Episode 430. Soukupová in Song

Episode 430. Soukupová in Song

Here’s a rare sampling of Countermelody favorite, the refulgent Czech contralto Věra Soukupová, in song repertoire, accompanied by both piano and full orchestra. The featured works are two song cycles of the so-called “late Romantic era,” one by Antonín Dvořák (his 1894 Biblical Songs), and one by Gustav Mahler, his 1901 Kindertotenlieder cycle. The Dvořák recording stems from 1967 and features Czech pianist Ivan Moravec; the Mahler is from 1963 and features the great Czech conductor (and Mahler specialist) Václav Neumann leading the Czech Philharmonic. The setlist includes two additional Mahler orchestral songs with Soukupová and Neumann as well as excerpts from Soukupová’s 1976 recording of two song cycles by Robert Schumann, accompanied by Czech pianist Jan Horák.

RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE

All tracks feature Věra Soukupová.

Antonín Dvořák, Adolf Heyduk: from Cigánské melodie [Gypsy Songs], Op. 55. Ivan Moravec [1967]

• IV. Když mne stará matka [Songs my mother taught me]

Robert Schumann, Joseph von Eichendorff: from Liederkreis, Op. 39. Jan Horák [1976]

• X. Zwielicht
• XI. Im Walde
• XII. Frühlingsnacht

Antonín Dvořák, Czech translations of Biblical texts from the Kralice Bible: Biblické písně [Biblical Songs], Op. 99. Ivan Moravec [1967].

• I. Oblak a mrákota jest vůkol Něho [Clouds and darkness]
• II. Skrýše má a Pavéza má ty jsi [Lord, Thou art my refuge]
• III. Slyš, o Bože, slyš modlitbu mou [Hear my prayer, O God]
• IV. Hospodin je mů pastýř [The Lord is my shepherd]
• V. Bože! Bože! Píseň novou [I will sing a new song]
• VI. Slyš, ó Bože, volání mé[Hear my prayer, O God]
• VII. Při řekách babylonských [By the waters of Babylon]
• VIII. Popatříž na mne a smiluj se nade mnou [Turn Thee unto me]
• IX. Pozdvihuji očí svých k horám [I will lift up mine eyes]
• X. Zpivejte Hospodinu píseň novou [O sing unto the Lord]

Gustav Mahler, traditional folk text collected and arranged by Clemens Brentano, Achim von Arnim: from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Václav Neumann, Czech Philharmonic [1963]

• Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen

Gustav Mahler, Friedrich Rückert: Kindertotenlieder. Václav Neumann, Czech Philharmonic [1963].

• I. Nun will die Sonn’ so hell aufgeh’n
• II. Nun seh’ ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen
• III. Wenn dein Mütterlein
• IV. Oft denk’ ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen
• V. In diesem Wetter

Robert Schumann, Adelbert von Chamisso: from Frauenliebe und -leben, Op. 42. Jan Horák [1976]

• III. Ich kann’s nicht fassen nicht glauben
• IV. Du Ring an meinem Finger
• V. Helft mir, ihr Schwestern

Gustav Mahler: from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.

• II. Ging heut’ morgen über’s Feld. Václav Neumann, Czech Philharmonic [1963]