Bedřich Smetana : The Bartered Bride, Overture and Dances from the opera T.93 (1863-66 rev. 1869)

[@ivogianfranco1633]

Great recording, thank you for that. I just don´t understand why Chandos decided to use a painting of some obviously Russian girl as a cover for this quintessencially Czech work. It's like using a picture of Caucasus as a cover for Richard Strauss's Alpine Symphony.

[@tonyobadinage6647]

Great to hear this again, Rodders (after many a long year!). Many thanks for the upload of this and its companion piece :)

[@maxmerry8470]

That incredible Overture makes me imagine I'm running alongside an express train! Even the lassie in peasant costume seems to be daring the viewer/listener to keep up with her. What a great performance by Simon and the LSO. And that's just the start. The subsequent dances, gems all of them, sparkle with vitality and wonderful orchestration. Love the Fanfare and Comedians Dance, for instance. Brilliant upload....

[@tonyobadinage6647]

I agree Max. Also, Smetana has his own 'style'.... there's more than a touch of "Ma Vlast" in this work.

[@maxmerry8470]

Hi, Tony. Just managed to get a CD copy of this gem (£4, including postage cost) BUT it doesn't have the picture of the healthily rounded peasant girl! Guess it's a reissue. Chandos did same when they reissued the Jarvi/Rimsky set, replacing the original painting.....

[@tonyobadinage6647]

Hello Max, it's an absolute corker of an LP isn't it? A shame you were deprived of your wench but at least you have the music :)

[@maxmerry8470]

Ah well, I can't be lusting after peasant girls like some wealthy landowner at my time of life!!! There are listeners out there who get irritated by references to cover art, but I can't help myself. It's all part of the package for me.

[@tonyobadinage6647]

I absolutely agree, Max, and I will freely admit that the cover art has influenced my decision-making process in the past. I do make exceptions, however..... I collected Lyrita LPs in the past, regardless of the fact that I thought the cover art was, almost uniformly, awful!

im not even czech but this make me feel proud to be czech!!!

[@ВадимСуліковський]

Я беру для игры.