BOHUSLAV MARTINU (1890-1959): 3 Fragments from the Opera Juliette (World Premiere Recording), Suite from the Opera Juliette (arr. Zbynek Vostrák [1920-1985]).

Description: Originally in Czech, this dream-opera was premiered in Prague in 1938. Later the same year, Martinu adapted three scenes in French language for radio broadcast with a view to getting the work performed and/or published in a more broad geographical area. The war put paid to that and the Fragments (Martinu's own title of the sequence) were lost until a few years ago. Really, only the language is different from the scenes in the original opera but since the only recording of the complete Julietta (in Czech, on Supraphon) is not currently available, we offer this new release, recorded live in Prague last December with two of the most famous and highly regarded young singers of today. French-English libretto. Magdalena Kozená (mezzo), Steve Davislim (tenor), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras.