More than four decades after its 1958 debut, American composer Robert Kurka's hilarious, satirical opera The Good Soldier Schweik returns to active duty with a complete, world premiere recording on Cedille Records. . Kurka first composed an orchestral suite inspired by the Haek novel. 6. © 1995-2021 Classical NetUse of text, images, or any other copyrightable material contained in these pages, without the written permission of the copyright holder,except as specified in the Copyright Notice, is strictly prohibited. Werbefrei streamen oder als CD und MP3 kaufen bei Amazon.de. The opera, with a witty libretto by Kurka and "Strange Fruit" lyricist Abel Meerepol, uses sections and themes from the suite. The suite and the opera retain the unusual mix of satiric edge and good humor found in Haek's original. Timpani. Indeed, Brecht appropriated the character for his own Schweyk in the Second World War. Conductor Alexander Platt moves things along. After all, it took Janáček's Cunning Little Vixen roughly forty years to receive its (amateur) American première. 2. A little of this seems deliberate on the part of the composer, most does not. Overture 00:002. March – 2:55 Weintraub Music: New York. The Chicago Opera band plays crisply and with a dash of bitters. Buffy Baggott (Baroness von Botzenheim/Madame Kakonyi), Stephen Noon (Mr. Wendler/Guard/Sergeant/Mr. At one point, after relating how wonderful life was in an insane asylum (from which he had just been released), Schweik comments that "everyone there could say exactly what he pleased ... just as if he were in Parliament." The preview by Bruce Duffie of the now gone WNIB, best classical station far and wide . Shortly before his untimely death at age 38, Robert Kurka had completed an opera based on the Schweik story. He is, therefore, not only a single individual, but also the symbol of the common people and their resistance to a war from which can derive no benefit, only suffering. B-flat Soprano Clarinet The March represents the solder's chief means of getting from place to place. The Good Soldier Schweik Suite consists of several short movements depicting a good-natured Czech soldier caught in the machinations of World War I. Kurka's suite was not derived from his opera of the same name; notably, the suite was written first. Then consider the Met's repertory in the thirty years following the Dreigroschenoper's première. University of Michigan Symphony BandSuite from The Good Soldier Schweik, op. The Good Soldier Schweik Suite consists of several short movements depicting a good-natured Czech soldier caught in the machinations of World War I. Kurka's suite was not derived from his opera of the same name; notably, the suite was written first. Hello Select your address All Hello, Sign in. Trombone The review on ClassicsToday.com Robert Kurka In the story, Schweik is a symbol of the common people, forced to become a soldier and fight for a cause in which he does not believe. Uniform Title Good soldier Schweik Suite Imprint New York : Weintraub Music Co., [c1956] Physical description 1 score (44 p.) ; 31 cm. Kurka, R. (1956). Listen to The Good Soldier Schweik: Act I, Scene 7, Part I: Mrs Muller! Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel! - Program Note from Great Music for Wind Band. The Good Soldier Schweik: Act I, Scene 4: Good Evening, Ev'rybody, It's Been a Lovely Day (Schweik) By Robert Kurka Chicago Opera Theater Ensemble , Alexander Platt March 07:514. An instrumentation of winds and percussion instruments only is utilized in both suite and opera. Composer Robert Kurka died way too young, in his thirties, of leukemia. 1992 Preview SONG TIME La creation du monde. He is probably best known for the instrumental suite, The Good Soldier Schweik. The Lament represents the element of sadness and seriousness which underlies many of the episodes, such as the outbreak of war. KURKA'S `GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK' IS IN NO DANGER OF FADING AWAY. 4. C Piccolo English Horn Robert Kurka, composer of the opera The Good Soldier Schweik, was born to a Czech father and Czech-American mother (with Czech parents) in Cicero, Illinois. During his brief career, he wrote at least two symphonies, a bunch of chamber pieces, and the opera, The Good Soldier Schweik. Kurka held teaching positions at City College of New York, Queens College and Dartmouth College. The Good Soldier Schweik Suite was premiered by the Little Orchestra Society, conducted by Tom Sherman. The broad farce of the libretto suits the acting skills of most opera singers, and they take to it. 22 [score]. Contrabassoon Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation) The suite has become not only his most popular work, but one of the few post-World War II American works played more than once. The suite was inspired by a anti-war satire, The Good Soldier Schweik and His Fortunes in the World War by Yaroslavl Hacek, a Czech novelist, following World War I. The suite is wonderful, a complete success. During his brief career, he wrote at least two symphonies, a bunch of chamber pieces, and the opera, The Good Soldier Schweik. Kurka: The Good Soldier Schweikk: Amazon.sg: Music. It's Brecht before Brecht. This 1st recording of Robert Kurka's "The Good Soldier Schweik" (premiered in 1958 by New York City Opera) should win new fans for the piece, both for the attractions of its wonderfully quirky score & for the strong performance it receives here. Kurka's orchestra consists of winds, brass, and percussion, more or less following the lines of Brecht and Weill's Dreigroschenoper. Year: 1956 The Finale reveals Schweik's optimism, triumphant and indestructible in the end. 3. Kurka's music again sounds a little like Weill's Threepenny and a little like Prokofiev's Kije. It's joined by Mennin's cello concerto (János Starker, soloist) and Piston's Symphony #1, both conducted by Jorge Mester. Hide 40 tracks for Kurka: The Good Soldier Schweik. He wrote a total of two symphonies, five string quartets, six violin sonatas, and other works for piano, voice, and chorus. Cost: Score and Parts - Out of print. (Schweik) from Robert Kurka's Kurka: Good Soldier Schweik (The) for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Jaroslav Hasek’s classic World War I comic novel The Good Soldier Schweik unleashed one of the great 20th century archetypal characters: a seemingly simple-minded, guileless protagonist blessed with an instinct for survival in spite of anything and everything. Schweik has become one of the great comic figures - a survivor of hellish situations through a genial non-resistance. The War Dance represents the authorities, both civilian and military, and their fanatical pounding of the war drum. 1. Kurka's brilliant score preserves the bite and the hilarity of … B-flat Bass Clarinet The classic recording with Robert Whitney and the Louisville Orchestra is available on Albany TROY044. Bassoon Overture – 3:30 Entdecken Sie Kurka: Good Soldier Schweik (The) von Chicago Opera Theater Ensemble bei Amazon Music. The opera has its problems, chief among which is that, unlike Weill and Prokofiev, Kurka has a devil of a time setting words. Rather, it is heavy and oppressive because it depicts the countryside in time of war, underscoring the scene in which Schweik is sent to the battlefront. Virtuosic, technically demanding, and highly exposed, Good Soldier Schweik requires advanced musicians at the collegiate level. The Good Soldier Schweik, Kurka | ##### | Long Beach, United States | Performances (2) The great Walter Felsenstein staged it for the Komische Oper. Unlike Europe, the U.S. generally does not consider opera either drama or theater – rather, spectacle and vocal gymnastics, an excuse for admiring pretty scenery and costumes and betting whether someone will make a high C. Indeed, so limited is the American opera scene that a prominent critic at Schweik's première complained in print, "Where are the violins?" Kurka's biggest successes lie in the purely instrumental overture, dances, and interludes. Robert Kurka was a Chicago-area composer of Czech ancestry who, fortunately for us, finished his magnum opus, The Good Soldier Schweik, just before he died at the age of 36 in 1957. Schweik always appears accommodating and willing to please. Horn in F I-II-III The sound is fine. By Darius Milhaud The Atlantic Sinfonietta, Andrew Schenck. Švejk is the subject of films, plays, an opera, a musical, comic books, and statues, even the theme of restaurants in a number of European countries. 22. It's the kind of opera American companies shy away from since the plot concerns neither sex nor domestic murder. Wind Ensemble (Andrew Mast, conductor) – 17 February 2018, University of Maryland Wind Orchestra (Brian Coffill, conductor) – 7 April, 2017, Chicago College of Performing Arts Wind Ensemble (Tyler Holstrom, conductor) – 22 September 2013, Lynn Conservatory of Music (Boca Raton, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Kenneth Amis, conductor) – 14 January 2012. The Good Soldier Schweik, in which overtones of Wozzeck and some of the Brecht-Weill collaborations are detectable, is a work that cries out for an inventive staging. Suite from "The Good Soldier Schweik" : War Dance By Robert Kurka The Louisville Orchestra , Robert Whitney 4 Duration: c. 19:45 It is tuneful, witty, and edgy, a convincing operatic presentation of … ", - Program Note from Program Notes for Band, To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project, Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Ensemble (unconducted), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Ensemble (Christopher J. Woodruff, conductor), ‘’Great Music for Wind Band: A Guide to the Top 100 Works in Grades IV, V, VI.’’, https://www.windrep.org/index.php?title=Good_Soldier_Schweik_Suite,_The&oldid=196181, Ohio State University (Columbus) Chamber Ensemble (Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor) - 29 March 2021, Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Tx.) Responsibility Robert Kurka. The Pastoral is an ironic title for a movement which in no way brings to mind a peaceful idyllic scene of shepherds tending their flocks. One understands what attracted Felsenstein. The novel is also the subject of an unpublished operetta by Peter Gammond. Robert Kurka The Good Soldier Schweik . He not only makes you feel the warmth of the character but manages to put you in the position of Schweik's antagonists: you are never sure whether Schweik is a genuine idiot or very, very devious. Skip to main content.sg. War Dance – 2:10 The Good Soldier Schweik . Fortunately, Jason Collins (Schweik) acts better than run-of-the-mill. Many of the hero's predicaments were taken from the author's experiences. Kurka first composed an orchestral suite inspired by the Haöek novel. in 1952, The opera was completed two years later and was premiered with great success at the New York City Center on April 23, 1958. It's a fantastic romp, a delight from start to finish. According to Michael Burch-Pesses, "The scene is one of dark devastation, jagged stumps of trees, trenches and burial pits, death and destruction." By Darius Milhaud Andrew Schenck & The Atlantic Sinfonietta. B-flat Trumpet I-II Švejk has statues and monuments for example in Humenné in Slovakia, Przemyśl and Sanok in Poland, in Russia Saint Petersburg, Omsk and Bugulma and in Ukraine Kyiv, Lviv and Donetsk; in Cracowthere is a plaque on a building where the author was imprisoned for 7 days for vagrancy by th… He never complains, and this frustrates those who would give him grief. During his brief career, he wrote at least two symphonies, a bunch of chamber pieces, and the opera, The Good Soldier Schweik. The good soldier Schweik suite : for 16 players (woodwind, brass, percussion), op. Music Library . I know of only one U.S. production other than the Chicago Opera Theater's, although the opera had achieved success in Europe. The Good Soldier Schweik in the North American Works Directory Chicago Opera Theater's World Premiere Recording with Jason Collins as the perfect Schweik The Good Soldier Schweik on Cooperstown, NY (2003), Glimmerglass Opera web site. It's a good evening of theater. 5. Kurka first composed an orchestral suite inspired by the Hašek novel. 1. Composer Robert Kurka died way too young, in his thirties, of leukemia. Finden Sie Top-Angebote für KURKA: THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK - MILHAUD, WEILL - ATLANTIC SINFONIETTA, SCHENCK bei eBay. 17:56 PREVIEW Overture. All Rights Reserved. 1. Nevertheless, as drama, the opera definitely works. It is a tonal work in a style that is a direct descendent of the stage works of Kurt Weill, Werner Egk, Paul Dessau, and Darius Milhaud. The vocal line is usually some sort of stutter, as if the singer occasionally tripped over his own tongue. Kakonyi), Christian Elser (General von Schwarzburg/3. Oboe Meadows Wind Ensemble (Gregory Hustis, conductor) - 26 March 2021, University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Orchestra (Andrew Trachsel, conductor) - 4 March 2021, Michigan State University (East Lansing) Wind Symphony (Kevin Sedatole, conductor) - 26 February 2021, University of Iowa (Iowa City) Symphony Band (Josh Neuenschwander, conductor) – 10 December 2020, Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor) – 2 November 2020, University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Symphony (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) – 23 October 2020, Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 5 November 2019, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock, conductor) – 5 April 2019, Bowling Green (Ohio) State University Wind Symphony (Michael King, conductor) – 28 March 2019, California State University, San Bernardino, Symphony Band (Nicholas Bratcher, conductor) – 7 November 2018, Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisc.) He is subjected to several indignities through which his optimism finally emerges indestructible and triumphant. . Publisher: Weintraub Music The libretto is good enough to deserve better. Each of the six short pieces which comprise the suite represents a general idea or theme which reoccurs throughout the book, rather than any specific episodes. Since the Blitzstein version (The Threepenny Opera) was enjoying a record run in New York at the time, one wonders how such an operatic milestone could have slipped the critic's mind. Lament 04:013. About; Explore; About. This page was last edited on 28 March 2021, at 10:36. This 1st recording of Robert Kurka's "The Good Soldier Schweik" (premiered in 1958 by New York City Opera) should win new fans for the piece, both for the attractions of its wonderfully quirky score & for the strong performance it receives here. John von Rhein, Tribune music critic CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Through his seemingly idiotic behavior, Schweik's German master believe he is feeble minded, while, behind their backs, he exposes their arrogance, stupidity, and hypocrisy. Growing up in a (then) thriving Czech immigrant community, he was intimately familiar with the seminal novel. The singers are good, if not first-rate. 17:56 PREVIEW Overture. Thus, the Overture is a character sketch of Schweik, the good-natured common man, the genial collector of homeless dogs. Pastoral – 3:10 Flute Listen to The Good Soldier Schweik: Act I, Scene 3: Pantomine Dance from Robert Kurka's Kurka: Good Soldier Schweik (The) for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. 1992 Preview SONG TIME La Creation Du Monde. 22 (1956)Robert Kurka1. Like the music of Kurt Weill and other contemporaries of Kurka, this piece features folk melodies stylized with dramatic variety ranging from whimsical to macabre. Musically, Jeffrey Traster recommends the suite as "an excellent neo-classical work worthy of accurate and frequent performance. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Lament – 3:30 The suite has become not only his most popular work, but one of the few post-World War II … Available online At the library. Finale – 3:20, Full Score Cart All. The Good Soldier Schweik is one of the most frequently produced of American operas. 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