The Young Artist
Donald Macleod looks at Kapralova's childhood in Brno, where she grew up in a musical family in the shadow of Janacek's influence.
This week, for the first time on Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod explores the life of one of the 20th century's trailblazers, the Czech composer V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩.
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. You may have come across her name in association with her mentor, the composer Bohuslav Martinu, with whom she later became romantically involved, but irrespective of that link 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 成人快手 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.
Today Donald Macleod looks at Kapr谩lov谩's childhood in Brno, where she grew up in a musical family, in the shadow of Jan谩cek's influence. She began to write music early on, with her earliest compositions, including two song sketches, here specially recorded by Radio 3 New Generation Artist, the Ukrainian soprano Olena Tokar, as well as her best known piano work, "April Preludes", and the piece with which she made an acclaimed debut in the UK, conducting the 成人快手 Symphony Orchestra in her own "Military Sinfonietta" in 1938.
Cantabile moderato - from Five Compositions for Piano
Virginia Eskin, piano
April Preludes, Op.13
Virginia Eskin, piano
Two song sketches
Olena Tokar, soprano
Igor Gryshyn, piano
Navzdy, Op.12
Olena Tokar, soprano
Igor Gryshyn, piano
Legend and Burlesque, Op.3
Stephanie Chase, violin
Virginia Eskin, piano
Military Sinfonietta, Op.11
Czech Symphony Orchestra of Brno
Franti拧ek J铆lek, conductor.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Music Played
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
5 Pieces for piano - cantabile moderato
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
- 4.
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
5 Pieces for piano - cantabile moderato
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
- 4.
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
April Preludes, Op.13
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
April Preludes, Op.13
Performer: Virginia Eskin.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Two song sketches
Performer: Igor Gryshyn. Singer: Olena Tokar. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Two song sketches
Performer: Igor Gryshyn. Singer: Olena Tokar. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Navzdy, Op.12
Performer: Igor Gryshyn. Singer: Olena Tokar. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Navzdy, Op.12
Performer: Igor Gryshyn. Singer: Olena Tokar. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Legend and Burlesque, Op.3
Performer: Stephanie Chase. Performer: Virginia Eskin. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Legend and Burlesque, Op.3
Performer: Stephanie Chase. Performer: Virginia Eskin. -
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Military Sinfonietta, Op.11
Music Arranger: Franti拧ek J铆lek. Orchestra: Brno R S O..- STUDIO MATOUS : MK0049-201.
- Matous.
- 1.
-
![]()
Vitezslava Kapralova
Military Sinfonietta, Op.11
Music Arranger: Franti拧ek J铆lek. Orchestra: Brno R S O..- STUDIO MATOUS : MK0049-201.
- Matous.
- 1.
Broadcasts
- Mon 12 Oct 2015 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
- Mon 12 Oct 2015 18:30成人快手 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.