LEOŠ JANÁCEK (1854–1928)

Choral Music

Artists: New London Chamber Choir

Critical Band / James Wood

“Èkadla Nursery Rhymes

1 Introduction [0'30]

2 The beetroot got married [1'19]

3 There’s nothing better than Springtime [1'04]

4 The mole creeps [0'59]

5 Karel rode off to hell [0'31]

6 Ripped trousers [0'29]

7 Franta the knacker’s son played the bass-fiddle [0'59]

8 Our dog, our dog … [0'34]

9 I’m giving a little talk … [0'54]

10 The old woman was making magic [0'34]

11 Ho, ho, off go the cows … [1'08]

12 My tiny little wife… [0'37]

13 Granny’s crawling into the elder bush … [0'21]

14 A white goat’s picking pears [0'37]

15 German-beetle broke some pans [0'35]

16 A goat is lying in the hay [0'36]

17 Vašek, pašek, the drummer [0'38]

18 Frantík, Frantík [0'22]

19 The bear sat on a tree trunk [1'33]

20 KaÛpar Ruck˘ [5'51]

21 Sedmdes·t tisÈc The 70,000 [5'18]

22 Vl„È stopa The wolf’s trail [6'31]

23 Elegie na smrt dcery Olgy Elegy on the death of my daughter Olga [6'42]

Hrad„ansk PÈsni„ky Songs of Hrad„any

24 Golden Street [3'28]

25 The weeping fountain [4'07]

26 Belveder [7'42]

27 Ave Maria [4'48]

28 Ot„en·Û Our Father [14'33]

This recording features a wide variety of works by the Czech composer Leoš Janá„ek, ranging from the mayhem of the “íkadla nursery rhymes and the description of the shameful antics of Mr Kašpar Rucký to the serene beauty of the Lord’s Prayer setting. Several of the pieces are only rarely performed—even today when the composer’s reputation is growing fast—and are little known outside the Slavic choral tradition which so influenced their style.

‘Excellent performances … a well made and enjoyable record’ (Gramophone)

‘These performances strike me as nearly ideal … this enchanting Hyperion disc’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘James Wood y su grupo se apuntan un gran tanto con este CD’ (Scherzo, Spain)

Helios CDH55398