| Popis: |
Karel Husa, a Czechoslovakian composer now resident in the USA, has a most distinguished and varied output. These folksongs from his native land are a fine example of his sensitivity and expertise. The 12 brief items are properly balanced in mood and style to provide plenty of contrast, despite the overall simplicity of the vocal lines. The composer states that he has barely altered the original folk melodies, and in many cases especially idiomatic inflections are given added flexibility by means of grace notes. A full guide to pronunciation is provided for performance in the original language and it must be said that the English texts, though strong and evocative, inevitably lose something of the special character and unusual syllabic stresses so typical of Czech music. The composer’s musical idiom successfully combines the appropriate national flavour with an up-to-date language. These folksongs deserve to be heard more widely alongside the well-known pieces in the genre by Bartk and Kodly. |
