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Smetana: Dalibor

Ivan Kusnjer (King Vladislav), Richard Samek (Dalibor, a Knight), Aleš Vorácek (Vitek, Dalibor’s messenger), Dana Burašová (Milada, sister of the Burgrave of Ploskovice), Alžbeta Polácková (Jitka, a country girl), Jan Stava (Benes, a jailor), Svatopluk Sem (Budivoj, commander of the king’s castle...

Belohlávek creates a proper sense of the numinous from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, above all in the solos of leader, harpist and two horns, exquisitely haloed. Belohlávek leaves us in no doubt... — BBC Music Magazine, February 2016, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 20th Nov 2015
Catalogue No: ONYX4158
Label: Onyx
Length: 2 hours 26 minutes

Sunday Times

2015

Albums of the Year
Opera

April 2016

Recording of the Month

Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days

Smetana: Dalibor

Work length2:26:18

$36.00

$50.40

Ivan Kusnjer, Richard Samek, Jan Stava, Alžběta Poláčková, Svatopluk Sem, Aleš Voráček, Dana Burašová
BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek, Andrew Griffiths

Act I Scene 1: A courtyard at the Royal Castle, before the throne is a mass of people "Dnes ortel bude provolán" (People)

Track length4:25

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 1: Opusteného sirotka malého (Jitka, People)

Track length5:05

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 2: Orchestral

Track length2:26

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 2: Jiz víte, jak to krásné království (Vladislav)

Track length3:29

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 3: Jiz uchopte se slova (Vladislav, Milada, People, Jitka)

Track length3:09

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 3: Pohasnul den a v hrade (Milada, People, Vladislav, Jitka)

Track length6:29

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 4: Dalibor enters, shackles on his hands. Jaky to zjev! (Milada, People, Vladislav)

Track length1:25

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 4: Zapírat nechci, nejsemt zvykl y lháti (Dalibor, Milada)

Track length5:34

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 4: Zlocinem tak pomáhals sobe sám! (Vladislav, Dalibor, Milada, People, Judges)

Track length3:01

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 4: Tak, Dalibore (A Judge, People, Dalibor)

Track length5:12

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 5: U svych mne zde vidíte nohou! (Milada, Judges, Vladislav)

Track length3:25

$1.00

$1.40

Act I Scene 6: Jaká to boure nadra mi plní (Milada, Jitka)

Track length3:33

$1.00

$1.40

Act II Scene 1: A street in the Lower Town, with an Inn "Ba nejveselejsí je tento svet" (Mercenaries)

Track length3:49

$1.00

$1.40

Act II Scene 1: Dle této písne poznávám je vzdy (Jitka, Vítek)

Track length2:49

$1.00

$1.40

Act II Scene 1: Je Daliboruv osud tobe znám? (Jitka, Vítek)

Track length2:17

$1.00

$1.40

Act II Scene 2: Ba nejveselejsˇí je tento sveˇt (Mercenaries, Vítek, Jitka)

Track length7:25

$1.50

$2.10

Change of Stage 1, Scene 1: The living quarters of the jailor at the castle "Nejvetsí bedlivosti treba" (Budivoj, Benes)

Track length3:51

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 2: Ach, jak tezky zalárníka (Benes)

Track length2:56

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 3: Milada, running out of the jailor’s room. Hotovo vsechno (Milada, Benes)

Track length4:44

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 4: Jak je mi? Ha, tak náhle prisla jiz (Milada)

Track length2:42

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 5: Benes emerges from his room, a fiddle in one hand, a burning lantern in the other. "Zde jsou ty housle!" (Benes, Milada)

Track length2:28

$1.00

$1.40

Change of Stage 2: In the prison, Dalibor is asleep. In a sudden burst of light Zdeneˇk’s ghost appears, playing the violin. His playing fills the jail.

Track length2:00

$1.00

$1.40

Change of Stage 2, Scene 1: Dalibor wakes and jumps from his bed as the spectre vanishes "Nebyl to on zas?" (Dalibor)

Track length6:12

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 2: Milada, carrying the fiddle and the lamp "Vem tento chud´y dárek z ruky mé" (Milada, Dalibor)

Track length11:43

$2.00

$2.80

Act III Scene 1: Preslavny králi, pánové prejasní! (Budivoj)

Track length3:10

$1.00

$1.40

Act III Scene 1: Ctyricet let jiz tomu bude (Benes)

Track length3:57

$1.00

$1.40

Act III Scene 2: tak pozdní dobu provolal jsem vás sem (Vladislav)

Track length4:40

$1.00

$1.40

Act III Scene 2: Jstejiz u konce? Jak jste rozhodnuli? (Vladislav, Judges)

Track length5:20

$1.00

$1.40

Change of Stage 1, Scene 1: Dalibor’s prison cell "Tot tretí noc, kterou mi naznacila" (Dalibor)

Track length3:28

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 2: Ó nebe! Bez okovu? (Budivoj, Dalibor)

Track length9:36

$1.50

$2.10

Scene 3: March

Track length2:01

$1.00

$1.40

Change of Stage 2, Scenes 1 & 2: In front of the castle tower, moonlight "Nezaslechli jesˇteˇ houslí zvuky?" (Milada, Chorus, Jitka, Vítek, Mercenaries, Women)

Track length5:20

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 3: Milado! (Dalibor, Milada)

Track length5:53

$1.00

$1.40

Scene 4: Neprátel zástup porazen a zbit (Budivoj, Mercenaries, Dalibor)

Track length2:44

$1.00

$1.40

About
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About

Smetana’s tragic opera 'Dalibor' from 1868 is now acknowledged as a masterpiece, containing some of his greatest music. It tells a tale of knightly ideals, chivalry, love and loyalty, with striking echoes of Fidelio, the story transports us to 15th-century Prague, where Dalibor is imprisoned having avenged the death of his musician friend Zdenk. The sister of his victim, Milada, is touched by his plight and disguises herself as a boy violinist in order to enter the gaol … Smetana, saddened by 'Dalibor’s cool reception ('too Wagnerian' was one of the charges against it) always had faith that one day it would be appreciated and stand alongside 'The Bartered Bride', the work that overshadowed all his other operas to his great frustration.

This superb performance of this rarely heard opera was recorded live in the Barbican Hall, London. Conducted by Jiri Belohlávek, the all Czech cast and the BBC SO and BBC singers gave a performance that impressed all present, and the critics praised the performance: "Smetana’s melodic invention is given full rein, with a rapturous second-act love duet as its high-point. Belohlávek’s conducting was warm and wonderfully spacious in those purple passages…the cast, all Czech, was a very fine one" The Guardian.

"A brilliant all-Czech performance...The pivotal duets were gloriously sung, while chorus and orchestra honoured the full beauty of the score."

Artists

BBC Symphony Orchestra & BBC Singers, Jiri Belohlávek

Reviews

February 2016

Belohlávek creates a proper sense of the numinous from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, above all in the solos of leader, harpist and two horns, exquisitely haloed. Belohlávek leaves us in no doubt that Smetana's subtle score, with its fascinating transitions between scenes, is a masterpiece. It's full of unusual harmonies and interesting, proto-Tchaikovskyan wind choruses.

January 2016

If there's one conductor you want in this repertoire, it's Jiri Belohlávek... Samek is a pleasing Dalibor, not the most heroic tenor, but sweet-toned...Burašová makes a strong impression as Milada, especially in the Act 2 love duet...Polácková nearly steals the performance as Jitka...The playing of the BBC Symphony Orchestra is excellent; you'd almost have to pinch yourself to believe that you weren't listening to Belohlávek's Czech Philharmonic.

4th December 2015

As Dalibor himself, Richard Samek has a golden, heroic tenor that does the job beautifully … The orchestra play this unfamiliar music with great skill, and the BBC Singers throw themselves into the work, both in spirit and in pronunciation.

April 2016

The cast is thrillingly led by the bright star of a Dalibor...[Samek] looks set to become the most complete lyric-heroic Czech tenor for decades...Above all, this is Belohlavek’s triumph. Nobody knows better how to layer Smetana’s musical building blocks into an idiomatic, coherent edifice, sweeping us along with a concentration that is no less powerful for being so firmly controlled … a mighty reading which gives enormous satisfaction.

22nd November 2015

it is to be welcomed not only for the opera’s rarity, but for its thrilling performance in splendid modern sound. A key feature of this series’s success has been the engagement of singers from Prague, and the outstanding artistry of Dana Buresova figures again: imperious as Milada, yet capable of tenderness and poetry, she is the star. The BBC forces give their all for their former chief conductor; Richard Samek is heroic in the title role; and Alzbeta Polackova and Ales Vorasek charm as the youthful couple Jitka and Vitek

21st November 2015

a performance as gloriously idiomatic as this…shows how much we have all been missing and makes a full staging of the work all the more urgent … Jiri Belohlavek it finds its ideal interpreter: the conductor has the lightest but firmest of touches, never allowing the pageantry to degenerate into bombastic pomp and circumstance but giving full rein to all the noble ardour that palpitates through the score. The BBC Symphony Orchestra plays with elegant clarity and a keen sense of drama, while the cast of native Czech singers is a revelation … The BBC Singers make a fervent contribution too … [an] admirable recording

Opera Now January 2016

Belohlavek’s championing of Dalibor ensures a passionate performance and the BBC Symphony Orchestra plays with style. The singers are classy too.

Smetana: Dalibor

2 CDs

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