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Vítězslava Kaprálová: Publication of Songs for Voice and Piano by Karla Hartl, Chair, The Kapralova Society

posted 24 May 2006

I am pleased to be able to announce a major step in the rediscovery of the music of Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915–40): the publication of the critical edition of her songs – a project undertaken by The Kapralova Society in partnership with Amos Editio in Prague .

We were fortunate in securing editorial expertise of Dr Timothy Cheek of the University of Michigan School of Music for this project. Dr Cheek is also the author of beautiful English translations of the Czech texts that Kaprálová set to music [and the pianist in the Supraphon recording of the songs, reviewed here.

The project involved two publications: Kaprálová's songs for voice and piano and her song Leden (January) for voice and quintet:

1. Leden (‘January’), for soprano/tenor, flute, two violins, cello and piano (1933). The publication contains a preface in English with a Czech translation, Nezval's poem in Czech with its English translation, score and parts, and editor's notes in both languages.

2. The main part of the publication, the s ongs for voice and piano, covers 148 pages and contains prefaces in Czech and English, the texts of the songs in Czech with English translations, editorial notes in both languages, and the following songs and song-cycles:

Dvě písně (‘Two Songs’), Op. 4 (1932)

Jiskry z popele (‘Sparks from Ashes’), Op. 5 (song-cycle; 1932–33)

Jablko z klína (‘Apple from the Lap’), Op. 10 (song-cycle; 1934–36)

Navždy (‘For Ever’), Op. 12 (1936–37)

Sbohemašáteček (‘Waving Farewell’), Op. 14 (1937)

Koleda (‘Carol’), 1937 (1937)

Vánočníkoleda (‘Christmas Carol’) (1939)

Vteřiny (‘Seconds’), Op. 18 (collection; 1936–39)

Zpívánododálky (‘Sung into the Distance’), Op. 22 (1939)

Dopis (‘Letter’) (1940).

It also contains the following songs as supplements:

Potkali se včera lidé dva (‘Two People Met Yesterday’)

Až jednoho dne se budeš ptát (‘One Day You Will Ask’)

V zemi české (‘In the Czech Land ’)

Píseň dělníků páně (‘Song of the Workers of the Lord’) 

For additional information about the edition, please visit our website: http://www.kapralova.org/EDITION.htm

We would like to acknowledge the following members and friends of the society whose support made this project possible: Karla Hartl, Liane Curtis, Hartl Sala Bell LLP, Miroslav Novotny, Michael S. Pearl, the Mayor's Office of the Village of Tri Studne , Josef Kapral, and Hanus Weigl. We also wish to thank Dr Veroslav Nemec of Amos Editio for passionately believing in the project and providing it with unwavering care that proved essential to its successful completion. We hope that this publication will serve many generations of musicians to come.

The 2005 annual report of The Kapralova Society is now online: http://www.kapralova.org/ANNUAL.htm

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