Whereas Janacek, who was something of a late developer (his first major opera Jenufa came the year Dvorak died) who stayed firmly away from the Austro-German tradition and rooted himself in Moravia.ĭvorak's Gypsy Songs were written in 1880 and use Dvorak's versions of traditional tunes with lyrics by Adolf Heyduk and built on the success of the first set of Slavonic Dances, published two years earlier. Dvorak was only 13 years older than Janacek, but Dvorak was firmly within the Austro-German tradition and his music incorporates Czech melodies and rhythms within this. In between the two groups of Janacek we heard Dvorak's Gypsy Songs performed by Fleur Barron and Dylan Perez. The final one of this group, however, was a lively dance number, with the singers dancing between verses and Perez on piano conjuring up what seemed to be the Moravian equivalent of the boogie-woogie.
The second group followed a similar format, except here the melancholy was modified and Bowden had a definite twinkle in her eye when singing of a potential lover, though Peters was making a posy for a young man who was leaving and Badham was also saying farewell. The first group ended with a lively song in a dance rhythm. The first group featured rather melancholy songs, and what struck me was the way Janacek in his accompaniments avoided trying to turn these into Germanic-tradition art songs, instead we had suggestions of the cimbalom and other folk instruments. And despite the torrential rain beating down on the canopy, this was an evening of joyous and engaging music making with all performers radiating great warmth.ĭylan Perez, Nicky Spence, Isabelle Peters, Charlotte Bowden, Charlotte Badham, Fleur Barron - Opera Holland Park (Photo James Clutton/Opera Holland Park)īadham, Bowden, Peters and Perez gave us two groups of Janacek's Moravian folk songs, each group of four consisting of a solo for each woman and an ensemble number. Piano and singers were placed in front of the theatre's thrust stage with the audience round them, thus giving the most intimate performance possible in this theatre. They are certainly not as well-known as they should be and this was a welcome opportunity to hear eight of them performed by Charlotte Badham, Charlotte Bowden and Isabelle Peters. Long before he wrote operas, Janacek collected folk songs and he would collect Moravian folk music extensively in the 1890s, eventually distilling this down to 53 songs in Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs published in 1908. On Sunday, Dylan Perez was joined by tenor Nicky Spence, mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, mezzo-soprano Charlotte Badham, soprano Charlotte Bowden and soprano Isabelle Peters for a selection of Janacek's Moravian folk poetry in songs, Dvorak's Gypsy Songs,Op.55 and Janacek's The Diary of One Who Disappeared.
Diarey of a man who vanished series#
On Sunday 25 July 2021, Opera Holland Park hosted the first of a series of three song recitals, Opera in Song curated by baritone Julien Van Mellaerts and pianist Dylan Perez. Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 25 July 2021 Star rating: 4.0 (★★★★)įorget the torrential rain, this vividly engaging evening of Czech song radiated warmth, energy and sheer joy Janacek The Diary of one Who Disappeared, Dvorak Gypsy Songs Fleur Barron, Nicky Spence, Charlotte Badham, Charlotte Bowden, Isabelle Peters, Dylan Perez Opera Holland Park Janacek collecting folk-songs on 19 August 1906 in Strání
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