Czech Songs

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Magdalena Kozená präsentiert einen Liederabend mit tschechischen Liedern, zusammen mit der Tschechischen Philharmonie unter der Leitung von Sir Simon Rattle. Der erste Eindruck von tschechischen Liedern muten als stimmungsvolle Naturszenen oder Geschichten über hübsche Bauernmädchen und Dorfstreiche an, aber die Auswahl auf diesem Album zeigt, dass die Fantasie der tschechischen Liedkomponisten viel weiter reichte.

Magdalena Kozena presents a recital of Czech songs, together with the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. The first impression of Czech songs may be atmospheric nature scenes, or stories about pretty peasant girls and village pranks, but the selection on this album demonstrates that the imagination of Czech song composers stretched far wider. For example, Bohuslav Martinu's Nipponari were inspired by Japanese culture, whereas his folksy Songs on One Page obtain a deeper meaning knowing that he wrote them in the US, having fled the Nazi threat. His colleagues and contemporaries Hans Krasa and Gideon Klein did not manage to get away, and both died in concentration camps. Krasa's German-language Four Orchestral Songs show a fascination with nonsense verse typical of avant-garde circles in the early 1920s. Klein's Lullaby can be traced back to Jewish folk songs, yet it's musical realization displays an openness to French musical styles. And no Czech song recital would be complete without good old Antonin Dvorak, whose Evening Songs and Songs, Op. 2 are included. Many of these works are best known with piano accompaniment, but are presented here in orchestrations. The Czech Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle marvellously bring out all the colours, while Kozena once more showcases her mastery in vernacular song.