Janáček - Glagolitic Mass, Taras Bulba

Leoš Janáček´s "Glagolitic Mass"- Mass for Soloists, Mixed Choir, Organ and Orchestra - is a "mass of life". Janáček had determined to give expression to that belief in God which had not shown itself in his work before. He got back a tart postcard: "No old man, and no believer—till I see for myself." Janáček detested large churches: ". . . concentrated death; tombs under the floor, bones on the altar, pictures which are nothing but torture and dying". His cathedral was the Luhačovice forest, its incense the fragrance from the moist earth, its bells those from a flock of sheep. "I hear...in the choir the voice of our people. The candles—tall firs of the forest lit up with stars; and during the ceremony I see the vision of St. Wenceslas, and hear the language of the missionaries Cyril and Methodius". The Glagolitic Mass is certainly a visionary work, composer´s immaginatoion of raw roots of Christianity in Slavic people, mixed with paganic customs, inimitable opus, going to the origin of musical language. This recording is performed by L.Domanínská-soprano, V.Soukupová-contralto, B.Blachut-tenor, E.Haken-bass, J.Vodrážka-organ, Prague Philharmonic Choir, J.Veselka, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Karel Ančerl. This recording was awarded by Grand prix du disque de L'Academie Charles Cros. Karel Ančerl (1908 - 1973) was, alongside Václav Talich, part of the tandem of two foremost Czech conductors of the 20th century. As he made an overwhelming majority of his recordings for Supraphon, and since we are approaching the thirtieth anniversary of his death, this company has decided to pay a special tribute to Ančerl´s memory by a grandly conceived project of reissues of his creations, under the common heading of Ančerl Gold Series. It is to comprise a total of 42 titles, each of which will undergo complex studio overhaul and streamlining.

JGM