The War Years
Donald Macleod looks at Kapralova's final years, living in Paris an exile, her life filled with drama and heartache.
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 Agreement 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.
Now living in exile in Paris, V铆tezslava Kapr谩lov谩 finds her life increasingly insecure. Encouraged by her mentor Martinu, with whom she's been having an affair, she tries unsuccessfully to secure a place at New York's Juilliard School. After breaking off her relationship with Martinu, she decides to marry the Czech writer J铆r铆 Mucha, although she remains conflicted. On the morning of her wedding, one biographer claims she called on Martinu. On her deathbed, her last words were "That's Julietta", a reference to the three note calling card she and Martinu had taken from his opera.
Presented by Donald Macleod, with Karla Hartl from the Kapr谩lov谩 Society.
Elegy
Stephanie Chase, violin
Virginia Eskin, piano
Sung into the Distance, Op.22
Dana Bure拧ov谩, soprano
Timothy Cheek, piano
Concertino for Violin, Clarinet and Orchestra, Op.21 (3 movements)
Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
Luk谩s Danhel, clarinet
Pavel Wallinger, violin
Olga Machonov谩 Pavlu, conductor
Partita, Op.20
J铆r铆 Skovajsa, piano
Czech Symphony Orchestra of Brno
Frantisek Jilek, conductor
Ritornel, Op.25
Ivan Merka, cello
Jaroslav Sm媒kal, piano.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Elegy
Performer: Stephanie Chase.- Koch: KIC-CD-7742.
- Koch.
- 12.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Sung into the Distance, Op.22
Singer: Dana Bure拧ov谩.- Supraphon: SU 37522.
- Supraphon.
- 26.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Concertino for Violin, Clarinet and Orchestra, Op.21 (3 movements)
Orchestra: Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. -
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Partita Op.20
Music Arranger: Franti拧ek J铆lek. Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic.- Matous: MK 0049-2.
- MK.
- 12.
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Vitezslava Kapralova
Ritornel, Op.25
Performer: Ivan Merka. Performer: Jaroslav Smykal.- Matous: MK 0049.
- MK.
- 11.
Broadcasts
- Fri 16 Oct 2015 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
- Fri 16 Oct 2015 18:45成人快手 Radio 3
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