Janáček L. Šárka heroic opera / E.Urbanová, P.Straka, I.Kusnjer / CPO / Sir Ch. Mackerras

Leoš Janáček - Šárka - Opera in 3 Acts 1:04:04

libretto by: Julius Zeyer

soprano: Eva Urbanova

tenor: Peter Straka

baritone: Ivan Kusnjer

tenor: Jaroslav Brezina

chorus master: Jaroslav Brych

conductor: Charles Mackerras

Prague Philharmonic Choir

Stereo studio recording, 2000.

This world premiere of Leos Janacek's opera, Sarka, in CD format is the last title making complete the series of Janacek opera recordings. The young Janacek began to write his first opera in 1887; in the following year he discontinued work on it and laid the unfinished opus aside. By the time he returned to Sarka, in 1918, he was a mature and respected composer. He then made a number of changes in the vocal parts, and involved his pupil Osvald Chlubna in work on the instrumentation of Act Three. Sarka was premiered by the Brno National Theatre, in November 1925. In its final version, the opera offers a combined projection of the youthful Janacek enchanted by the 1880s Romantic music, and the sophisticatedly original Janacek widely known for his masterpieces, Jenufa and Kata Kabanova. This project brought together a brilliant team of artists: the internationally renowned Janackian conductor and scholar Sir Charles Mackerras; star singers Eva Urbanova and Peter Straka as Sarka and Ctirad; and the excellent Czech Philharmonic Orchestra backed by the Czech Philharmonic Choir. For this particular occasion Universal Edition Wien produced new, critically revised performing material and score. This complete CD set of Janacek's Sarka ranks at the top of Supraphon's list of exclusive titles.

(Supraphon 2001)