Leos Janácek: The Excursions of Mr. Broucek

by Jaroslav Brezina, Ales Briscein, Jaroslav Kyzlink

Overview

The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, in full The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon and to the 15th Century, was Leo¿ Janá¿ek's fifth opera, premiered in Prague in 1920. The work has not often been performed or recorded. It was plagued with problems from the start as Janá¿ek cycled through various librettists, struggling with the unwieldy pair of Czech novels on which the opera is based. Audiences didn't catch on to the work; the title character (the name means "Mr. Beetle"), a Prague landlord displaced from his own time after a drinking binge, was taken as sympathetic, although the composer was going for merciless satire, and the score's Viennese waltzes were taken at face value. The score consists of short chunks that make it a bit difficult to follow, yet this may be a case of a work whose virtues are revealed only over many decades. This recording, with a strong cast of Czech singers and instrumentalists, made classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2024. The experiences of the titular Brou¿ek as he travels to the moon but meets figures very much like those in his own life somewhat resemble those of characters in The Twilight Zone television series, heavily populated with hapless barflies. While it is uncertain how much the opera's current audience might overlap with that of The Twilight Zone, the work's fantasy quality is uniquely modern. Conductor Jaroslav Kyzlink deserves a good portion of the credit here as he powers through the spiky music and gets at the score's deeper edge. This may be a case of an opera whose time has come. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	08/16/2024
Label:	SUPRAPHON
UPC:	0099925433925

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Introduction
2. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: Can one believe men
3. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: Love, yes, love's charming flower
4. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: Málinka! I've a diamond!
5. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: Ha! What monster does frighten my astonished eye!
6. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: You have never yet known love
7. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 1: Fright now spreads from you just like from Medusa!
8. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: Introduction. This melody, yes indeed, but on the bombardon!
9. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: Dance. You clown, you! - You, Titan of songs!
10. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: O sweet creature, you!
11. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: Come here!
12. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: You're dearer to me
13. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: Interlude
14. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 1. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek to the Moon. Act 2: With lasting laurels I adorn your curls

Disc 2

15. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 1: Introduction. There were deep underground passages
16. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 1: Help! Help!
17. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 1: O, you Sun of that great day
18. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 1: We must remember well this newly found short-cut!
19. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 1: The Day of the Lord begins!
20. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Introduction. If I weren't sitting here
21. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Here they come from church service
22. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Alas, the name of Czechs has been dragged
23. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Hurrah, Tábor!
24. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Change of Scene. Hejsasa! Hejsasa!
25. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Look, one is crouching here
26. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: He too went with us
27. The Excursions of Mr. Brou¿ek, opera~Part 2. The Excursion of Mr. Brou¿ek into the 15th Century. Act 2: Change of Scene. Ach! Ach! Ach!

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ales Briscein   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jaroslav Brezina   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jaroslav Kyzlink   Primary Artist,Conductor
Jiri Gemrot   Music Direction
Roman Janal   Vocals
Jiri Zahradka   Critical Edition
Prague National Theatre Orchestra   Orchestra
Frantisek Zahradnicek   Vocals
Alzbeta Polackova   Vocals
Jiri Bruckler   Vocals
Josef Moravec   Vocals
Doubravka Souckova   Vocals
Martin Srejma   Vocals
Libuse Klausova   Celeste
Jan Kalfus   Organ
Prague National Theatre Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Jiri Sulzenko   Vocals
Stanislava Jirku   Vocals

Technical Credits

Leos Janacek   Composer,Librettist
Frantisek Serafin Prochazka   Librettist
Jan Lzicar   Engineer
Hilda Hearne   Liner Note Translation
Viktor Dyk   Librettist
Frantisek Gellner   Librettist
Daniela Balkova   Booklet Editor
Hana Smejkalova   Photography
Ondrej Hucin   Liner Notes
Patrik Borecky   Photography
Viktor Oliva   Illustrations
Matous Vlcinsky   Producer