Studies in Brno
Donald Macleod explores the five years Kapralova spent studying at the Brno Conservatory, originally founded by Janacek.
V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩's studies in Brno at the academy originally founded by Leo拧 Jan谩cek expand her musical horizons.
Born in 1915 into a musical family, V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩 was one of the brightest young composers to emerge in Czech music inbetween the two world wars. A link with her mentor, the composer Bohuslav Martinu, with whom she later became romantically involved, arguably has unfairly impinged on her posthumous reputation; Kapr谩lov谩 achieved considerable success under her own steam, notching up a series of professional achievements that set her apart from her contemporaries. She was the first woman to graduate as a composer from the Brno Conservatory, the first woman to be given the prestigious Smetana award for composition and the first woman to conduct the Czech Philharmonic. Here in the UK, Kapr谩lov谩 joined the ranks of British composer Dame Ethel Smyth and Nadia Boulanger in conducting the 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra before the Second World War.
There's litte doubt that the turbulence of the times in which Kapr谩lov谩 lived created obstacles in her creative path. She became an exile after the Munich Pact of 1938 and the subsequent onset of the Second World War. Furthermore, like the talented French composer Lili Boulanger some twenty years earlier, Kapr谩lov谩's life was cut short; she died in France in 1940, at the age of just twenty-five. Nonetheless she was able to compose quickly and naturally, so a sizeable legacy exists of some fifty works, spread across vocal, chamber, solo piano and orchestral forms. Donald Macleod explores V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩's extraordinary story with Karla Hartl, the founder of The Kapr谩lov谩 Society.
Profiting from the expansion of Czech-speaking culture, the five years V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩 spent studying at the Brno Conservatory proved to be formative to the development of her musical language. Having entered at the age of fifteen in 1930, she spent those years experimenting with impressionistic and expressionistic idioms, leading to some of her most striking compositions, including some of her most memorable songs and her most substantial work for solo piano to date. Presented by Donald Macleod with Karla Hartl, founder of The Kapr谩lov谩 Society.
Tempo di menuetto - from Five Compositions for Piano
Virginia Eskin, piano
Leden
Dana Bure拧ov谩, soprano
Timothy Cheek, piano
Magda C谩slavov谩, flute
Herold Quartet
Sonata appassionata, Op.6
Virginia Eskin, piano
Sparks from the Ashes, Op.5
Dana Bure拧ov谩, soprano
Timothy Cheek, piano
Suite en miniature, Op.1
Brno Philharmonic
Jir铆 Pinkas, conductor.
Last on
Music Played
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Tempo di menuetto - from Five Compositions for Piano
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
- 10.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Leden (January)
Performer: Herold Quratet. Singer: Dana Bure拧ov谩.- Supraphon: SU 37522.
- Supraphon.
- 7.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Sonata appassionata, Op.6
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
- 13.
-
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Sparks from the Ashes, Op.5
Performer: Herold Quartet. Singer: Dana Bure拧ov谩.- Supraphon: SU 37522.
- Supraphon.
- 3.
-
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Suite en miniature, Op.1
Orchestra: Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Ji艡铆 Pinkas.
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