Dvorak: The Noon Witch, Op. 108 (B196) (The Noonday Witch, Polednice)

Dvorák composed his Symphonic Poems shortly after the American triumph of his “New World Symphony” and after completing his beautiful final string quartets (Opp. 105 and 106). The first three poems were first performed in1896 in London, while The Wild Dove was premiered in March 1898 in Brno by Leoš Janácek. The recordings on this CD are interpreted by the Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras, a paramount musician and connoisseur and champion of Czech music. The poems round off his legacy in Dvorák’s symphonic oeuvre, from which he has recorded for Supraphon, for example, Symphonies Nos. 6, 8 and 9, Slavonic Dances and Symphonic Variations.

Sir Charles’s performance of Dvorák’s works interweaves the splendid Talich tradition and profound knowledge of the composer’s work. The live recording of The Noon Witch and The Water Goblin reflects the warmly poignant atmosphere of the conductor’s parting with the Prague audience.

The triumphant recording of Martinu’s Three Fragments from the opera Juliette (Gramophone Award 2009) was made at the same valedictory concert. The studio recording of The Wild Dove is the final culmination of the long-term collaboration between Sir Charles and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

Many of the titles on this 2CD set formed couplings to Kertész’s celebrated LSO Dvorak symphony cycle for Decca. Collected here, over two generously-filled CDs, are all of the Overtures and Tone Poems of Dvorak that Kertész recorded. The fantastical, sometimes gruesome fairy tales of Erben exercised a curious fascination over Dvořák and three of his series of four Erben-inspired symphonic poems are recorded here in interpretations that capture every nuance and thrill of the stories. Also included is Kertész’s celebrated recording of the Symphonic Variations, full of invention through the 27 variations, and the Scherzo capriccioso, with its unmistakable Bohemian flavour.

Kreizberg died last year at the age of only 51 and made many recordings for PentaTone. All of Julia Fischer’s concerto recordings were accompanied by him. Many of the tracks featured in this In Memoriam collection come from award winning albums and include works by Dvorak, Debussy, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Khachaturian.

Booklet essay

Recordings made in 1991 and 1992

The Vienna Philharmonic has a rich and notable performance history of these ever-popular symphonies.

Antonin Dvorak’s (1841-1904) reputation as a symphonist finally established itself with the publication of his 5th and 6th symphonies, and the triumphant reception accorded to his greatest symphony the 7th. The 8th is a lighter, sunnier work and was an immediate success, especially in the UK where Dvorak enjoyed a good press and public adulation, and the work had for a short time of ‘The English’ – odd considering it is full of lively Czech and Bohemian dance rhythms.

The 9th symphony is both an American and a Czech symphony. Dvorak commented that upon discovering Negro melodies ‘I discover all that is necessary for a great and noble school of music’. He was also at the time of the 9th’s composition, staying at the small American town of Spillville (300 inhabitants), which had a large émigré Czech community. Although surrounded by people from his homeland, he longed to return home, and a nostalgic feeling permeates the score alongside the influences of Native American themes and Negro spirituals. What the 9th lacks in terms of structure compared with Nos. 6 and 7 it makes up for in sheer melodic riches. It has been a concert-hall favourite since its premiere in New York in 1893.

Dvorak abandoned the symphony after 1893, and embarked on a series of tone poems that contain some of his most remarkable music, and foreshadow the later tone poems of both Sibelius and Strauss, as well as the sound world of Janác?ek. The Noonday Witch together with the other 3 works in the series are all based on Czech folk tales – often brutal and scary. In this work, the mother tries to quieten her baby saying that the noonday witch will come for the baby as punishment if it won’t stop crying… the baby continues to cry, the witch appears and strikes both mother and child dead.