Search - Vitezslava Kapralova, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra of Brno, Janacek String Quartet :: Vitezslava Kapralova: Portrait of a Composer

A handsome tribute to a remarkable woman composer

10/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vitezslava Kapralova - a remarkable Czech composer of the first half of the twentieth century. Kapralova died at twenty-five but had she lived there is no doubt she would have become one of the most important women composers of this century. Like Lili Boulanger she found her own distinctive voice very early, and she has left us with twenty-five opuses before succumbing to then incurable disease. This CD is a remarkable project that has succeeded to present Kapralova's music in a very representative way. The performances originate from the Czech Radio Archives (of Brno) and are of good technical quality despite the fact that they have been recorded with various artists over the span of almost twenty years. Their artistic quality is very high to exceptional: stunning performances are given by the Brno Philharmonic under Frantisek Jilek in Kapralova's Military Sinfonietta (which was already a great success in 1938 when it opened the ISCM Festival in London. At that time the composition was performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and directed by composer herself ), by Janacek Quartet in Kapralova's String Quartet, and by Ivan Merka and Jaroslav Smykal in her arguably best composition - her Ritornell for Cello and Piano. Do not miss these rare and thoroughly enjoyable recordings!"