Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)


The Bartered Bride 142:30
Comic opera in three acts
Libretto by Karel Sabina, English version by Kit Hesketh-Harvey

COMPACT DISC ONE
1 Overture 6:28

Act I
Scene 1
2 'Time at last for celebration' 4:36
Chorus
3 'Why do you look so downcast' 3:27
Jeník, Marenka, Chorus

Scene 2
4 'Jeník, what will happen if Mother's right?' 1:18
Marenka, Jeník
5 Aria: 'Promise me that you would never' 3:34
Marenka
6 'Is it so unfair to want to know' 0:53
Marenka, Jeník
7 Duet: 'Such a mother is a blessing' 2:25
Jeník, Marenka
8 'Faithful love I vow to you' 3:44
Marenka, Jeník

Scene 3
9 'Every detail has been sorted' 5:05
Kecal, Krušina, Ludmila
10 'Hold it! Are we not forgetting' 0:59
Krušina, Kecal, Ludmila
11 Trio: 'Well, as I told you, he's kind and he's gentle' 3:58
Kecal, Ludmila, Krušina

Scene 4
12 'Look! She's coming!' 4:52
Kecal, Ludmila, Krušina, Marenka
13 'Fine then, say what you will' 1:54
Marenka, Krušina, Ludmila, Kecal

Scene 5 - Finale
14 Introduction: Polka - 4:33
'Take your partners for the polka'
Chorus

Act II
Scene 1
15 'So charge the glasses, lads' 5:05
Chorus, Jeník, Kecal
16 Furiant 2:18

Scene 2
17 'Ma. . . Ma. . . My mamma said' 2:19
Vašek

Scene 3
18 'Don't say you're the body' 1:29
Marenka, Vašek
19 Duet: 'I know there's a girl for you' 6:02
Marenka, Vašek
65:11

COMPACT DISC TWO
Scene 4
1 'I have plenty of others' 0:48
2 Duet: 'Just a word or two, my friend' 2:40
3 'Time and time again I encounter men' 3:33
4 'Think what it's worth, lad' 2:04
5 'You'll go home to Moravia?' 3:34
Kecal, Jeník

Scene 5
6 'Ah, my friend! Once you learn' 3:50
Kecal

Scene 6 - Finale
7 'Come now everyone, gather round' 4:16
Kecal, Chorus, Jeník, Krušina

Act III
Scene 1
8 'I'm near now to despairing' 4:01
Vašek

Scene 2
9 'Roll up! Roll up ladies and gentlemen!' 2:45
Ringmaster
10 Ballet 6:02
11 'Oh, it looks so lovely!' 4:53
Vašek, Esmeralda, Indian, Ringmaster
12 Duettino: 'Mother doesn't matter, Mother wouldn't care!' 1:44
Esmeralda, Ringmaster

Scene 3
13 'Oh, I don't understand it!' 0:57
Vašek, Hásek, Kecal, Mícha
14 Quartet: 'What? Dare he? Would he? You do what?' 2:44
Háta, Mícha, Kecal, Vašek

Scene 4
15 'No! I don't believe you!' 4:58
Marenka, Krušina, Kecal, Ludmila, Háta, Mícha

Scene 5
16 'Oh, Vašek! Don't run away!' 1:14
Kecal, Vašek, Ludmila, Háta, Krušina, Mícha
17 Sextet: 'Think it over, Marenka, think it through' 3:18
Ludmila, Háta, Krušina, Kecal, Mícha, Marenka

Scene 6
18 'Oh, but the pain! The burning pain!' 1:49
19 'We dreamed upon a moonlit night' 4:33
Marenka

Scene 7
20 'Marenka mine, Marenka mine!' 4:31
Jeník, Marenka

Scene 8
21 'So then, young man' 1:19
Kecal, Marenka, Jeník
22 Trio: 'Be calm, oh my love' 3:37
Jeník, Marenka, Kecal

Scene 9 - Finale
23 'Tell us, Marenka, it's all up to you' 1:11
Chorus, Marenka, Jeník
24 'It's Jeník! What's he doing here?' 3:40
Háta, Mícha, Jeník, Kecal, Marenka, Ludmila, Krušina

Scene 10
25 'Everybody get out of the way!' 3:08
Two boys, Vašek, Háta, Krušina, Ludmila, Mícha, Marenka, Jeník, Chorus
77:19
Neal Davies baritone - Krušina
Yvonne Howard mezzo-soprano - Ludmila
Susan Gritton soprano - Marenka
Geoffrey Moses bass - Toby Mícha
Diana Montague mezzo-soprano - Háta
Timothy Robinson tenor - Vašek
Paul Charles Clarke tenor - Jeník
Peter Rose bass - Kecal
Robin Leggate tenor - Ringmaster
Yvette Bonner soprano - Esmeralda
Kit Hesketh-Harvey Indian
Philharmonia Orchestra
Royal Opera Chorus
Sir Charles Mackerras
Recorded in:
Blackheath Halls, London
15-21 & 23 December 2004
Producer(s)
Brian Couzens
Sound Engineer(s)
Ralph Couzens
Michael Common (Assistant)
Format: DDD
Bit Rate: 24 Bit / 96K