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Vocal music comprised around a quarter of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu’s extensive output, no fewer than 27 songs dating from 1912 alone, and much of it remaining unpublished during his lifetime.
Many of these set texts drawn from Czech folk sources and poetry, though old Spanish, German, English and French poetry – sometimes translated into Czech – are also to be found. While echoes of Brahms, Dvorák and Schubert may be heard, Martinu’s own style emerges surprisingly early in his career.
Young Czech mezzo-soprano Jana Wallingerová, praised as ‘splendid’ (Der Neue Merker) and for her ‘full voice brimming with feeling’ and ‘brilliant technique’ (Hospodárˇské noviny), joins pianist Giorgio Koukl, whose Naxos recordings of Martinu’s piano music have gained the highest praise.
Bohuslav Martinu: 6 prostych pisni (6 Simple Songs), H. 110
No. 1. Dny se tak krati (Days Are Much Shorter)
No. 2. Rekl mi andel (An Angel Has Said To Me)
No. 3. Ach, nikdo nevi (Oh, No One Knows)
No. 4. Ta nase stran (Our Fells)
No. 5. V dali hrom buraci (Far Away Thunder)
No. 6. Bud mily zdrav (Be Well, My Love!)
Bohuslav Martinu: 3 ukolebavky (3 Lullabies), H. 146bis
No. 1. Prede dvermi strom (The Tree At The Door Now Slumbers)
No. 2. Du schlafst (You Sleep)
No. 3. Schaukeln und gaukeln (Rocking and Swaying)
Bohuslav Martinu: 2 pisnicky v narodnim slohu (2 Small Songs In Folk Idiom), H. 14
No. 1. Povera (Superstition)
No. 2. V tej nasi zahradce (Our Little Garden)
Bohuslav Martinu: 2 pisne na ruskou poezii (2 Songs On Russian Poetry), H. 135bis
No. 1. Slavicku muj nepej zde (Sing No More At My Window)
No. 2. Uvila jsem sobe vinek (A Wreath Of Carnations)
Bohuslav Martinu: 3 Goethelieder, H. 94
No. 1. Gluckliche Fahrt (Prosperous Voyage)
No. 2. Elfenliedchen (Song of The Elves)
No. 3. Liebesgluck (Lucky In Love)
Bohuslav Martinu: Komarova svadba (The Gnat's Wedding), H. 75
Komarova svadba (The Gnat's Wedding), H. 75
Bohuslav Martinu: 3 detske pisnicky (3 Children's Songs), H. 146
No. 1. Male ptace (The Little Bird)
No. 2. Vecer (The Evening)
No. 3. Vanocni stromek (The Christmas Tree)
Bohuslav Martinu: Mrtva laska (Dead Love), H. 44
Mrtva laska (Dead Love), H. 44
Bohuslav Martinu: Ceske hadanky (Czech Riddles), H. 277bis
Ceske hadanky (Czech Riddles), H. 277bis
Bohuslav Martinu: 2 pisne (2 Songs), H. 31
No. 1. Divci pisen (A Girl's Song)
No. 2. Az prejde den (When The Day Comes)
Bohuslav Martinu: Kracim, kracim mezi vrchy (Walk, I Walk Among The Hills), H. 74bis
Kracim, kracim mezi vrchy (Walk, I Walk Among The Hills), H. 74bis
Bohuslav Martinu: Jak mily cas (How Dear To Me The Hour), H. 106
Jak mily cas (How Dear To Me The Hour), H. 106
Bohuslav Martinu: Stesti to dost (Blissfulness), H. 81
Stesti to dost (Blissfulness), H. 81
Bohuslav Martinu: Slzy (Vilme) (Tears), H. 41
Slzy (Vilme) (Tears), H. 41
Bohuslav Martinu: Naladova kresba (Mood Drawing), H. 29
Naladova kresba (Mood Drawing), H. 29
Bohuslav Martinu: Pisen prvniho listopadu (A Song Of 1st November), H. 72
Pisen prvniho listopadu (A Song Of 1st November), H. 72
Bohuslav Martinu: Divci sny (A Girl's Dreams), H. 22
Divci sny (A Girl's Dreams), H. 22
Bohuslav Martinu: Az budeme stari (When We Are Both Old), H. 10
Az budeme stari (When We Are Both Old), H. 10
Bohuslav Martinu: Nez se nadejes (Before You Know It), H. 6
Nez se nadejes (Before You Know It), H. 6
Bohuslav Martinu: Noc kazdou tebe draha zrim (Night After Night In Dreams I See You), H. 57
Noc kazdou tebe draha zrim (Night After Night In Dreams I See You), H. 57
Bohuslav Martinu: 3 pisne na francouzske texty (3 Songs On French Texts), H. 88
3 pisne na francouzske texty: No. 3. Noc (3 Songs On French Texts: No. 3 Night), H. 88, No. 3
Bohuslav Martinu: Konec vsemu (Life's Over For Me), H. 43
Konec vsemu (Life's Over For Me), H. 43
Bohuslav Martinu: V noci (At Night), H. 30
V noci (At Night), H. 30
Bohuslav Martinu: Stara pisen (Old Song), H. 74
Stara pisen (Old Song), H. 74
Bohuslav Martinu: Pisen na starospanelsky text (Song On An Old Spanish Text), H. 87
Pisen na starospanelsky text (Song On An Old Spanish Text), H. 87
Bohuslav Martinu: Pisen o hubickach (A Song About Kissing), H. 27bis
Pisen o hubickach (A Song About Kissing), H. 27bis
Bohuslav Martinu: Vim hajicek (I Know A Nice Green Grove), H. 273
Vim hajicek (I Know A Nice Green Grove), H. 273
October 2011
“a first-class and very generous collection...when the songs are as beautifully and often movingly sung as they are here by Jana Wallingerova, and the piano accompaniments - a pleasure in themselves - are so felicitously and sensitively played by Giorgio Koukl, this CD affords much enjoyment...All in all, this is a most rewarding disc, throwing new light on its composer. It is very well recorded, too.”
No. 1. Dny se tak krati (Days Are Much Shorter)
