This year marks the centenary of her birth, so let's have a tombstone of a thread dedicated to one of the greatest talents that wasn't allowed to flourish.
(http://img.ct24.cz/multimedia/videos/image/2103/medium/630666.jpg)
Not familiar with Kaprálová? She was a student (and muse) of Martinů and the musical language shows, although I'll never stop wondering where it could develop if Kaprálová enjoyed a full life. Aside from being a prodigious talent, she was also an up-and-coming conductor, conducting her own graduation work, the Piano Concerto (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k-tIEBV_rM), when she was twenty, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra three years later in 1938.
https://www.youtube.com/v/3FBV3fnZGIM
https://www.youtube.com/v/EbvM-D8TJBw
https://www.youtube.com/v/i1Ekcngn-2c
The Kapralova Society (http://www.kapralova.org/) maintains the composer's legacy.
Nice summary from Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/11365848/The-tragedy-of-Europes-great-forgotten-female-composer.html)
Martinů, Kaprálová, and the musical symbolism (http://www.kapralova.org/newsletter3.pdf) (.pdf)
(..and right after I shared the Appassionata on my facebook wall, a friend of mine casually mentioned Kaprálová was actually her grand-aunt. The world is SMALL!)
Bump for a composer I've just discovered.
I heard this composer's name mentioned in a thread on another board recently (I believe the topic was "Most attractive female composers/performers"). Shortly after, I was watching the TV show Mozart in the Jungle and her music was featured heavily in season 3 after one of the characters realizes that she has an eerie resemblance to the composer and starts dressing like her and singing her songs (albeit poorly, with a kind of cabaret affectation, that doesn't really do the music justice). Anyway I found the story of her life fascinating and decided to check out some of her music. She was quite prolific considering her short life—she died at my age, 25.
I got this on Qobuz:
(http://www.kapralova.org/supraphonbig.jpg)
Sounds good to me. I'm excited to spend more time with her music. Seems she spent much of her time writing songs.
Anyone else listening to Kaprálová? I know there are some Czech music aficionados here.
I love this recording of her orchestral works. Elegant, cute and lively music. The Naxos disc will be released on June 25.
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on May 24, 2021, 07:58:48 AM
I love this recording of her orchestral works. Elegant, cute and lively music. The Naxos disc will be released on June 25.
I only discovered her recently via the "April Preludes" on this fine disc
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODkwMzM3My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MzAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MTU4OTM5NjN9)
14 different composers all very well performed. BUT the Kapralova is the stand-out work. Clearly a genuinely prodigious talent and one of the great "what-might-have-beens..."
Quote from: Roasted Swan on May 24, 2021, 01:18:09 PM
I only discovered her recently via the "April Preludes" on this fine disc
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODkwMzM3My4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MzAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE2MTU4OTM5NjN9)
14 different composers all very well performed. BUT the Kapralova is the stand-out work. Clearly a genuinely prodigious talent and one of the great "what-might-have-beens..."
I will look for recordings of her piano works since I know only few of them. I like her piano concerto. I will check out this album as well!