Czech Songs (Magdalena Kožená, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle)
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Loading... - Dalia Taha
- 06 Aug 2024
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If you seek an hour of pleasurable listening, look no further than Magdalena Kožená’s latest recording. Following her acclaimed Folk Songs album in 2023, she reunites with the exceptional Czech Philharmonic under her husband, conductor Simon Rattle, for a beautiful and thoughtful selection of songs in her native tongue.
At 51, Kožená is an artist at the peak of her powers. Her fine-grained mezzo, sweet and fresh in her lauded debut recording of Bach arias in 1999, has acquired more steel over the years. What once seemed an intuitive knack for the sung line has developed into a musical intelligence of great precision. It feels as if there’s nothing she can’t do, so fierce is her commitment (for proof, check out her tremendous Alcina with Marc Minkowski).
Many songs here will be discoveries for listeners, beginning with Martinů’s Nipponari cycle. Sonically reminiscent of Ravel or Debussy, this setting of Japanese poems for soprano and chamber orchestra was written by Martinů in his early 20s. It deals sensitively with ageing and the passage of time. These songs are given a marvellous reading by Kožená, who, along with Rattle and the orchestra, invests Martinů’s work with a Mahlerian gravitas.
A greater rarity comes in the form of Hans Krása’s Four Orchestral Songs, settings of nonsense verse by German poet Christian Morgenstern. Krása, murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz in 1944, is a fascinating composer whose output deserves greater attention. Dating from 1920, these compact, disquieting pieces make a strong case for his work. Acclaimed in his time, they marked his debut as a composer. Kožená and the orchestra navigate the rapid shifts in mood and tonal colour with dexterity and polish, revelling in Krása’s seemingly unbounded imagination.
Selections from two song cycles by Dvořák mark the recording’s mid-point, sensitively orchestrated by Jiří Gemrot. The first group, taken from his Evening Songs, are ravishingly done, Kožená’s creamy tone complemented by the rich glow of the Czech Philharmonic. I Dreamt Last Night boasts some of the finest singing you’ll hear all year, while I Am That Knight is an opera packed into just under two minutes.
Two selections from his Op. 2 Songs – Oh, It Was a Lovely, Golden Dream and My Heart Often Broods in Pain – round out this central section of the album. They are plaintive, wistful songs, and too much emotion from a less adept artist would no doubt tip it into overkill territory. Kožená paints with subtle colours here, revealing both the poignancy and originality of the composer’s vision.
Such delicacy in service of the composer is the hallmark of this album, with Kožená offering richly characterised accounts one after another. She receives excellent musical support from the orchestra and conductor, together making this a must-listen.
