大象传媒

Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k was no spring chicken when he found success as a composer. He was in his early thirties before he made his mark in his native Czech Republic, despite composing from a young age. Donald Macleod follows Dvo艡谩k as he attempts to win over successive audiences: from Prague to Vienna, England to America, before eventually returning to Prague and to the opera stage. Who did he need to impress in order to achieve the success he craved?

With the success of Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 breakthrough came difficulties, due to the high expectations of his friends and supporters. Little wonder that the Czech composer鈥檚 sights turned elsewhere, to England, and a chance to follow his own path.

Today Donald Macleod asks whether Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 visits to England led not only to increased fame but also to a greater sense of his own worth as a composer. We鈥檒l hear from some of the works that delighted his English audiences, including an oratorio about a Czech saint and a setting of the Requiem Mass.

Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 success in England also allowed him to fulfil a dream of buying a bolthole in the country, a place that inspired his Eighth Symphony.

Czech Suite, Op 39 (Finale 鈥� Furiant)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Antoni Wit, conductor

Stabat Mater, Op 58 (Quis es homo, qui non fleret)
L铆via 脕ghov谩, soprano
Marga Schiml, contralto
Aldo Baldin, tenor
Lud臎k Vel, bass
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek 鈥� conductor

Svat谩 Ludmila, Op 71 (What man is this whom lightening will not fell? & I beg thee, on thy dusty feet My lips I would lay)
Eva Urbanov, soprano
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek, conductor

Symphony No 8 in G major, Op 88 (1st movt 鈥� Allegro con brio)
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Iv谩n Fische, conductor

Requiem, Op 89 (Hostias)
Pilar Lorengar, soprano
Erzs茅bet Koml贸ssy, contralto
R贸bert Ilosfalvy, tenor
Tomas Krause, bass
London Symphony Orchestra
The Ambrosian Singers
Istv谩n Kert茅sz, conductor

Produced by Cerian Arianrhod for 大象传媒 Cymru Wales.