A heads-up for Martinů fans. RadioServis have issued his full-length, 1936 Czech opera-ballet Divadlo za bránou in a superb radio performance conducted by František Jílek for Czech Radio in 1957. The 2-CD set, with good notes and a full synopsis, is on RadioServis CR1016-2.
Divadlo za bránou is impossibly rare. (Its title is translated officially into English as 'Theatre Behind the Gate', though it is better understood as 'outside the gate', the title being a proverbial Czech phrase to describe popular, suburban theatre - as opposed to the 'arty' stuff in sophisticated city centres). This is its first-ever CD issue.
It is a wonderful mix of commedia del'arte and Moravian folk comedy, mixing mime (Act 1) and opera buffa (Acts 2 and 3) around a plot involving Columbine, Pierrot and Harlequin in a rustic village. The score (written just before Juliette) is mature, late neo-classical Martinů, a personal mixture of through-written, symphonic ballet (Act 1) followed by solos and ensembles interspersed with a little spoken dialogue (Acts 2 and 3). To my mind it is one of his very best operas - quite a find, for sure.
For anyone interested, here's a link to cdmusic.cz's page, as one outlet where this important set can be sourced:
Divadlo za bránou is impossibly rare. (Its title is translated officially into English as 'Theatre Behind the Gate', though it is better understood as 'outside the gate', the title being a proverbial Czech phrase to describe popular, suburban theatre - as opposed to the 'arty' stuff in sophisticated city centres). This is its first-ever CD issue.
It is a wonderful mix of commedia del'arte and Moravian folk comedy, mixing mime (Act 1) and opera buffa (Acts 2 and 3) around a plot involving Columbine, Pierrot and Harlequin in a rustic village. The score (written just before Juliette) is mature, late neo-classical Martinů, a personal mixture of through-written, symphonic ballet (Act 1) followed by solos and ensembles interspersed with a little spoken dialogue (Acts 2 and 3). To my mind it is one of his very best operas - quite a find, for sure.
For anyone interested, here's a link to cdmusic.cz's page, as one outlet where this important set can be sourced:
