FULL Svatá Ludmila or Saint Ludmila (Dvorak) Bratislava 2015

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: Svatá Ludmila or Saint Ludmila  
• Composer: Dvořák Antonín   
• Libretto: Jaroslav Vrchlický.  
• Venue & Opera Company: Concert Hall of the Slovak Philharmonic  
• Recorded: April 29, 2015
• Type: Concert Live
• Singers: Adriana Kohútková. Karla Bytnarová, Ondrej Šaling, Tomáš Černý, Peter Mikuláš
• Conductor: Leoš Svárovský  
• Orchestra: Slovak Philharmonic  
• Chorus: Slovak Philharmonic Choir  
• Chorus Master: Petr Fiala  
• Stage Director:   
• Costume Designer:   

Information about the Recording

• Published by: filharmonia.sk  
• Date Published: 2015  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: nosubs  
• Video Recording from: filharmonia.sk     FULL VIDEO
•  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

Program
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Saint Ludmila
Part I – In the courtyard of Mělnické Castle
1. Introduzione, Coro („Tmy vrátily se v skrýše skal a lesů“ )
2. Recitativo – tenore („Vesno smavá, Vesno snivá“)
3. Coro („Květy, jimiž Vesna vábí“)
4. Coro („Svaté jitro jest a svatá noc je tmavá“)
8. Aria – soprano („Od dětství ku oltáři mne vodil svatý cit“)
9. Coro („Vždy bozi s námi jsou, kam bludný krok se šine“)
10. Solo – tenore („Sem rychle Vesny květ, ať sochu ověnčíme“)
12. Aria – basso; Coro („Do prachu s vámi! Jeden jest Bůh!“)
13. Coro („Kdo onen muž, jejž nestih’ s nebe blesk?“)
14. Aria – soprano („Ó dovol, abych zlíbat směla tvých nohou prach“)
17. Coro („Vše láme se a bortí v chaos tmavý“)
II. část – V lesích berounských
18. Introduzione, Recitativo ed aria – alto („Ó v jaké šeré lesní stíny“)
19. Duetto – soprano ed alto („Teď ptám se tě: co najít chceš?“)
20. Aria – basso („Já neklamal se, buď vítána dcero!“)
26. Solo – tenore; Coro („Ó jaký obraz oku mému se v stínu lesním otvírá!“)
29. Recitativo – tenore; basso („Ach ona, po níž srdce moje prahne“)
30. Aria – tenore („Ó cestu ukaž mi, jak ji mám dobýt“)
32. Recitativo – soprano („Ó kterak mohu zvednout k tobě zraků“)
33. Coro („Ó běda, nechce slyšet jeho lkání!“)
34. Recitativo – tenore, basso („Jak z krásného snu náhle procitlý“)
35. Quartetto, Coro („Ó hledala jsem září toho jitra“)
III. část – V chrámu velehradském
36. Introduzione, Coro („Hospodine, pomiluj ny!“)
38. Duetto – soprano e tenore („Ó nech juž skanout nad našimi čely“)
41. Solo – basso, Coro („Duchu svatý, sestup v nachu“)
44. Coro e duetto – alto e basso („Ó zněte písně, zněte k nebes báni“)
45. Quartetto e coro („Hospodine, pomiluj ny!“)

Antonín Dvořák composed his oratorio Saint Ludmila (Czech: Svatá Ludmila (cs (help·info)) for soloists, choir and orchestra, between September 1885 and May 1886. The oratorio (Op. 71, B. 144) was written to a text by the leading Czech poet and writer Jaroslav Vrchlický. Saint Ludmila is Dvořák’s third oratorio, and is considered one of his foremost works.

The work was commissioned by the publisher Littleton during Dvořák’s first visit to England. It was intended for the Leeds Festival, and Dvořák, well acquainted with the English festival tradition, was attracted by the idea. He was also impressed by the high standard of English orchestras and choirs, and particularly by their performances of oratorios. On the other hand, he was also inspired by his own religiousness; he composed many works to Christian religious texts, as well as Hussite Overture, a “protestant” instrumental work.

Chronologically Saint Ludmila follows Symphony No. 7 in D Minor (finished in March, 1885), and both works are influenced by the actual historical events of that time. The year 1884 was restless for the Czechs; they organized demonstrations and patriotic manifestations of solidarity in the fight for freedom, the Austrian police had forbidden the singing of Czech songs, and the social situation was very tense. Dvořák turned to typical Czech and Slavonic themes during this time in order to support the national movement, although he was approached by his German publisher Simrock to depart from patriotic themes and instead create works based on world famous literary works. Dvořák, however, refused in one of his letters to Simrock saying, “… an artist also has a country for which he must have firm faith and a fervent heart.” The work is thus of a national rather than religious character, which is apparent mainly in the choral scenes.

The first performance was not well received; the work was criticised for its length, its Czech theme and also for its alleged musical dependence on George Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner, Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Dvořák later rewrote and reduced several parts of the composition. Saint Ludmila was premiered in Prague in 1901, and the first performance with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra took place on 3 April 1904. However, Dvořák was seriously ill and didn’t attend this performance.

Saint Ludmila has a long performance tradition on Czech concert stages. It was given at the third Prague Spring International Music Festival in 1948, conducted by Rafael Kubelík. It was Kubelík’s last public performance in his native country for many years. In November 1954 the Czech Philharmonic with Karel Šejna performed the work at two concerts in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague. In 1987 another concert took place, this time with the conductor Václav Neumann. The first performance in the 21st century was given in 2004, one hundred years after Dvořák’s death, with the Czech Philharmonic and conductor Jiří Bělohlávek.
from Wikipedia