Leoš Janáček: The Excursions of Mr. Brouček (Part 2: To the 15th century)

Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)

The Excursions of Mr. Brouček. Comic Opera in 2 Parts (4 Acts)
Part One: The Excursion of Mr. Brouček to the Moon (L'Excursion de M. Brouček sur la lune / Der Ausflug des Herrn Brouček zum Mond)
Libretto by the composer and others after Svatopluk Cech.

Part Two: The Excursion of Mr. Brouček to the 15th Century (au XVe siècle /ins 15. Jahrhundert)
Libretto by the composer with F.S. Prochazka, after Svatopluk Cech.

The complete work was first performed at the Prague National Theatre on 23 April 1920.



Matej Brouček, a landlord /ein Hausbesitzer /un propriétaire : Jan Vacik
Mazal, a painter /Maler /peintre : Peter Straka
Sacristan at St. Vitus Cathedral :: Roman Janal
Malinka, his daughter ; (Etherea & Kunka) : Maria Haan
Poet : Edward Goater
Würfl, the publican at yheVikarka : Zdenek Plech
others


BBCC Singers
Chorus master: Stephen Betteridge
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek


Part Two: "To the 15th Century": (In the treasure chamber of King Wenceslas IV, full of superb jewels)

"Scene 1 The castle of Wenceslas IV, 1420 Prague
Brouček has been arguing with his drinking cronies about the underground tunnels constructed beneath medieval prague. He staggers home only to find himself in one of these tunnels, where he encounters shadowy figures from the past.
The poet, Svatopluk Cech, appears. He laments the moral decline of the Czech nation where heroes have been replaced by greedy nonentities (like Mr. Brouček). Cech sings of how he longs to write antherms for a reborn nation, rather than bitter satires -such as this one."

2 - voices, Brouček, Würfl : "Byly podzemni chodby" (There were underground passages, secret passages, secret dungeons. People in those days knew how to dig.)

3 - poet : "O, slunce velkého dne" , (Sun of that great day when your brillant golden rays crowned with immortal glory...)

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[joyceen1]

Just heard this music for the first time today in a suite. Would like to know what all these pictures are. Looks like crown jewels and palaces. Is the opera a comedy? Thanks. J