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The Radio 3 Boards > The Music Boards > Music Through The Ages > 20th Century > Novak's cantata "The Storm" on D-dur
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Author Topic: Novak's cantata "The Storm" on D-dur  (Read 618 times)
Sydney Grew
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« on: 11:14:34, 31-03-2007 »
It is still morning, and yet we have already been treated to Vitezslav Novak's magnificent sea fantasy, the 71-minute "Storm", opus 42. This was not on the failed B.B.C. Radio 3 of course, but here:

http://www.rozhlas.cz/d-dur/english

What an excellent station it is! There are no advertisements, no long rambling announcements, and no "good jazz" (contradiction in terms), just 24 hours of classical music per day!

The cantata, begun in 1908 and first performed in 1910, contains something both of the virtuosity of Schmitt and of the incandescence of Scryabine. A tremendously worthwhile work we feel! (Members should by the way be warned that there are other Novaks: Jan, Pavel, and even Johann Baptist, but Vitezslav who studied at Dvorak's feet and received the commendation of Brahms was the Novak we feel.)

Of course sea pictures were highly valued in those days; we think of Elgar, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Bantock, Bax, Bridge, Parry, Stanford, Sibelius, Debussy, Glassouneff, Malipiero, and so on, not to speak of BB rather later on. Do any other Members know the "Storm"?
« Last Edit: 15:05:43, 31-03-2007 by Sydney Grew » Logged
marbleflugel
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« Reply #1 on: 13:05:57, 03-04-2007 »
Syd, we'll have to agree to differ about jazz but  Thank You for the link. There are so many thoroghgoing scores
from Slovak territories from that period. I remember some discoveries on NRD (which also covered non-German obscurities )etc when I lived in Europe so lovingly and sympathetically played-decent rehearsal times out there.
I'll look into V. Novak and again Thanks.
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Arnold Brown
thompson1780
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« Reply #2 on: 21:50:37, 12-04-2007 »
Quote from: Sydney Grew on 11:14:34, 31-03-2007
It is still morning, and yet we have already been treated to Vitezslav Novak's magnificent sea fantasy, the 71-minute "Storm", opus 42. This was not on the failed B.B.C. Radio 3 of course, but here:

http://www.rozhlas.cz/d-dur/english

What an excellent station it is! There are no advertisements, no long rambling announcements, and no "good jazz" (contradiction in terms), just 24 hours of classical music per day!

The cantata, begun in 1908 and first performed in 1910, contains something both of the virtuosity of Schmitt and of the incandescence of Scryabine. A tremendously worthwhile work we feel! (Members should by the way be warned that there are other Novaks: Jan, Pavel, and even Johann Baptist, but Vitezslav who studied at Dvorak's feet and received the commendation of Brahms was the Novak we feel.)

Of course sea pictures were highly valued in those days; we think of Elgar, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Bantock, Bax, Bridge, Parry, Stanford, Sibelius, Debussy, Glassouneff, Malipiero, and so on, not to speak of BB rather later on. Do any other Members know the "Storm"?


Sadly, No, but I will investigate.  The only Novak I have are teh Serenades in F and D, which I like a lot.  Many thanks too for the link Syd.  Will tune in later.

Tommo
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #3 on: 11:56:28, 14-04-2007 »
Thank you Messrs Flugel and Thompson for your responses. We have just now looked at their schedule and seen that The Storm was on again this morning! They must have a cycle system as do some of the French and Italian web broadcasts.

The following link too is interesting (the Czech answer to Radio 3) because there are frequent programmes consisting of music by modern Czech and Slovak composers, though mostly in the early hours.

http://www.rozhlas.cz/vltava/portal/

There doesn't seem to be any English version of their schedules so one is very soon obliged to look up and learn a smattering of basic words such as "housle"= violin.
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #4 on: 13:20:54, 14-04-2007 »
What is the textual material of this cantata, I wonder?  It may, of course, be about the sea.

It might also be about the drama by Alexander Ostrovsky "The Storm", which was particularly popular in Prague at this time - so much so that Leos Janacek turned to it for the material for "Katya Kabanova" some twenty years later,  although he felt obliged to change the title to the name of his doomed heroine.

EDIT
Actually, forget that - I've found the work and it's subtitled "A Sea Fantasy", so the only maritime link Ostrovsky would have would be a red herring. Wink
« Last Edit: 19:45:31, 14-04-2007 by Reiner Returns » Logged
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Sydney Grew
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« Reply #5 on: 02:08:37, 15-04-2007 »
The text comes from a narrative poem by Svatopluk Cech. One John Tyrrell in Grove rudely describes the words as "unconsciously comic", but ignorant and insensitive people will laugh at anything.

Whether despite or because of its text, Novak's work received a triumphant première in Brno in 1910.

Novak was an active walker, swimmer, and mountaineer. Something like Webern isn't it? He is said to have visited every European country except Russia - we do not know why that country was omitted from his itinerary. He was one of the leading figures in Czech culture. In 1909 he opened a master-class in composition at Prague Conservatorium, and therein he taught over 100 composers until his retirement in 1939.

Many Members will be unaware of his 1907 tone-poem about Lady Godiva. It takes on a sonata form wherein the first subject is violent and masculine, while the second subject is gentle and feminine. We do not think that something like that had ever been so specifically attempted in music prior to that work.

And here he was, in his latter years it seems:



We shall look out for a more youthful photograph.
« Last Edit: 03:00:47, 15-04-2007 by Sydney Grew » Logged
autoharp
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« Reply #6 on: 11:03:43, 30-08-2008 »
I've just discovered this piece. More striking than anything else I've heard by Novak.
Here's the opening:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv1EUNdibVs
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #7 on: 18:28:31, 30-08-2008 »
I had a CD of this recording on order from HMV for about four months. I got so fed up of the weekly emails telling me it's out of stock at the moment, but they're doing everything they can to get it - 'it's a high priority for us' - that I gave up. Maybe I should order from another source now; I have a few discs of Novak and I've enjoyed eveything I've heard. His symphonic poem, Pan, on the Marco Polo label, was one of my downloads the other day.
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marbleflugel
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« Reply #8 on: 19:22:07, 30-08-2008 »
Wouldn't it be greatif Behavlovek chanced his arm and promoted Novak and co live with the BBCSO?
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Arnold Brown
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« Reply #9 on: 19:25:25, 30-08-2008 »
Absolutely. Not only Novak, but Suk and Fibich too - I chanced upon a recording of Fibich's 2nd Symphony the other day - the Detroit SO conducted by Neeme Järvi (see Now Spinning thread) and it's wonderful stuff; not as fine as the best Dvořák, but immensely tuneful.
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marbleflugel
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« Reply #10 on: 19:35:38, 30-08-2008 »
My mail is doolally until i move, but that'll beon my shopping list then IGI,thanks.
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Arnold Brown
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« Reply #11 on: 19:40:19, 30-08-2008 »
And only £6.41 is using Caiman via Amazon, which for a 2-disc Chandos set, is great value.
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thompson1780
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« Reply #12 on: 20:13:35, 30-08-2008 »
For fans of Novak and indeed Czech music in general, these guys are very good on service:

http://www.cdmusic.cz/inshop/scripts/shop_NF.asp

Hope that helps IGI?

Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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