THE WEEK'S RADIO Czech Performance Of Dvorak Opera

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29728, 23 January 1962, Page 10

THE WEEK'S RADIO Czech Performance Of Dvorak Opera

Opera is generally thought of, in English-speaking countries at any rate, as an art that is practised successfully only by Italian, German and French composers. This notion, long supported by opera companies’ repertoires, is now being dispelled by recordings with their revelations of Russian, Hungarian, Polish, English, and, perhaps above all, Czech opera.

The best-known and most popular of all C:.ech operas is Smetana's “The Bartered Bride,” but rivalling it closely in popularity with Czech audiences is “Rusalka,” one of 10 operas by Dvorak, who is known, in the West only as a composer of instrumental music. The Libretto for “Rusalka” was written in 1899 by Jaroslav K”apil, independent of any composer’s request. He offered it in turn to Nedbal. Foerster and Suk, all of whom rejected it. But Dvorak was looking for a •bretto and ' he welcomed Kvapil’s poetic work. “Rusalka” is based on the legends about a water nymph which abound in folk literature Kvapil also drew on “Undine.” by Freidrich de la Motte Foucue, Hauptmann's “The Submerged Bell” and I particularly Hans Andersen’s I tales of the Little Mermaid He wove these, elements and Czech fairy tales into a poetically and dramatically effective work that is one of the best libretti in Czech opera. Dvorak found the story offered him abundant opportunities to express his love of nature and to write some of his most richly lyrical music. A Prague National Theatre recording of “Rusalka" to be heard from 3YC at 7 42 p.m. on Saturday has a cast which includes, as the Prince, the famous Czech tenor, Beno Blachut. Mussorgsky Songs The greatest of all Russian song writers, Mussorgsky experimented much in his middle years with a realistic style .in which the vocal line is always controlled by the inflexions of prose speech. The culmination of- this style was the song-cycle, “The Nursery,” after which Mussorgsky’s song-writing style turned away from realism. In "The Nursery,” however, a child’s speech is caught with a total absence of adult sentiment and great psychological accuracy “The Nursery” may be heard from 3YC at 8 p.m, on Thursday, sung by the Russian soprano, Nina who is accompanied at the piano by her husband, Svyatoslav Rikhter. Shostakovich Cycle The best-known Russian composers of the present day nave paid comparatively little, attention to songs and a rare opportunity to hear modern Russian songs will come at 8.25 p.m. on Sunday, when 3YC will broadcast Shostakovich’s song-cycle. “From Jewish Folk Poetry," Op. 79. Shostakovich has set eight old Jewish folk texts and three from more recent years with music that matches the deep feeling and poignancy of the words, without sacrificing his personal style. For soprano, mezzo-soprano and tenor, the songs are distributed as follows: two trios, two sopranomezzo duets, one sopranotenor duet, one mezzo-tenor duet, one mezzo solo and two solos each for soprano and tenor. The performers are Nina Dorlyak, the famous

mezzo-soprano, Zara Dolukhanovar, and the tenor. Alexei Masslenikov, with Shostakovich himself providing the piano accompaniment.

Death Of Socrates Maxwell Anderson’s play, “Barefoot in Athens” (3YC, 8 p.m., Friday), is based on the last year of Socrates’ life. Athens at the end of the fifth century B.C. was tired of the long war with Sparta and her Golden Age was drawing to a close. The play begins just as the indictment against Socrates is posted, but before he can be tried Socrates’ beloved democracy is destroyed by the oligarchy set up under Spartan rule. Ultimately, however, the victorious King Pausanias withdraws his occupation force and restores democracy. Socrates is tried and condemned and as the play ends he is with Xantippe. his wife, on the morning he is to drink hemlock Maxwell Anderson presents a Socrates who gives the lie to the portrait emerging from the later book of Plato, and r Xantippe, who. while possessing a sharp tongue, nonetheless has the gentleness of the woman Socrates married and of'the widow and mother so cared for by his friends. The nlay was adapted for radio by Bernard Kearns, who also produced it in the Christchurch studios of the N.Z B S with a cast including Owen Simmance (Socrates). Mildred Woods (Xantinpe), Harold Pointer (Pausanias), William Scannell, Guy Cotterill, Patrick Smith. Heath Joyce, and Cynthia Ward. Dramatic Poem

In 1860, Robert Browning bought an old book for a few pence from a market stall in Florence. It proved to be a collection of letters, copies of lawyers’ pleas, depositions and notes of evidence relating to a murder trial in Rome in 1698. These papers interested him immediately and fired his imagination more and more as the years went by. In 1864 he began to write a long poem based on the events described, and in 1868 “The Ring and the Book" was ready for publi-

i cation. It was an immediate success and is generally considered Browning's masterpiece. Passages from “The Ring and the Book” will be read by Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Sir Donald Wolfit, Stephen Murray and Robert Donat in a 8.8. C. programme from 3YC at 7.30 p.m. on Monday. Burns Night It is a tradition in Scotland to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns on January 25, 1759, by playtog and singing some of the music the poet ioved so well, especially those airs for which he wrote his poems. A 8.8. C. programme to be heard from 3YA at 8 p.m. tomorrow—the night before Burns’s birthday—presents a typical Burns Night concert. Everyday Buddhism Prince Chula of Thailand, who speaks on “Buddhism in Everyday Life” from 3YA at 8.30 p.m. on Friday, is the son of a Thai father and a Russian mother. He is married to an Englishwoman and now lives in England. He explains the everyday philosophy of his religion in a way that should appeal to listeners who only know vaguely about its mystical aspects. Epstein Few artists have had to endure as much hostility and abuse as Sir Jacob Epstein, the sculptor, who died in 1959. His admirers and ‘ friends affirm that he never became narrowly embittered—his

creative energy was too abundant for him to become frustrated even at the end of his long life—but he nevertheless did suffer in spirit and in livelihood from the public abuse and hysteria. “He took the brickbats, he took the insults, he faced the howls of derision.” says Henry Moore in a B B.C. radio portrait of Epstein to be heard from 3YC at 8.23 p.m. on Sunday. “And so far as sculpture to this country is concerned, he took them first. We, the generation that succeed him, were spared a great deal simply because his sturdy personality and determination had taken so much.” Other friends and admirers of Epstein wino speak in this programme include Paul Robeson, Dame Sybil Thorndike. Arnold Haskell and Sir Anthony Blunt? while Epstein’s own voice is heard, describing some aspects of his development as a sculptor.