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Dvok in Prague: A Celebration

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Wikipedia article




'Dvok in Prague: A Celebration' was an 89-minute televised concert presented in Prague's Smetana Hall on 16 December 1993, in which thirteen pieces of music by Antonin Dvok were performed by the pianist Rudolf Firkun, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the violinist Itzhak Perlman, the mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, the Prague Philharmonic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Seiji Ozawa. It was produced by Sony Classical Film and Video, Czech Television and Germany's Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen in association with Pragokoncert, the Netherlands' Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep and the United States' Public Service Broadcasting and MJI Broadcasting, and was released on Laserdisc, VHS video cassette, CD and audio cassette by Sony Classical Records and on DVD by Kultur Video.'Dvok in Prague: A Celebration', with Rudolf Firkun, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Frederica von Stade, the Prague Philharmonic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, Sony Classical CD, SK-46687, 1994'Dvok in Prague: A Celebration', with Rudolf Firkun, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Frederica von Stade, the Prague Philhamonic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, Sony Classical LD, SLV-53488, 1994'Dvok in Prague: A Celebration', with Rudolf Firkun, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Frederica von Stade, the Prague Philharmomic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, Kultur Video DVD, D4211, 2007

Background



, which contains Smetana Hall

On 16 December 1893, the New York Philharmonic, which had commissioned the work, premiered Dvok's Symphony No. 9 in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Anton Seidl. Exactly one hundred years later, that event was commemorated in a concert mounted in Prague's Smetana Hall, an art nouveau building erected between 1906 and 1911 and named in honour of Bedich Smetana, the Czech composer popularly regarded in the Czech Republic as the father of the nation's music. The concert was staged in the presence of the Republic's first President, Vclav Havel. It included Itzhak Perlman's first performance in Prague, and was the first occasion on which the Boston Symphony Orchestra was heard there since 1956.

The 'Carnival Overture' that opened the gala, although published as an independent work, is the central piece in a trilogy of concert overtures that Dvok entitled "Nature, life and love". The first in the cycle is 'V prod' ("In nature's realm", Op. 91, B. 168, 1891), and the third is 'Othello' (Op. 93, B. 174, 1892).

The 'Romance in F minor' was written at the request of Josef Markus, first violin of the orchestra of Prague's Provisional Theatre, for a concert that the orchestra gave under the direction of Adolf ech at the ofn Palace on 9 December 1877. It was adapted by Dvok from a string quartet that he had composed four years previously, but which remained unpublished until after his death.

'Silent Woods' originated in a cycle of five piano pieces, 'From the Bohemian forest', that Dvok composed in 1883 at the request of Fritz Simrock, the German who published most of his works. After a version of the fifth part that Dvok arranged for cello and piano in 1891 was received enthusiastically, he composed an orchestral version of it in 1893. It was Simrock who changed Dvok's title from 'Die Ruhe' (German for the Czech "Klid", meaning "Silence") to 'Waldesruhe' ("Wood-silence").

The 'Humoresques' began as fragmentary ideas that Dvok jotted down in notebooks while director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in 1892-1895. He worked them up into a piano cycle while holidaying in Bohemia in 1894. The seventh humoresque's transcription for violin, cello and orchestra that was heard during the gala was commissioned from the Czech-Canadian composer Oskar Morawetz at Yo-Yo Ma's suggestion.

The 'Symphony No. 9', another fruit of Dvok's time in charge of the National Conservatory of Music of America, was inspired by African-American and Native American music. He wrote that he regarded its second movement as a "sketch or study for a later work, either a cantata or opera ... which will be based on Longfellow's 'Hiawatha'".

'Rusalka' is about a water-spirit who falls in love with a human Prince who passes by her lake while hunting. In her "Song to the moon", she pleads with "the pilgrim of the starry vault" to tell the Prince about her feelings for him.

Dvok's setting of Psalm 149 was one of a number of works in which he expressed his profound religious sentiments. His Christian uvre includes a 'Mass in D major', a 'Requiem', a 'Stabat Mater', a 'Te Deum' and an oratorio, 'Svat Ludmila' ("Saint Ludmila").

The 'Gypsy Songs' include "Songs my mother taught me", a piece frequently recorded in instrumental arrangements as well as by vocalists. A singing translation of its text is: "Songs my mother taught me, In the days long vanished; Seldom from her eyelids were the teardrops banished. Now I teach my children each melodious measure, Oft the tears are flowing, oft they flow from my memory's treasure".

"Dumky", the subtitle of the 'Piano Trio No. 4', is the plural of the Ukrainian word "dumka", a musical term which is a diminutive form of the word "duma" (plural "dumy") that Ukrainians use for their epic folk ballads. Dumky are characterized by alternating cheerfulness and gloom.

Inspired by Johannes Brahms's 'Hungarian Dances' and the rhythms of traditional Bohemian folk dances, the 'Slavonic Dances' were originally piano pieces. Both of those performed in the gala were presented in transcriptions, one for violin, cello and orchestra by Oskar Morawetz and one for orchestra by Dvok himself. Dvok was asked to orchestrate his dances by his publisher in order that they "should sound like the very devil".

DVD chapter listing



'Antonin Dvok' (1841-1904)

* 1 (2:02) Opening credits, over footage of Prague in winter

* 2 (10:22) 'Karneval, koncertni ouvertura' ("Carnival, a concert overture", Op. 92, B. 169, 1891), with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 3 (12:17) 'Romance f moll pro housle a orchestr' ("Romance in F minor for violin and orchestra", Op. 11, B. 39, Prague, 1877), arranged by Dvok from the second movement, 'Andante con moto quasi allegretto', of his 'Smycov kvartet . 5 f moll' ("String quartet No. 5 in F minor", Op. 9, B. 37, Prague, 1873), with Itzhak Perlman and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 4 (7:32) 'Klid' ("Silence", also known as "Silent woods", for cello and orchestra, B. 182, 1893), transcribed by Dvok from the fifth part of his 'Ze umavy' ("From the Bohemian forest", for piano four hands, Op. 68, B. 133, 1883), with Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 5 (4:33) 'Humoresky' ("Humoresques" for piano, Op. 101, B. 187, 1894): No. 7 in G-flat major, 'Poco lento e grazioso', transcribed for violin, cello and orchestra by Oskar Morawetz (1917-2007), with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 6 (12:50) 'Symfonie . 9 e moll, Z novho svta"' ("Symphony No. 9 in E minor, 'From the new world'", Op. 95, B. 178, New York City, 1893): II: 'Largo', with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 7 (7:20) 'Rusalka' ("The water spirit", Op. 114, B. 203, Prague, 1901), with a libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil (1868-1950) after 'Undine' (1811) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqu (1777-1843), 'Den lille havfreu' ("The little mermaid", 1837) by Hans Christian Andersen (18051875) and the north-west European folk tradition of the Melusine: Act 1: Rusalka's song to the moon: Msku na nebi hlubokm" ("O moon high up in the deep sky"), with Frederica von Stade and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 8 (10:01) 'alm . 149' ("Psalm 149", "Praise ye the Lord, Sing unto the Lord a new song", cantata for mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 79, B. 154, 1887), with a text from the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, with the Prague Philharmonic Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

* 9 (2:43) 'Humoresky' ("Humoresques" for piano, Op. 101, B. 187, 1894): No. 1 in E-flat minor, 'Vivace', with Rudolf Firkun

*10 (4:17) 'Cignsk melodie' ("Gypsy songs" for voice and piano, Op. 55, B. 104, 1880), with texts by Adolf Heyduk (1835-1923): No. 4, Kdy mne star matka zpvat uivala" ("Songs my mother taught me") and No. 5, Struna naladna" ("Tune your strings"), with Frederica von Stade and Rudolf Firkun

*11 (4:45) 'Klavrn trio . 4 e moll, Dumky"' ("Piano trio No. 4 in E minor, 'Dumky'", Op. 90, B. 166, 1890-1891): Dumka No. 5, 'Allegro', with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Rudolf Firkun

*12 (5:25) 'Slovansk tance' ("Slavonic dances" for orchestra, Op. 72, B. 147, 1886): No. 2 in E minor, Starodvn" ("The ancient one"), transcribed for violin, cello and orchestra by Oskar Morawetz, with Yitzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

*13 (4:09) 'Slovansk tance' ("Slavonic dances" for orchestra, Op. 72, B. 147, 1886): No. 7 in C major, Kolo" ("The circle"), with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa

*14 (1:38) Closing credits

Personnel



Artists

* Rudolf Firkun (1912-1994), piano

* Yo-Yo Ma (b. 1955), cello

* Yitzhak Perlman (b. 1945), violin

* Frederica von Stade (b. 1945), mezzo-soprano

* Prague Philharmonic Chorus

* Pavel Khn, choral director

* Boston Symphony Orchestra

* Seiji Ozawa (b. 1935), conductor

Other



* Peter Gelb (b. 1953), executive producer

* Brian Large (b. 1939), director

* Pat Jaffe, producer, Sony

* Helmut Rost, producer, ZDF

* Radim Smetana, producer, Czech TV

* Laura Mitgang, coordinating producer

* Ji Paulu, Czech coordinator

* Thomas Frost, audio producer

* David Kneuss, stage director

* Joan Hershey, associate producer

* Monika Frhlich, associate director

* Priscilla Hoadley, vision mixer

* Christian Constantinov, balance engineer

* Timothy Wood, sound engineer

* Richard King, sound engineer

* Michael Deegan, set

* Paul King, set

* Mia Bongiovanni, production assistant

* Ashley Hoppin, production assistant

* Gary Bradley, editor, opening segment

* Jan Mal, camera operator, opening segment

* Fritz Buttenstedt, production consultant

* Job Maarse, production consultant

* Udo Feill, editing consultant

* David Grayson, music consultant

* Steven Sobol, TV distribution executive

* Dietrich Prhl, production manager

* Kurt-Oskar Herting, lead camera operator

* Christian Behrendt, camera operator

* Wolf-Dieter Bergmann, camera operator

* Klaus-Uwe Flade, camera operator

* Klaus Gebhard, camera operator

* Beate Hring, camera operator

* Rudolf Junge, camera operator

* Axel Leist, camera operator

* Siegfried Ruster, camera operator

* Manfred Schebsdat, camera operator

* Franz-Josef Stark, camera operator

* Martin Strauss, camera operator

* Reinhard Reiser, sound engineer

* Eugen Mllecken, technical supervisor

* Joachim Meissner, video editor

* Gnter Wingenter, video technician

* Walter Burbach, technical lighting

* Klaus Hirschelmann, technical lighting

* Manfred Tolksdorf, technical lighting

* Monika Bhm, floor manager

* Rolf Herrmann, production assistant

* Jiina Bl, production supervisor

* Alena Kratochvlov, production assistant

* Petr Paur, lighting

* Zdenk Polesn, lighting

* Zdenk Hovarka, lighting

* Svatava Soukov, set

* Dagmar vecov, hair and make-up

* Denisa Nmcov, hair and make-up

* Jana Fotov, producer

* Jindrick Pitter, direction, Smetana Hall

Critical reception



Herbert Glass reviewed a PBS telecast of the concert in the 'Los Angeles Times' on 18 March 1994. It was to the gala's credit, he wrote, that it eschewed "the usual talky, self-congratulatory promo" in favour of a programme of unadulterated music. Not a word was spoken during the performance, not even to mention the event that it commemorated, the premiere of Dvok's "New World" symphony in New York City exactly one hundred years previously.

The producers of the concert did not seem to trust their public to enjoy Dvok's music, easy to appreciate it though it was, without adapting at least some of it. For example, a Humoresque for solo piano was changed into a piece for violin, cello and orchestra, presumably in order to create an opportunity for Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma to play a duet together. It was odd, too, that the 'Largo' from the "New World" symphony was played over the opening credits of the gala as well as in the body of it.

The audience in Smetana Hall (including the President of the Czech Republic, Vclav Havel) were allowed to hear at least some of Dvok's music precisely as he had written it. His 'Romance in F' was "poignantly" delivered by Itzhak Perlman, and Yo-Yo Ma played 'Silent Woods' "with a stunning, seamless legato, a vibrato measurable on the Richter Scale and his patented facial choreography".

Dvok's vocal uvre was represented by the "lusty" Prague Philharmonic Chorus in a "majestic" setting of Psalm 149, and by Frederica von Stade, who "nearly [stole] the show with her radiant delivery of 'Rusalka's "Song to the Moon", in which Ozawa and the [Boston Symphony Orchestra proved] the most sensitive accompanists". Von Stade also sang two of Dvok's Gypsy Songs, partnered at the piano by the octogenarian Czech Rudolf Firkun.

Thomas Frost and his audio team deserved praise for "creating an exceptionally handsome-'sounding' classical music video".

The concert was also discussed in 'Billboard','Billboard', Vol. 106, No. 8, 19 February 1994, p. 7 'Classical Music Magazine',MacMillan, Rick: 'Classical Music Magazine', Vol. 17, February 1994, p. 12 'Fanfare','Fanfare', Vol. 18, Issues 1-2, 1994, p. 98 'Krasnogruda','Krasnogruda', Vols. 5-7, 1996, p. 223 'New York','New York', Vol. 27, No. 16, 18 April 1994, pp. 104, 105 and 174 'The New Yorker','The New Yorker', Vol. 70, Issues 1-6, 1994, p. 32 'The New York Times' and 'The Washington Post'.

Broadcast and home media history



The concert was broadcast live on television in the Czech Republic, and subsequently televised in thirty other countries. It was aired in the United States by PBS in March 1994.

Also in 1994, Sony released the gala as a CLV (constant linear velocity) Laserdisc (catalogue number SLV-53488) and a VHS video cassette (catalogue number SHV-53488), with 4:3 NTSC colour video and stereo audio. In the same year, Sony released the concert as a CD (catalogue number SK-46687) and audio cassette (catalogue number ST-46687) which include all the gala's music except for the excerpt from Dvok's Symphony No. 9. The CD provides stereo audio derived from a 20-bit master recording, and includes a 12-page booklet with two production photographs and notes by Ileene Smith. In 2007, Kultur Video issued the gala on a DVD (catalogue number D4211) with 4:3 NTSC colour video and compressed Dolby Digital stereo audio.

Gallery





File:Rudolf Firkun 1960.jpg|Rudolf Firkun

File:Peter Gelb (8166799425) (cropped).jpg|Peter Gelb

File:Yo-Yo Ma 2013.jpg|Yo-Yo Ma

File:Seiji Ozawa 1963.jpg|Seiji Ozawa

File:Itzhak Perlman.jpg|Itzhak Perlman

File:Frederica von Stade.jpg|Frederica von Stade



References



Category:1994 classical albums

Category:1993 television films

Category:1993 films

Category:Classical video albums

Category:Live classical albums

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