| Composer | Bedrich Smetana |
|---|---|
| Artist | Sir Thomas Beecham/Royal Opera House Chorus/London Philharmonic Orchestra/Richard Tauber |
| Instruments | opera |
| Label | SOMM (SOMM-BEECHAM 14) |
Smetana - The Bartered Bride (sung in German) with the Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.
This live recording was made on 1st May 1939 under difficult conditions, before the age of tape. No allowance could be made for cast movement on stage and there are some small passages missing. Nevertheless it is an important record of the occasion.
The cast for this historic performance included Hilde Konetzni, Richard Tauber, Fritz Krenn, Heinrich Tessmer and Mary Jarred. The circumstances surrounding the performance were highlighted by the pending war with Germany and the fact that Hitler had already marched into Czechoslovakia. Beecham had been prevented from conducting a performance by the Dresden Opera and it is telling in his response that the cast for the Smetana included Nazi, Jew, Teuton, Briton and Slav!
As the Daily Telegraph music critic Richard Capell wrote The principle of the performance seemed to be the moral, whether true or false, that art has no frontiers
This CD is released in collaboration with the Sir Thomas Beecham Trust in support of the Scholarship Fund.
| Smetana The Bartered Bride - Act I | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Overture |
| 2. | Seht am Strauch die Knospen springen! (Chorus) - See how the buds are opening on the shrubs |
| 3. | Sprich mein liebes Herz (Hans, Marie, Chorus) - Tell me, my dear heart |
| 4. | Zum Tanze rufen sie mich (Marie, Hans) - They ask me to dance |
| 5. | Gem ja will ich Dir vertrauen (Marie) - Oh yes, I would like to trust you |
| 6. | Sage, was Dich von Haus fort (Marie, Hans) - Tell me what takes you away from home |
| 7. | Mit der Mutter sank zu Grabe (Hans, Marie) - Mother took it to her grave |
| 8. | Alles ist so gut wie richtig (Kezal, Kathinka, Kruschina) - Everything is nearly right |
| 9. | Freilich! Den Tobias Micha kannt' ich (Kruschina, Kezal, Kathinka) - Of course, I knew Tobias Micha |
| 10. | Gekommen wär' er mit mir wie gerne (Kezal, Kathinka, Kruschina) - He would have liked to come with me |
| 11. | Seht, da Kommt sonder Ahnungn (Keal, Kathinka, Kruschina, Marie) - Look, here comes without foreboding |
| 12. | Mit Hans bin ich vereint! (Marie, Kruschina, Kathinka, Kezal) - I am one with Hans |
| 13. | Durch die Reihe hin zu fliegen! (Chorus) - Through the rows flying |
| Smetana The Bartered Bride - Act III | |
| 14. | He, Hans! Gesegnet, wer liebt und auch vertraut (Kezal, Marie, Hans) - Oh, Hans Blessed is the one who loves and also trusts |
| 15. | Kommen wir gerne (Ensemble) - Come, let's go |
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