| Abstrakt: |
Like most of the ensembles discussed here, they first made their mark with Czech music and then branched out to focus on more canonical works with a wider appeal, while at the same time maintaining a balance with lesser-known repertory - unquestionably one of the most well-known early music ensembles working in the Czech Republic today. In 1843 the German travel writer, Johann Kohl, commented on the curious fact that although several German states border Bohemia, a large degree of mystery and misunderstanding lay between them; in doing so he cited a common German expression: "Dieß ist mir so unbekannt wie die böhmischen Dörfer" [ I sic i ] (this is as unknown to me as a Bohemian village). In the sphere of early music, few individuals of that generation were as prolific and influential as Zuzana Ruzicková (1927-2017), whose recording career was devoted primarily to the harpsichord music of J. S. Bach and who was the first to record all of Bach's harpsichord music (now available on 20 CDs, remastered in 2016, Erato 59304). The traverso player and musical director Jana Semeradová has also remained active in Prague's busy early music scene since the 1990s, notably with her own ensemble Collegium Marianum. [Extracted from the article] |
