Newsletter 70 — January 2005 (Summary)

  Page last updated Apr 10 2005

This Newsletter is produced with the generous financial support of the Czech Foreign Ministry.

This is a summary of Newsletter No. 70. The full text—which for this issue runs to 36 pages of A4-size text and graphics—has been mailed to all members of the Dvořák Society in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Contents

Regular items

Items special to this issue

Editorial 

VILÉM TAUSKÝ MEMORIAL CONCERT—this will be held on Saturday 12th March 2005 (at 7:30 pm in the United Reform Church Hall, Widmore Road, Bromley). Music by Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, Tauský, Mahler, Lehár and Kálman will be performed. Artists taking part will include Particia Rozario and Marilyn Hill Smith—see Latest News page for more details.

All contributions to the Newsletter are welcome. For the next issue—No. 71, April 2005—the editorial deadline is 1st March 2005.

Announcements

EVERY ISSUE of the Newsletter includes announcements on a variety of topics. This is an extremely valuable service to Members, because the announcements are by no means limited to those of the Society. The organisations using our pages in this way are truly international. Those in Newsletter No. 70 are summarised below.

Dvořák Society Annual General Meeting, 2005

The Annual General Meeting of the Dvořák Society will be held on Saturday 23rd April 2005. More details are given in the Secretary’s Report below.

Dvořák Society Member Susan Reynolds wins prize in British Czech & Slovak Association 2004 writing competition

Dvořák Society member Susan Reynolds has just won one of the prizes in the British Czech and Slovak Association 2004 writing competition. Susan, from Oxford, shared second place with her account of the life of Elizabeth Jane Weston, an English poet in 16th century Prague. Susan makes a habit of doing well in the BCSA competition. In 2002 she was its winner, with her study of how a visit George Eliot made to Prague in 1858 influenced Eliot’s disturbing story “The Lifted Veil”, published the following year. Susan is the Curator of the Czech, Slovak and Lusatian Collections at the British Library in London.
[See the BCSA web site http://www.bcsa.co.uk/specials.html#2004winners]

The BCSA has decided to repeat the competition in 2005. For more information e-mail prize@bcsa.co.uk or ring 01892 543206.

Shawn: short & sharp—News from the Secretary (Shawn Pullman)

PHILIP CARLIN HAS TAKEN OVER FROM VERA MARSDEN as Dvořák Society Librarian. Our member Dr Vavrečka and his nearby neighbour, Mrs Anna Sonnek, have donated a quantity of vinyl LPs from their respective collections. These have been forwarded to our new Librarian for cataloguing or disposal as appropriate. The Dvořák Society is extremely grateful to Vera for her past work, to Philip for taking over the role at short notice and to Dr Vavrečka and Mrs Sonnek.

Shawn also records the transfer of the web site editing role from Colin Whitby-Strevens to Ray Latham and thanks Colin for his past work.

The 2005 Annual General Meeting of the Dvořák Society has been set for Saturday 23rd April with the venue fixed for the Czech Club—or Czechoslovak National House as it is officially called—in West Hampstead, London. The popularity of this venue is such that it is important to make a booking for lunch in good time and to note that the restaurant operates a cash only policy. The telephone number for booking is 0207 372 1193 and the web site is http://www.czechandslovakclub.co.uk]

Our Chairman reports: by Graham Melville-Mason

THERE IS A REPORT FROM THE CHAIRMAN in each issue of the Newsletter. Graham writes about matters of particular importance to the Society or provides interesting information drawing on his many contacts with the world of Czech and Slovak music. His contribution to Newsletter No. 70 is summarised below.

Two important new books: (1) Petr Eben; (2) Life in Terezín

Two important additions to the literature and history of Czech music and life have recently been published, although they are mainly for those who read Czech and German respectively. The Czech volume is a new study by Eva Vítová, simply entitled “Petr Eben” and published in Prague this year by Baronet. This is a larger volume than Kateřina Vondrovicová’s earlier book (available in Czech and German editions) and contains a twenty-three page summary in English. The German volume is entitled “Das Mädchen von Zimmer 28”. Written by Hannelore Brenner-Wonschick and published this year in Munich by Droemer Verlag, it tells the story of the young girls who occupied Room 28 in Terezín; their life, experiences and friendships, as well as some different insights into artistic life in Terezín. One of the survivors is our member Anna Hanusová from Brno, who has given the author much support in the research for this volume and in its present promotion in Germany today.
[See also Lorna Dobson’s reference to this book in Newsletter 69 Ed.]

Dartington Scholar’s Reports

Ivana Mikesková and Tomáš Pálka, recipients of the Dvořák Society Scholarships to the 2004 Dartington International Summer School, have submitted written reports about the experiences they had in attending Dartington and the benefits of their participation.

Prague Philharmonia is Ten Years Old

Jiří Bělohlávek’s successful venture to provide secure experience for the best of the country’s young players, initially known as the Prague Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrated its tenth anniversary on 22nd November with a special anniversary concert in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague. Messages were received from leading musicians and people in Czech and international music life. From our Dvořák Society, the Chairman sent the following:

I have watched the conception and then the realisation of the Prague Philharmonia with great interest, ever since Jiří Bělohlávek first told me of his idea. It has been a pleasure to see the success of this venture, in spite of all the early problems and the economic factors, since such an idea and ideal was so important for the future of Prague orchestral life and standards, bringing a wonderful opportunity to the best of young Czech players to come together to be moulded into a fine orchestra by the country’s leading conductor and orchestral trainer. As the past ten years have gone by, the orchestra has gone from strength to strength; its hard work, talent and resources rewarded by a growing loyal following among discerning Prague concert-goers, as well as those further afield. It was a crowning achievement for the orchestra and its conductor to have those first ten years recognised in such a fine way with their appearance at the 2004 BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in London—an event to which only the best of international artists and ensembles are invited. The success of that occasion with audience and critics alike was a richly deserved reward and one which should give all concerned courage and optimism for their future in Czech and international concert life. My warmest good wishes to you all.

Jan Hanuš
(1915-2004)

We have learned of the very sad news of the death of our senior Vice President Jan Hanuš on 30th July, a deeply loved figure who had been central to Czech musical life for more than seventy of his ninety very active years. He was the last surviving member of the original editorial board of the complete Dvořák edition and had held many other prestigious positions in Czech music. He counted Jaroslav Seifert, Jarmil Burghauser and John Clapham among his wide circle of friends and had been honoured by Václav Havel for his services to his country. A fuller tribute to him will appear in the next issue of the Journal.

Martinů Review: compiled by Greg Terian

GREG TERIAN IS A SPECIALIST in the music of Martinů. He contributes material to each issue, sometimes (as here) incorporating writing by other contributors. This section of Newsletter No. 70 is summarised below.

The Return of Martinů’s “The Greek Passion”—Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2004

By Richard Beith
Originally a Bregenz Festival/Royal Opera House co-production, the British première of the original version of Martinů’s powerful opera took place in London in 2000. The Royal Opera House revived this production for six performances between 15 September and 1 October 2004. Richard Beith attended on Sunday, 19th September. He found Stefanos Lazaridis’s towering, multi-compartmented set used to great effect by producer David Pountney, allowing the many short scenes to proceed without a single pause. The story—of the conflict and suspicion caused in one Greek village by the arrival of homeless and destitute refugees—could not be more topical. This was very much an integrated company performance in which the solo singers, the chorus and the orchestra were welded together by the warmth and commitment of Sir Charles Mackerras. Martinů would have been pleased with this very fine performance of his opera as he first conceived it, a greater work than the more conventional second version [a view not shared by Greg—see next paragraph].

Greg Terian adds to the above that Sir Charles gave two interviews on Radio 3 in connection with the revival in which he mentioned the French influences to be found in the music and the resemblance of some passages to film music. At the risk of being thought a heretic, Greg found himself preferring the revised version. In this, Martinů added some passages of great beauty which one would not wish to be without: and its shorter duration helps maintain the momentum and impact of the work. Martinů’s second thoughts were arguably best.

London première of Martinů’s Divertimento for two recorders H365

Every composition of Martinů, however slight, offers rewards to the open-minded music-lover. Rudolf Firkušný once remarked: “Bohuš never wrote anything of which he would need to feel ashamed”. This holds true for the little five minute Divertimento for two recorders H365, which was given a scintillating performance—claimed to be the London première—by students of the Royal College of Music (8th November 2004). It formed part of a Woodwind Faculty Concert entirely devoted to Czech music, and opening with vividly idiomatic renderings of a pair of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, very effectively arranged for wind ensemble, with Janet Hilton, Principal of woodwind studies, conducting a talented group of first year students. Then, Martinů’s Clarinet Sonatina was played with great imagination and temperament by Martin Lindegren excellently partnered on the piano by Ouri Bronchti, who highlighted the dramatic element in this endlessly fascinating music. The highly enjoyable programme ended with a beautifully judged rendering of Janáček’s sextet Mládí.

Martinů “Field Mass” and Dvořák “Stabat Mater”

By Brenda Rayson and Patrick Lambert
London’s Festival Hall was packed for a superb rendering of Martinů’s Field Mass on 23rd November 2004, given by the Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Richard Hickox, with the London Symphony Chorus, their director Joseph Cullen and baritone Neal Davies (who later sang in the Dvořák Stabat Mater as a substitute for the indisposed Alastair Miles). The pre-concert talk was given by society member, writer and broadcaster Anthony Burton, whose idea it was for the programme to be dedicated to Vilém Tauský. It provided an illuminating insight into the origins of the whole programme, particularly the Field Mass with its unusual instrumentation and the connection between the late Vilém Tauský and Martinů. Vilém had known and worked with Martinů in Brno at the opera house; he was the solo pianist for the ballet Špalíček and in charge of the preparations for the première of The Three Marias. The Field Mass was written for Vilém and his military ensemble (woodwind, brass, percussion and harmonium). Sung in the original Czech (the language coach was Dvořák Society member Karel Janovický), the performance carried great conviction. The second half of the concert comprised a stirring account of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Hickox demonstrating once again his seemingly effortless command of great choral and orchestral forces.
[For a different, less glowing, opinion on the Dvořák performance, see Vera Marsden’s review below.]

Martinů Recording News

The news from Supraphon has not been encouraging recently, what with the curtailment of the cycle of Martinů symphonies from Jiří Bělohlávek and the Matoušek series of works for violin and orchestra being abandoned. One Supraphon project which is going ahead is a recording of all the works Martinů composed for the harpsichord, featuring the young Czech artist Monika Knoblochová. It will include the Concerto, Sonata and Impromptus as well as Manuel de Falla’ Concerto. For the Telarc label, Pavel Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra are due to make a “live” recording of the Martinů Second Symphony in March 2005 in a programme which will also include the Dvořák Ninth Symphony.

Martinů’s “Juliette (Julietta)” in Paris

The 2002 Paris Opera production of Juliette is due to be revived during the 2005/2006 season with all the previous Paris cuts restored, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek. Aleš Březina is editing a definitive edition of the score which is due to be published by Dilia incorporating texts in Czech, French and English.

Title page of Martinů’s score for “Juliette” with its dedication to Václav Talich

Kaprálová Society Newsletter

The Kaprálová Society produces a newsletter in pdf format which is available on http://www.kapralova.org/SOCIETY.htm. The Spring 2004 issue contains a touching reminiscence by Hanuš Weigh of his friendship with Vítězslava Kaprálová dating back to their student days. The latest edition features a comprehensive analysis by Erik Entwistle of the musical bonds which evolved between Martinů and Kaprálová in relation to the opera Julietta. Forthcoming performances of works by Kaprálová can be found on http://www.Kapralova/CALENDAR.htm.

Karla Hartl, whose stirling efforts are entirely responsible for the success of the Kaprálová Society, has had difficulty in contacting some existing members. Any changes of email address or applications from prospective new members should be directed to society[at]kapralova[dot]org.

Martinů: “The Parables”

By Jonathan Burton
Jonathan discusses the old Panton LP (Panton Stereo 8110 0022, Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under Zdeněk Košler) of Martinů’s The Parables, this most numinous of the composer’s late orchestral works. He recommends reading the Šafránek or Brian Large biographies for full details of the genesis of the work and Martinů’s choice of the three cryptic but wonderful texts, plus the influence of the famous Basle Drummers on the third movement (which never fails to send shivers up his spine). The Bärenreiter miniature score, meticulously presented though it is, provides no help at all—not even the titles of the three movements.

The Lorna Corner

LORNA DOBSON makes a characteristically wide-ranging contribution to the Newsletter.

Josef Suk Anniversary

On 29th May 1935 it will be seventy years since the death of the composer Joseph Suk. [See also Bělohlávek in Brno below.]

Libor Pešek’s plans for 2005 include Hummel’s Piano Concerto in A minor.

Following a most welcome return to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in early December 2004, where he conducted two concerts (including Dvořák: Golden Spinning Wheel), Libor Pešek gave two concerts with the Orquester Sinfonica de Galicia and audiences were treated to a full Czech programme (Martinů: Oboe Concerto and Frescoes of Pierro della Francesca, and Dvořák: Seventh Symphony). In mid-February he returns to Warsaw to give concerts with the Warsaw Philharmonic, which will include include Janáček’s Taras Bulba and Dvořák’s Golden Spinning Wheel. Then in early March he returns to Liverpool, where his concert on Saturday 5th March will include Hummel’s Piano Concerto in A minor, with Stephen Hough as soloist.

Bělohlávek to conduct Suk’s “Asrael” Symphony in Brno

As the Prague Spring Festival opens in Prague on 12th May, Jiří Bělohlávek will be in Brno, and on that evening he will conduct the Brno State Philharmonic in a programme opening with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Václav Mácha) and concluding with Josef Suk’s “Asrael” Symphony
[See web site: http://www.sfb.cz/gb/index.html].

New Home for the Czech Museum of Music in Prague

The new and permanent home for the Czech Museum of Music is the former Church of St. Magdalene in Prague’s Malá Strana. The address is: Karmelitská 2, Praha 1. The nearest tram stop is Hellichova. The museum is open daily, except Tuesday, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and in addition there is a study room open on Mondays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The new home, which opened in late November, is already attracting a strong following: and in the future there will be a concert hall to serve the public. Well worth a visit!
[See: http://www.nm.cz/english/]

Reports of Events

EACH ISSUE INCLUDES REPORTS OF EVENTS of interest to lovers of Czech and Slovak music. A variety of authors, members and others, contribute. A summary of this section in Newsletter No. 70 follows.

Dvořák Conference, Prague 9th to 11th September 2004

Report by Jan Smaczny
DURING THIS DVOŘÁK ANNIVERSARY YEAR, his music has been celebrated around the world. In his native land, Prague has recognised its greatest musical resident in many ways. The Prague Spring Festival presented the complete cycle of symphonies and Svatá Ludmila among many other works while, after many decades out in the cold, Vanda and Dimitrij appeared on the stages of the National and State Theatres.

There have been a number of musicological considerations of Dvořák in conference form this year—at New York University and Newark in the United States; during the Annual Conference of the Society of Musicology in Ireland at Queen’s University, Belfast in the United Kingdom; and in Paris. However, the crown of musicological considerations of Dvořák took place, appropriately enough, in Prague. Here Jarmila Gabrielová, ably assisted by a cohort of assistants from the musicology faculty of Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences, led an extensive series of sessions on the composer.

In comparison with the run of conferences which led to the sesquicentenary celebrations in 1991, there were palpable differences in the character of the events. Perhaps the most encouraging feature in Prague in 2004 was the presence of many younger scholars, some still completing their PhDs. In general this participation came from a brave new generation of musicologists based in Prague but there was also a gratifying cohort of younger scholars from Great Britain and Germany. Apart from this, the main difference was that the preponderance of analytical and often freely speculative papers was replaced by reports on new discoveries and well grounded reconsiderations of Dvořák’s musical environment.

Given the extent of the conference—it included no less than 43 papers—it is impossible to mention all contributors. These included: Miroslav Černý (Dvořák and sonata form); Jarmila Gabrielová (the relationship between Dvořák’s early and Beethoven’s late quartets); Hartmut Schick (the concept of ecclesiastical atmosphere in the Requiem); Ludmila Šmídová (the early version of Dvořák’s Piano Concerto); Ryszard Daniel Golianek (musical representation in the symphonic poems); Jarmila Tauerová and Jan Dehner (Dvořák’s Piano Concerto); Klaus Döge (the composer’s performing decisions concerning Symphony No.8); Markéta Hallová (the original vocal score of the Stabat Mater); Stephen Muir (Tvrdé palice); Petra Kvasničková (Notturno); Markéta Šťedroňská (two sets of piano music); Mark Niubo (the reception of Holoubek); Jan Stockigt (the rôle of The Musical Times in promoting Dvořák’s music among English-speaking audiences in the 19th century); David Beveridge (Dvořák’s non-musical education); Alan Houtchens (the connections between Dvořák’s Romance for violin and orchestra and Vaughan Williams’s Lark Ascending); and Barbara Hampton Renton (the aftermath of Dvořák’s sojourn in the New World).

Surrounding the musicological business were performances of Dvořák’s music. Proceedings began with the unveiling of a plaque on the outside wall of the church of sv. Vojtěch (Saint Adalbert) commemorating Dvořák’s time there as organist. This was followed by a performance of the Biblické písně (Biblical Songs), some of them in Jarmil Burghauser’s choral arrangements, as well as parts of the Mass in D. Other events included a slightly nervy performance of Rusalka at the National Theatre audience. At the Dvořák Museum Susan Reynolds’s reading of her own atmospheric translations of parts of Erben’s Kytice, was followed by an energetic performance of the Piano Quintet No.2. Next morning the inaugural meeting of the Editorial Board of the new Dvořák Complete Edition was held in the Academy of Sciences [see below]. One of the more significant decisions was that weight would be thrown behind opera, as well as instrumental music. So, at last, the world may have published scores of the likes of Vanda and Alfred: a fervent hope is that performances follow, the final proof that this hundredth anniversary of Dvořák’s death is genuinely a new start for his reputation.

Editorial Board of the New Dvořák Complete Edition

Report by Graham Melville-Mason
ON THE DAY FOLLOWING THE DVOŘÁK CONFERENCE, 12th September 2004, there was an inaugural meeting of members of the Editorial Board of the New Dvořák Complete Edition, at which the opening address was given by Jarmila Gabrielová who called for a moment of silence in remembrance of Jan Hanuš, the last member of the Editorial Board of the first Dvořák Edition. Compared with the six (later nine) Czech members who made up that original board, that for the new edition will be an international body consisting currently of ten advisers, twelve editors, six institutional representatives and four representatives of the publishers, Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel and Editio Bärenreiter Praha.

The advisers are:

Gerd Albrecht (Austria)
Nicolas Harnoncourt (Austria)
Radomil Eliška (Czech Republic)
Markéta Hallová (Czech Republic)
Radoslav Kvapil (Czech Republic)
Václav Riedlbauch (Czech Republic)
Josef Suk (Czech Republic)
Ivan Vojtěch (Czech Republic)
Sir Charles Mackerras (Great Britain)
Graham Melville-Mason (Great Britain).

The editors are:

Jarmila Gabrielová (Czech Republic)
Marta Ottlová (Czech Republic)
Milan Pospíšil (Czech Republic)
Jarmila Tauerová (Czech Republic)
Dietrich Berke (Germany)
Klaus Döge (Germany)
Daniela Philippi (Germany)
Hartmut Schick (Germany)
Jan Smaczny (Great Britain)
Miklós Dolinsky (Hungary)
Michael Beckerman (United States of America)
Alan Houtchens (United States of America).

It is interesting to note how many members of both the advisory and editorial groups are members of our Dvořák Society.
[Members may obtain a copy of Jarmila Gabrielová’s inaugural address and a list of allocated publication details from Graham Melville-Mason].

Vilém Tauský in Manchester: Fantasia da burlesca

FOLLOWING PETER OKELL’S article in Newsletter 68 of July 2004 on Vilém Tauský in Manchester, Mr Okell has sent us a fascinating extract from the BBC publication Radio Times of 16 November 1951. The article is headed “Arpeggios in an Air Raid” and a facsimile of it is reproduced in the Member’s full letter. It is concerned with the background to the creation of Tauský’s composition “Fantasia da burlesca”

Live Performance Reviews

EACH ISSUE OF THE NEWSLETTER INCLUDES REPORTS OF LIVE PERFORMANCES. The reviews in Newsletter No. 70 are summarised below.

Czech Republic

Dvořák “Svatá Ludmila”, Dvořák Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague

17th October 2004: Report by Míla Smetáčková
This poorly attended event was one of the two special 2004 jubilee year concerts organised by the International Dvořák Society. Those who stayed away missed a very good performance of the infrequently performed oratorio, Svatá Ludmila. The Plzeň Philharmonic Orchestra, four excellent singers—Ludmila Vernerová, Věra Páchová, Vladimír Doležal and Aleš Hendrych—and last but not least an outstanding Dutch mixed choir, Kempendoor under the very sensitive baton of the Dutch conductor Cees Wouters, were worth being heard.

Germany

Janáček “The Makropulos Case (Věc Makropulos / Die Sache Makropulos)”, Deutsche Oper Berlin

2nd July 2004: Report by Ray Latham
The cast included Anja Silja as Emilia Marty, Pär Linskog as Albert Gregor, Neil Jenkins as Vítek, Jessica Miller as Krista and Steven Page as Baron Jaroslav Prus. The conductor was the impressive Marc Albrecht. This was a highly successful transfer to the theatre on Bismarckstrasse of Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s admired Glyndebourne production. As with all the best Janáček performances, one left the theatre overwhelmed by the composer’s achievement. An encouraging sign was that the enthusiastic audience included a wider spread of age groups than is often the case in Britain.

Ireland

Foerster: “Eva”, Wexford

Report by Richard Beith
The full version of this report in the Members’ Newsletter contains much interesting background information about the Wexford Opera Festival, past Wexford performances of Czech works and Eva itself, which cannot be included in this summary.

Conducted by Jaroslav Kyzlink, this decidedly symphonic opera with folk-style interludes is set in a remote Slovak village. It was given in a generally traditional production. With the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra, Wexford Festival Chorus (Chorus Master Lubomir Mátl) and soloists obviously committed to the work, Eva was reckoned to be the hit of the Festival by most attendees. In the title role, the Czech soprano Iveta Jiříková acted well, but tended to sing a little too loudly for the modestly sized auditorium. The Slovak mezzo Denisa Hamarová was suitably dominating as Mánek’s mother, whilst the American mezzo Elizabeth Batton gave a warmly sympathetic performance as Eva’s companion Zuzka. The Ukrainian tenor Kostyantyn Andreyev sang well as Mánek: and the Russian baritone Igor Tarasov, who sang Samko, displayed a fine stage presence and an excellent voice.

United Kingdom

Dvořák: Orchestral Works, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Noseda, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

1st October 2004: Report by Peter Herbert
A most excellently entertaining and informative pre-concert talk by Jan Smaczny heralded an all-Dvořák concert of mixed quality at the Bridgewater Hall, by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda. After a very good performance of The Water Goblin which painted a wonderfully impressionistic picture, James Ehnes was the soloist in the Violin Concerto. He brought considerable care and preparation to the work and was well supported by the orchestra. The evening ended with what was really rather a dull performance of the Symphony no.7 in d minor.

Mozart, Schubert and Dvořák String Quartets: performed by the Janáček Quartet, Manchester

25th October 2004: Report by Peter Herbert
A few years ago, one could say that this long-standing group (founded in 1947) had fallen a long way short of the standard of the four original members. On the strength of this concert, one can justly say that a huge amount of ground has been made up and that, both musically and technically, the modern Janáček Quartet can stand a very good comparison with its forebears. Mozart’s K.168 Quartet in F was played with the uttermost aplomb and to great acclamation. However, the performance of the Schubert Quartet in G, D.887 was rather dry and lacking in proper sparkle and lightness amidst its darker moments. After the interval, though, there was a real transformation. The Dvořák Quartet in G Op.106 was treated to playing that truly brought forth the power and even majesty of the composer’s greatest string quartet and, at the same time, fully extracting its great beauty and melody. The encore was one of the Dvořák Cypresses.

Hummel, Schubert and Dvořák String Quartets: performed by the Delmé Quartet, Harris Music Club, Preston

10th November 2004: Report by Peter Herbert
The Delmé Quartet were in tip-top form. A rare opportunity to hear Hummel’s Quartet in C Op.41/1 showed just how unjust has been the neglect of this composer’s work. Schubert’s Quartettsatz was played with the utmost musicality. The concert finished (apart from a delightful anonymous Russian encore) with a selection of Dvořák’s Cypresses. Clearly not known to most of the audience even today, these were a sure-fire hit.

Dvořák “Te Deum”: Lytham St Annes Choral Society, St. Annes Church Road Methodist Church, Lytham St Annes

13th November 2004: Report by Peter Herbert
A very cold night brought forth some very warm feelings from performers and audience alike. If the amateur choir was, well, amateur and rather lacking in male singers, this did not matter on a memorable evening. Ian Hare was the organist and it is a pity that the splendidly housed organ does not have more power: it is a very pretty instrument but has no 32 foot pipes and so rather fails to support fully the pieces we heard. The works performed were: Dvořák Te Deum, Bach Toccata and Fugue in d minor and Beethoven Mass in C. Daniel Howard was the very effective baritone and Claire Groom the not so effective soprano in the Dvořák.

Dvořák “The Golden Spinning Wheel”: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Pešek, Preston Guildhall

7th December 2004: Report by Peter Herbert
It was an especial pleasure to hear the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic performing in Preston under Libor Pešek. The real joy was in hearing Dvořák’s The Golden Spinning Wheel complete for once.

Dvořák, Janáček, Bodorová String Quartets: Škampa Quartet, Wigmore Hall, London and Cliffe College, Lewes

18th & 22nd October 2004: Report by Jack Wilkinson
At the Wigmore Hall, at a BBC lunchtime concert, the Škampa Quartet played Dvořák’s American Quartet and Janáček’s Second String Quartet. Although the American is very familiar and often programmed, this was not a routine performance. Four days later in Lewes, the Škampas gave another performance of the American that was not quite as good as the London performance, particularly in the opening movement. This may have been due to the unfamiliar and inferior acoustic of the Cliffe College venue, as things improved. The second work in the first half was Janáček’s First String Quartet. The second half of the concert comprised Bodorová’s Dignitas Homini No.1 and Smetana’s Quartet No.1.

Hummel Trumpet Concerto: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Briger, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool

November 17th and 18th 2004: Report by Bill Marsden
While a popular work on disc, the Hummel Trumpet Concerto is less often heard in live performances. It was included in these concerts in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall where the young Alison Balsom’s dazzling performance brought out not only her technical prowess—consistently lovely tone in both bravura and lyrical passages—but also reaffirmed the imaginative quality of the concerto.

Dvořák “Stabat Mater” and Martinů “Field Mass”: Philharmonia Orchestra, Hickox, Royal Festival Hall, London

22nd November 2004: Report by Vera Marsden
Concentration was tested by Richard Hickox’s tempi which played to one of the few weaknesses of the Stabat Mater—its uniformity of pace. Variety must be injected, for example by introducing an element of dance with a faster Tui nati vulnerati as Pešek has done elsewhere. The LSO chorus, while not at their sharpest, were sensitive to the demands of the work but it was left to the quartet of soloists to provide the most satisfying experience—soprano Sally Matthews, mezzo Dagmar Pecková, tenor Paul Charles Clarke and bass Alastair Miles.
[For a different opinion on this performance, see the report in Martinů Review above.]

Membership News: from Tony Pook

THE MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY REPORTS that eight new members have enrolled during the last quarter (one in the Czech Republic, two in Australia and five in the U.K.).

From the Editor’s Postbag (and e-mail)

LORNA DOBSON AND SHAWN PULLMAN exchange views about the process of electing a new Honorary Secretary when Shawn steps down from this position in April 2005

Voon Shih Hui writes about the neglect of Josef Bohuslav Foerster’s Cyrano de Bergerac symphonic suite op. 55.

David Cohen wonders if anyone has recorded the programme Voices broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on 16th November, featuring Magdalena Kožená.
[Note: the works she performed are listed on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/voices/pip/81aoq/.]

Record Service Report: by Bill Marsden

MEMBERS OF THE DVOŘÁK SOCIETY FIND the Record Service—run by Bill Marsden—a very economic and convenient way of buying recordings, including those hard to find items on small labels.

A certain amount of stock is maintained by Bill, whilst other recordings are ordered. Each quarter, his report has news items about recordings and the record industry, and includes the current stock list.

Short Reviews of Recordings: by Members

TWENTY-SEVEN RELEASES ARE REVIEWED by society members in this issue.

From Bob Batey—

• Fibich: Piano Quartet Op. 11, Piano Quintet Op. 42
Marián Lapšanský, Ludmila Peterková, Vladimíra Klánská, members of the Panocha Quartet; Supraphon SU 3847-2131.
• Píšeň lásky/Love Song – Miniatures by Dvořák and Suk:
Josef Suk (violin) with Josef Hála (piano); LOTOS LT 0012-2131

From Peter Herbert—

• Gemrot: Quintet; Martinů: Duo no. 1; Quartet for Oboe, Piano, Violin and Cello; Bodorová: Mysterium Druidum
Pražák Quartet, Kateřina Englichová et al; Arizona Friends of Chamber Music 2003 (no number)
• Dvořák: New World and Mendelssohn: Scottish symphonies for piano duet
Goldstone and Clemmow, piano; The Divine Art 25028
• Dvořák: Cypresses for tenor and piano and for string quartet Timothy Robinson (tenor); Graham Johnson (piano); The Delmé String Quartet; Somm SOMMCD 236
• Martin Smolka: Nagano or Hockey in Opera or the Island of Hockey-do
Various artists with the National Theatre orchestra and choir conducted by Jan Chalupecký; National Theatre 2004 (no number)
• Hummel: Mass in E flat, Te Deum in D, Quod in Orbe
Collegium Musicum 90 conducted by Richard Hickox, various soloists; Chandos Chaconne CHAN 0712
• Moscheles: Piano Concertos 1 and 6; Variations on Alexander’s March; Variations on Au Clair de la Lune
Ian Hobson (piano and conductor); Sinfonia da Camera; Zephyr Z127-04
• Antonín Dvořák: a portrait—Dramatic Overture, Carnival, A Hero’s Song, Czech Suite, Piano Quintet in A no. 2, Piano Trio in B flat, Dumky Trio, Cello Concerto no. 2, Slavonic Rhapsodies, Slavonic Dances Op. 46.
Various artists, including Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ondřej Kukal, Vladimír Válek, Martin Kasík, Stamic Quartet, Kubelík Trio, Guarneri Trio, Michal Kaňka; Master Music 220761-350
• Martinů: Symphony no. 6, Frescoes of Piero della Francesca, Suite from Julietta
Symphony Orchestra of St. Gallen. Jiří Kout (conductor); Arte Nova 82876 57740 2
• Vaňhal: Concertos for Clarinet, Oboe and Bassoon
Luc Loubry (bassoon), François Baptiste (bassoon), Michel Lethiec (clarinet), Piet van Bockstal (oboe), Prussian Chamber Orchestra, Hans Rotman (conductor) Talent DOM 2910 75
• Voříšek: Violin Sonata; Rondo for Violin and Piano; Variations for Cello and Piano; Rondo for String Quartet
Kocian Quartet, Ivan Klánský (piano); Praga Digitals PRD/DSD 250 204
• Jan Ladislav Dusík (Dussek): Various works for harp and piano, harp solo and piano solo
Masumi Nagasawa (harp), Richard Egarr (piano); Et Cetera JTC 1270
• Martinů: Julietta
Opera North April 3rd 2003; Martin André (conductor); Momento (no number)
• Janáček: The Adventures of Mr. Brouček
ENO January 12th 1993; Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor); Momento (no number)
• Dvořák: “The Masterworks”
Janáček PO, Theodor Kuchař, Zagreb PO, Alexander Rahbary, Kai Adomet, Thorson and Thorson, RPO, John Farrer, Stamic Quartet, Robert Cohen, Roger Vignoles, Alberni Quartet, Borodin Quartet, Sviatoslav Richter, Ames Piano Quartet, The Solomon Trio, Slovak PO, Zdeněk Košler, Richard Novák, Magdaléna Hajóssyová, Věra Soukupová, Peter Dvorský, Peter Mikuláš, Ricci, Nelsová, St. Louis SO, Susskind, Firkušný, Paavo Järvi, etc.
Brilliant Classics 92396. 40 CDs

From Bill Marsden—

• Dvořák: Cypresses Vocal and String Quartet Versions
Timothy Robinson, Graham Johnson, Delmé String Quartet; SOMM CD236
• Dvořák, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos
Pavel Šporcl, CPO, Ashkenazy (Dvořák), Bělohlávek (Tchaikovsky); Supraphon SU 3709-2
• Hummel: Mass in E flat, Op. 80; Te Deum; Gradual – Quod in Orbe, Op. 88
Soloists, Collegium Musicum 90, Hickox; Chandos CHAN 0712
• Hummel: Variations and Fantasies
Soloists, Thuringia Chamber Orchestra Weimar, Hoff; Deutsche Schallplatten DS 1093

From Warwick Wainwright—

Sitsky: “The Golem”
Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Sydney Opera; ABC Classics 4723112 (3CDs)
• Vycpálek: Czech Requiem; Mácha: Variations on a Theme and on the Death of Jan Rychlík
Soloists, Prague Philharmonic Choir, CPO, Ančerl; Supraphon SU 3681-2 (Ančerl Gold Edition, Vol. 21)
• Vycpálek: Cantata of the Last Things of Man; Ostrčil: Suite for Large Orchestra
Soloists, Prague Philharmonic Choir, CPO, Ančerl; Supraphon SU 3695-2 (Ančerl Gold Edition, Vol. 35)
• Husa: Music for Prague 1968; Apotheosis of this Earth
Louisville Chorus and Orchestra, Mester, Husa; First Edition, FECD 0009

From Gordon Watts—

• Janáček: Moravian Folk poetry in Songs
Iva Bittová, Škampa Quartet, Supraphon SU 3794-2
• Dvořák: Violin Concerto, Piano Trio in F minor, Op. 65
Isabelle Faust, Prague Philharmonia, Jiří Bělohlávek; Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov; Harmonia mundi HMC 901833
• Dvořák: Slavonic Dances Op. 46 and 72
Czech Army Central band, Vladimír Válek; Clarton CQ 0058-2 431

Record News from Prague: by Graham Melville-Mason

GRAHAM MELVILLE-MASON’S REGULAR REPORT of record news includes both new recordings and reissues.

The report is a valuable source of information to members about releases which might otherwise be overlooked, particularly those on small labels. In Newsletter 70 there is information about 6 releases on Supraphon and one on the Lyrinx [French] label.

CDs of Czech and Slovak Music on Non-Czech/Slovak Labels

FOR MEMBERS, this regular item is a valuable supplement to Record News from Prague. There is no room in a summary to list all 62 of the releases—on labels ranging from Accord (Biber: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin performed by Yuval Yaron) to Zephyr (Hummel and others: “Great Composers Love Folk Songs Too” performed by Ars Musicae Barcelona etc))—noted in this edition of the full member’s Newsletter 70.

Library Report: by Vera Marsden

VERA MARSDEN presents her last library report before handing over the job to Philip Carlin. As usual, this section of the Newsletter keeps Members up to date on additions to the Dvořák Society’s large library of recordings, scores, videos, books and other publications.

Diary

FROM NEWSLETTER 69 ONWARDS the full current diary has been published on the Dvořák Society web site, as a service to other promoters of Czech and Slovak musical life—click here for link.   www.dvorak-society.org