A belated thank you for your support, Antonio.

Friday, April 19, 2019

Bohuslav Martinů - The Epic of Gilgamesh (Jiří Bělohlávek)


Information

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů
  1. The Epic of Gilgamesh, oratorio, H. 351: Gilgamesh (Tablets 1, 2)
  2. The Epic of Gilgamesh, oratorio, H. 351: The Death of Enkidu (Tablets 7, 8, 10)
  3. The Epic of Gilgamesh, oratorio, H. 351: Invocation (Tablet 12)

Marcela Machotková, soprano
Jiří Zahradníček, tenor
Václav Zítek, baritone
Karel Průša, bass
Otakar Brousek,speaker

Prague Philharmonic Choir, chorus master: Josef Veselka
Prague Symphony Orchestra
Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

Date: 1976/2007
Label: Supraphon
http://www.supraphon.com/album/1503-martinu-the-epic-of-gilgamesh

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

Martinu’s major vocal compositions, operas and oratorios, had a way of confounding expectations. The Epic of Gilgamesh , completed in 1955, was in many ways the exact opposite of a work composed around the same time, Mirandolina . While the latter was a typical Goldoni comedy of situation, the former was a work that considered timeless verities of the human condition: the nature of friendship and death. Recitative sufficed for Mirandolina , but Gilgamesh , with its mix of modally based orchestral themes, long-spanned rhythmic ostinatos, and phrases chanted by a bass soloist on a single note, sounds at times like a Martinu transmutation of Eastern Orthodox sacred services. It is a powerful work, deftly drawing upon three sections from the neo-Assyrian redaction of this sprawling and fragmentary religious cycle. From the expansive vision of creation, youth, and energy in the first section, “Gilgamesh,” it turns with restraint to the pathos of “The Death of Enkidu,” then to the alternately forceful and chill ritualistic summons and questioning of Enkidu’s spirit in “Invocation.” 

I know of two currently available versions of The Epic of Gilgamesh . Both have been in circulation before. The one that features Zdenek Kosler leading the forces of the Slovak Philharmonic, now on Naxos 8.555138, originally appeared on Marco Polo back in the early 1990s. The one under review is a reissue from 1976. Of the two, Kosler is faster and, I find, a bit less atmospheric than Belohlávek. There is sometimes a sense of impatience in Kosler’s reading, especially in the “Invocation” movement, as though he found some of the pages less successful than others. I would agree with this, but only if those pages are rushed. Taken in context as Belohlávek does, the entire oratorio has an overwhelming effect. He is helped by the Prague SO, which is a fresher sounding, better-blended orchestra than the Slovak Philharmonic. 

Among the singers, Jirí Zahradnícek’s dry, hard-sounding timbre makes him a less attractive Enkidu than Stefan Margita (Kosler). I have a slight preference for Marcela Machotková over Eva Depoltová (Kosler), given the narrow vibrato and refined dynamics of the former. Depoltová sings well, but with less attention to the words. Milan Karpisek (Kosler) offers a more riveting speaker than Otakar Brousek. Elsewhere, the performers are roughly even. Naxos balances its recording well, chorus supporting the orchestra, soloists a bit in front of both. Supraphon’s analog sound is also quite good, with the orchestra richer, and the speaker unfortunately superimposed upon the proceedings in a fashion that recalls voice-overs. Supraphon’s resonance seems to me more appropriate for this piece than that of Naxos, which dulls the musical edge slightly through too large a hall sound. 

In short, the choice is yours. Both versions are good, though I’d give the nod to the more thoughtful Belohlávek. 

-- Barry Brenesal, FANFARE

More reviews:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Martinu-Epic-Gilgamesh-Prague-SO/dp/B000PFU8KW
https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Gilgamesh-DVO-ÁK-ANTONIN/dp/B000PFU8KW

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bohuslav Martinů (December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. Martinů began as a violinist of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In the early 1930s he found his main font for compositional style, the neo-classical as developed by Stravinsky. With this, he expanded to become a prolific composer, who wrote almost 400 pieces, included 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He is compared with Prokofiev and Bartók in his innovative incorporation of Central European ethnomusicology into his music.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Martin%C5%AF

***

Jiří Bělohlávek (24 February 1946 – 31 May 2017) is a Czech conductor. He was a graduate of the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and later studied conducting, for two years, with Sergiu Celibidache. He was chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic (1990–92, 2012–17), the BBC Symphony Orchestra (2006-2012) and the founder of the Prague Philharmonia. Bělohlávek gained international renown and repute for his performances of the works of Czech composers and has made recordings for the Supraphon, Chandos, Harmonia Mundi, Warner Classics and Deutsche Grammophon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ji%C5%99%C3%AD_B%C4%9Blohl%C3%A1vek

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks
Links in comment
Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Choose one link, copy it to your browser's address bar, wait 5 seconds, then click on 'Skip Ad' (or 'Continue') (top right).
    If you are asked to download anything, IGNORE, only download from file hosting site (mega.nz).
    If you MEGA shows 'Bandwidth Limit Exceeded' message, try to create a free account.

    http://vaugette.com/6Je
    or
    http://linkshrink.net/7BXKkd
    or
    http://uii.io/80VqX

    ReplyDelete