The Essay - Janacek etc.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Two slight digressions:

Crown Court , currently repeated on TPTV (channel 82) is a regular favourite in our house. It was a brilliant idea, and probably cheap to make. Just one set and non-'star' actors, though a few faces became famous later (Richard Wilson for instance). Three twenty-four-minute episodes per case.

L'Isle Joyeuse: my gripe is that it's often rather unimaginatively played . In one recording which seems to be repeated often, the pianist sounds as if he or she were sight-reading cautiously, especially in the 'grand-slam' last page, where I'm used to Walter Gieseking's barnstorming August 1953 Abbey Road recording, where Geraint Jones made him do it again and again till he got it exactly right.

One of those Debussy pieces that lies tantalisingly within the grasp of a decent amateur. The “barn-storming “ final pages aren’t as difficult as they sound if you have a decent left hand stretch. Whereas the first few pages are more difficult than they sound.

[Barbirollians]

Two slight digressions:

Crown Court , currently repeated on TPTV (channel 82) is a regular favourite in our house. It was a brilliant idea, and probably cheap to make. Just one set and non-'star' actors, though a few faces became famous later (Richard Wilson for instance). Three twenty-four-minute episodes per case.

L'Isle Joyeuse: my gripe is that it's often rather unimaginatively played . In one recording which seems to be repeated often, the pianist sounds as if he or she were sight-reading cautiously, especially in the 'grand-slam' last page, where I'm used to Walter Gieseking's barnstorming August 1953 Abbey Road recording, where Geraint Jones made him do it again and again till he got it exactly right.

Wasn't it also a jury of extras who could choose whether to find the defendant G or NG rather than that being scripted ? Can see it was a long time ago - nowadays it would have to include adjournments because SERCO were late or brought the wrong prisoners to court , they couldn't find a barrister to defend someone because so many barrister s have left the criminal Bar because it is so poorly paid and the trial was so delayed most witnesses had forgotten what happened.

[smittims]

I think theverdict in Crown Court was always in the script. More recently, Channel 4 have done some trials where the jury are real and make their own verdict, though of course the defendant and witnesses are actors following a script. .

[Ein Heldenleben]

If you want a nostalgia trip through the great and good of British 70’s and 80’s actors this is the site.
William Mervyn an astonishing 143 episodes,

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0140733/fullcredits/cast

Back on thread if the Janacek estate was in the PRS it would have collected royalties from 1972 - 1998 - as it’s a TV signature tune that would be many thousands of pounds.

[Roger Webb]

If you want a nostalgia trip through the great and good of British 70’s and 80’s actors this is the site.
William Mervyn an astonishing 143 episodes,

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0140733/fullcredits/cast

Back on thread if the Janacek estate was in the PRS it would have collected royalties from 1972 - 1998 - as it’s a TV signature tune that would be many thousands of pounds.

Well into the 80s I was selling the Sinfonietta to customers who remembered it from CC. They usually chose the VPO Mackerras one as Decca reissued this as a mid-price Ovation CD, and later as a very good value twofer.

My own preference for the complete Janacek orch. works is the idiomatic Brno State PO/Jílek, with a supplementary disc of the opera suites, also Supraphon, with Prague SO/Belohlavek.

[Alain Maréchal]

Thanks to Makropoulos for a fascinating programme. It is a work I have known and loved for many years (My 1st LP of many was Mackerras on Pye), but this clarified many points and answered questions. I agree about the inspiration for the bells (a sound I recall from my childhood travelling on De Kusttram).

[Pulcinella]

Ah yes; an older version of what now seems the ubiquitous set of electronic beeps when a heavy vehicle is reversing (often accompanied by an officious 'Stand well clear!').

[vinteuil]

My own preference for the complete Janacek orch. works is the idiomatic Brno State PO/Jílek, with a supplementary disc of the opera suites, also Supraphon, with Prague SO/Belohlavek.

... many thanks for the reminder : I have these, and had forgotten. Currently listening to the Jiří Bělohlávek Opera Suites : just delicious...

[Roger Webb]

... many thanks for the reminder : I have these, and had forgotten. Currently listening to the Jiří Bělohlávek Opera Suites : just delicious...

Yes, the opera suites are particularly successful....such inventive music, which couldn't have been written by anyone other than Janacek.

Those three discs by Jílek weren't to everyone's taste when first released, and for, say, the Sinfonietta there are more 'polished' performances, but I think sometimes it's worth giving up a bit of 'perfection' for character.

BTW I've been listening to another Brno perf. of the Sinfonietta which is a two CD set on Reference Recordings, it couples it with the Lachian Dances, and on the second disc has three of the opera suites. José Serebrier/Filharmonie Brno.

Oh, and if you look at the photo on the back of the booklet of Sup 11 1520-2 Lachian Dances etc. there's the view from the castle hill down towards the village, that so captivated me one morning........the 'Overgrown Path' is to the right, as is the Janacek House/Museum.

[Pulcinella]

I'm quite a fan of these Naxos recordings of the opera suites:

https://www.prestomusic.com/search?search_query=Janacek%20naxos%20suites

[makropulos]

Yes, the opera suites are particularly successful....such inventive music, which couldn't have been written by anyone other than Janacek.

Those three discs by Jílek weren't to everyone's taste when first released, and for, say, the Sinfonietta there are more 'polished' performances, but I think sometimes it's worth giving up a bit of 'perfection' for character.

BTW I've been listening to another Brno perf. of the Sinfonietta which is a two CD set on Reference Recordings, it couples it with the Lachian Dances, and on the second disc has three of the opera suites. José Serebrier/Filharmonie Brno.

Oh, and if you look at the photo on the back of the booklet of Sup 11 1520-2 Lachian Dances etc. there's the view from the castle hill down towards the village, that so captivated me one morning........the 'Overgrown Path' is to the right, as is the Janacek House/Museum.

I really like the Jílek recording – but do you also know the live one (same forces) from 1978 issued on CD by Czech Radio? I think that may be even better. Not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but there's a Supraphon LP/CD (now a download) of Jílek himself conducting three opera suites with the Czech PO – well worth hearing:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9386147--jana-ek-opera-suites?srsltid=AfmBOop4Fp_3PVQFKIppGxGYGapxllypSW0 K6ayRGbXcHNxgCiyqUjoL

[Roger Webb]

I really like the Jílek recording – but do you also know the live one (same forces) from 1978 issued on CD by Czech Radio? I think that may be even better. Not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but there's a Supraphon LP/CD (now a download) of Jílek himself conducting three opera suites with the Czech PO – well worth hearing:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9386147--jana-ek-opera-suites?srsltid=AfmBOop4Fp_3PVQFKIppGxGYGapxllypSW0 K6ayRGbXcHNxgCiyqUjoL

Thanks for that! I've just searched Qobuz, and they have the Jilek one of the three suites....but alas not the live one of 1978 you mention from Czech Radio. In the years just after the 'Velvet Revolution' I visited Prague (and Brno) a few times and always came back with CDs not available here, but I haven't been now for too many years!

[makropulos]

Thanks for that! I've just searched Qobuz, and they have the Jilek one of the three suites....but alas not the live one of 1978 you mention from Czech Radio. In the years just after the 'Velvet Revolution' I visited Prague (and Brno) a few times and always came back with CDs not available here, but I haven't been now for too many years!

It's a bit of a palaver getting hold of that live Jílek disc, but it came quickly enough after I ordered it, and it seems to be still available as a CD. Since you like the Supraphon one, I'd definitely say it's worth the effort:

https://www.radioteka.cz/detail/crohudba-104027-taras-bulba-prihody-lisky-bystrousky-sinfonietta

[Roger Webb]

It's a bit of a palaver getting hold of that live Jílek disc, but it came quickly enough after I ordered it, and it seems to be still available as a CD. Since you like the Supraphon one, I'd definitely say it's worth the effort:

https://www.radioteka.cz/detail/crohudba-104027-taras-bulba-prihody-lisky-bystrousky-sinfonietta

Thanks again....and for The Essay (I hadn't realised it was you who had made the programme!)..your recollections of the Janacek sites in Brno brought back memories of my visits there....I presume you've been to Hukvaldy too. I did a couple of quite comprehensive tours of Moravia, taking in as many composer houses/museums as I could....apart from Hukvaldy, Skutec (Novak) and Policka (Martinu) were memorable....my guide and companion being Stanley Sadie's excellent 'Calling on the Composer'.