AT THE OPERA
A Charles Mackerras celebration, Part 11
Prepared and presented by Camille Mercep

Janácek, L. From the house of the dead. Opera in three acts. Libretto by the composer. First performed, Brno, 1930.   

Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act I   
[27:21]

Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act II   
[29:41]

Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act III   
[33:44]

   GORYANCHIKOV: Dalibor Jedlička, bass
ALYEYA: Jaroslava Janská, sop
SHISHKOV: Václav Zitek, bar
FILKA MOROZOV: Jiři Zahradnič, ten
Vienna State Opera Ch & O/Charles Mackerras.Total Time: 1:30:48
Decca 430 375-2

   A political prisoner, the nobleman Alexander Petrovich Goryanchikov, arrives at a Siberian prison camp and is interrogated by the Commandant who orders him to be flogged. Meanwhile, the prisoners have found an eagle with a broken wing and begin to tease it. They admire its defiance and decide to look after it. As various prisoners relate the crimes that have brought them to Siberia, Goryantchikov is dragged in, near death, after his flogging.
A year has passed and Goryanchikov has befriended a young Tartar boy, Alyeya, and has taught him to read and write. A prisoner, resentful of Goryanchikov having the means to buy tea, attacks him but Alyeya gets injured during the scuffle. In the prison hospital, Shiska tells Luka, who is dying from tuberculosis, the story of the girl whom he had married, who was rumoured to have been dishonoured by Filka. When Shiskov discovered she still loved Filka, he killed her. When Luka dies, Shishkov recognises him as Filka. The Commandant informs Goryanchikov that he has been pardoned and apologises for the flogging. As Goryanchikov is freed, the prisoners release the eagle whose wing has now fully healed. The guard orders them back to work.

Dvorák, A. Song to the moon, from Rusalka (1901).    Renée Fleming, sop; Czech PO/Charles Mackerras.
ABC 480 5629 [05:45]

Nathan, I. Finale: Hail to the star that in glory appears, from Don John of Austria (1847; arr. Mackerras).    Cheryl Barker, sop; Sally-Anne Russell, mezz; Steve Davislim, ten; Grant Doyle, bar; Paul Whelan, bass; Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers; Sydney SO/Alexander Briger.
ABC 476 4114 [08:49]

22:00 MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
Prepared by James Nightingale
With Nena Beretin

Smyth, E. Serenade in D (1890).    BBC PO/Odaline de la Martinez.
Chandos CHAN 9449 [35:28]

Boulanger, L. D’un soir triste (1917).    BBC PO/Yan Pascal Tortelier.
Chandos CHAN 9745 [10:37]

Britten, B. Night piece, notturno (1963).    Stephen Hough, pf.
Virgin VC 7 91203 2 [05:22]

Broadstock, B. In the silence of the night.    Linda Kouvaras, pf.
Move MCD 042 [09:31]

Tailleferre, G. Sonata (1957).    Isabelle Moretti, hp.
Harmonia Mundi 7905184 [08:57]

Saariaho, K. Vent nocturne, I and II.    Garth Knox, va.
ECM New Series 476 4501 [12:47]

Isaacs, M. Nocturne (2005).    Simon Tedeschi, pf.
ABC 481 0960 [03:26]

Hosokawa, T. Lotus under the moonlight (2006).    Momo Kodama, pf; Mito CO/Seiji Ozawa.
ECM 4855413 [22:46]