BOHUSLAV MARTINŮ (1890-1959): Julietta.

Description: This sort of replaces the elderly 1962 Czech recording of Martinů’s 1938 surreal dream-opera except that it doesn’t exactly; it rather supplements it. It’s given here in a German translation made in 2001 by the Austrian conductor Dietfried Bernet and the Czech musicologist and Martinu specialist Aleš Brezina, presumably a good, carefully considered one although the booklet note specifically about the translation is in German only as is the libretto itself, so you will still need the Czech-English libretto in the Supraphon set if you have it. Still, it has an English synopsis, unlike the Supraphon so you’re not entirely at sea if you want to hear this neglected work. Given that Martinů originally tried to set the work in the original French of the play is is based upon and that it was given in German in Wiesbaden in 1956 and in English in London in 1978, “authenticity” has a rather broad shape here. It’s in Martinů’s mature style of diatonic lyricism and its energetic parts are similar to the fast music of its orchestral relation of the same year, the Double Concerto for 2 String Orchestras, Piano and Timpani. 2 CDs. Juanita Lascarro (soprano), Kurt Streit (tenor), Choir of Frankfurt Opera, Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra; Sebastian Weigle.