his crack orchestra are outstanding. Whatever its deficiencies as a stage work, this is an important release that enlarges our knowledge of the composer, making it a must-have for Janácek's growing army of admirers. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Another real discovery of Janacek's first opera........2001-05-29

In some ways Zdenek Fibich's Sarka (1896-1897) overshadows Janacek's opera of the same name. Written in 1887-1888, Janacek was more than proud of the work when he completed the piano score of it and in Alena Nemcova's well-written notes accompaning this CD, Janacek felt further encouraged after discussing the score with Antonin Dvorak. But Janacek ran into problems. The published text "Sarka, Musical Drama" was written by the poet Julius Zeyer and it was Zeyer who refused Janacek's request to set the text to music. After making further revisions and orchestrated the first two acts, Janacek put aside the score in his manuscript drawer, only to return to it in 1918. Once he returned to the score, he worked on it further and had his student, Osvald Chlubna complete the orchestration of Act III. At the end of 1918, the Czech Academy (to whom Zeyer had willed his rights) granted Janacek's request to use the text. Further revisions took place in 1924-1925 and the opera was performed posthumously, by 1938 in Olomouc, ten years after the composer's death.

Based on the Czech mythology as in Fibich's, Sarka is a Bohemian female warrior in Vlasta's women army and a follower of Libuse (a title name in Smetana's opera). After the death of Libuse, her husband, Prince Premysl expelled Sarka and her female companions from the court. Although not in Janacek's opera, Vlasta leads a revolt carried out by Sarka (having the tenacity and the daringness of a Brunnhilde or a Therese for that matter). Ctirad leads a male counter-revolution and guards Libuse's tomp. As the women attempt to capture the tomb, Ctirad repelled them. However, Ctirad fell in love with Sarka and although the feeling was mutual, she had him murdered by her cohorts. Driven by guilt, Sarka immolates herself on his funeral pyre.

The men versus women thing is certainly not "politically correct" for many. But, somehow I wish that Janacek had written a longer opera, for the story itself offers amble opportunities for theatrical presentations in huge scales and proportions as Fibich admirably proved: it could easily have been a grand opera in the vein of Gounod and Massenet. But Janacek was right to pursue the work despite the obstacles. His music is passionate, vivid, and heroic, absording much of Smetana as Fibich absorbed much of Wagner. But more importantly, for me at least, Janacek's Sarka have plenty of personal fingerprints to be found in his later works and his sense of dramatic impetus and musical incident is admirably established in his early endeavor.

Sir Charles Mackerras, to me the leading expert of Janacek's works, draws a forceful yet lucid performances from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonic Choir. The casting is superb. Eva Urbanova could never have been a more powerful, compelling, visionary, Sarka. She portrayed Sarka with great tenacity as Birgit Nilsson did with Brunnhilde or Huguette Tourangeau with Therese (Massenet). Peter Straka brings out the heroics of Ctirad admirably and likewise with force while Ivan Kusnjer as Premysl and Jaroslav Brezina as Lumir are convincing throughout.

Before this recording, the first real discovery of Janacek's "flawed masterpiece" was the Multisonic mono (CD 310154-2) reissue of the 1953 recording featuring Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Bretislav Bakala (a best advocates of Janacek's music before Frantisek Jilek, Vaclav Neumann, and Mackerras). The casting is equally superb (Alena Novakova as Sarka is likewise thrilling) and the performance of the Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is compulsive in their own right.

Therefore, I would hunt for the Multisonic mono CD re-issue along with the Mackerras' Supraphon. One final note, though. It seems that Supraphon is, as of late, running a practice of not including a synopsis and/or detailed scenic discriptions within the libretti. That's a disadvantage to a listener who wants a more rounded picture of the plots behind the operas, especially those of obsurity such as Sarka and the Bride of Messina (of Fibich). Hopefully, Supraphon will reverse that and give us a fuller presentation as it did in its 1995 re-issue of Janacek's "Fate."

Tracks:

Ov - Brno RSO/Bretislav Bakala
Act 1: Jak Za Hory - Frantisek Kunc
Act 1: Kdo Serem Lesu Prichazi - Frantisek Kunc
Act 1: Posvatne Ticho - Antonin Jurecka
Act 1: Tak Slavik - Antonin Jurecka
Act 1: Nuz Vzhlednete - Alena Novakova
Act 2: Procz Zachvelo Se - Alena Novakova
Act 2: O Klame Izivy - Alena Novakova
Act 2: Nemam Zeny - Antonin Jurecka
Act 3: Prld - BRNO Chor/Bretislav Bakala
Act 3: O Jinochu - Frantisek Kunc
Act 3: Vyselehni, Rudy Plameni - Josef Valka

Eva Urbanová & Guests: Famous Czech Opera Duets

Average customer rating:

Eva Urbanová & Guests: Famous Czech Opera Duets

Manufacturer: Supraphon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005LZTO
Release Date: 2001-06-26

Average customer rating:

A Czech master who deserves his legendary status
Great Conductors of 20th Century= Best Reissues of the 21st

Václav Talich

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Igor Markevitch

ASIN: B00006IGIU
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

Sarka
The Water Goblin, Op.107
I. Andante Con Moto - Piu Mosso - Tempo I
II. Allegro Ma Non Troppo E Grazioso - Poco Meno Mosso - Tempo I
III. Adagio - Piu Andante - Tempo I
IV. Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Presto
The Cunning Little Vixen - Suite

Tracks:

I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Allegro Vivacissimo
I. Allegro Assai
II. Andante Moderato
III. Menuett
IV. Finale. Allegro Assai
III. Preghiera. Andante Non Tanto
Prague Carnival
I. Adagio - Allegro Molto
II. Largo
III. Molto Vivace
IV. Allegro con Fuoco
III. Amorous Couple

Customer Reviews:

A Czech master who deserves his legendary status.......2005-11-07

Amazon has carelessly neglected to indicate that this two-CD set is part of the Great Condcutors of the Century series. Vaclav Talich began recording in the 30s, and despite being born in 1883, thirteen years before the death of Brahms, he survived to make modern recordings. Everything in this set is in mono from 1951-54, made with Czech orchestra (all but one item is with Talich's own Czech Philharmonic).

By general agreement Talich is the gold standard for all the classic Czech composers, chiefly Dvorak, Smetana, Suk, and to a lesser degree Janacek (since he didn't record the operas, only orchestral suites from them--the suite from Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen is represented here). Talich's secret was a warm, humane conducting style which coaxed glowing tone from his musicians, along with alert, lively rhythms. But then, how can one really describe how a master does it?

Since all the Czech selections here are great, there's no need to analyze them--the reviewer below has at least named each item, unlike Amazon. I was particularly captivated by Talich's performance of a neglected Dvorak tone poem, The Water Goblin. Suk's Serenade fro Strings is in the same relaxed, balmy genre as Dvorak's better-known serenade.

The two deviations form Czech fare are a single movement, meltingly done, from Tchaikovsky's "Mozariana" Suite #4 and a Mozart Sym. #33. The Mozart is a live performance in fairly murky radio sound; it reveals Talich to be a brisk, streamlined conductor of Mozart but with plenty of charm and ease in the phrasing. The big work on CD 2, the Dvorak "New World," is caught in somewhat wobbly sound from 1954 and although excellent (it's quite lyrical and full of tangy Czech woodwind playing) could have been replaced. This piece has been recorded too often to claim that Talich is incomparable in it.

All in all, here is one of those rare installments in this series where everything comes together: the conductor is genuinely great, the material is fairly unknown, the performances rise to the highest standard. Five stars, definitely.

Great Conductors of 20th Century= Best Reissues of the 21st.......2003-03-27

It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on Amazon and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances!

This particular CD, Volume 24, features the great Czech conductor Vaclav Talich, who led the world-renowned Czech Philharmonic for nearly a quarter century. As the track information is not abundantly clear above, allow me to mention that these discs feature memorable performances of Smetana's "Sarka" from "Ma Vlast" and "Prague Carnival," Dvorak's symphonic poem "The Water Goblin" and "New World" Symphony (a Talich-specialty), and Mozart's Symphony No. 33. Also here are rarer works, nonetheless beautifully played, like Suk's "Serenade for String Orchestra," Janacek's "The Cunning Little Vixen Suite" and Benda's "Symphony for String Orchestra," a piece that Talich single-handedly introduced into the Czech repertoire. Finally, Tchaikovsky's "Orchestral Suite No.4," aka "Mozartiana," finds Talich conducting the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra instead of in his usually place with the Czech Philharmonic. All of the recordings were made between 1951 and 1954, and while the performances are in mono, they sound wonderful.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor isn't even in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.

Music Track:

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Sumday

1. Ov - Brno RSO/Bretislav Bakala
2. Act 1: Jak Za Hory - Frantisek Kunc
3. Act 1: Kdo Serem Lesu Prichazi - Frantisek Kunc
4. Act 1: Posvatne Ticho - Antonin Jurecka
5. Act 1: Tak Slavik - Antonin Jurecka
6. Act 1: Nuz Vzhlednete - Alena Novakova
7. Act 2: Procz Zachvelo Se - Alena Novakova
8. Act 2: O Klame Izivy - Alena Novakova
9. Act 2: Nemam Zeny - Antonin Jurecka
10. Act 3: Prld - BRNO Chor/Bretislav Bakala
11. Act 3: O Jinochu - Frantisek Kunc
12. Act 3: Vyselehni, Rudy Plameni - Josef Valka