BEDRICH SMETANA (1824-1884)

The Bartered Bride

142:30

Comic opera in three acts

Libretto by Karel Sabina, English version by Kit Hesketh-Harvey

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

Scene 4

20

'I have plenty of others'

0:48

21

Duet: 'Just a word or two, my friend'

2:40

22

'Time and time again I encounter men'

3:33

23

'Think what it's worth, lad'

2:04

24

'You'll go home to Moravia?'

3:34

Kecal, Jeník

Scene 5

25

'Ah, my friend! Once you learn'

3:50

Kecal

Scene 6 - Finale

26

'Come now everyone, gather round'

4:16

Kecal, Chorus, Jeník, Krušina

Act III

Scene 1

27

'I'm near now to despairing'

4:01

Vašek

Scene 2

28

'Roll up! Roll up ladies and gentlemen!'

2:45

Ringmaster

29

Ballet

6:02

30

'Oh, it looks so lovely!'

4:53

Vašek, Esmeralda, Indian, Ringmaster

31

Duettino: 'Mother doesn't matter, Mother wouldn't care!'

1:44

Esmeralda, Ringmaster

Scene 3

32

'Oh, I don't understand it!'

0:57

Vašek, Hásek, Kecal, Mícha

33

Quartet: 'What? Dare he? Would he? You do what?'

2:44

Háta, Mícha, Kecal, Vašek

Scene 4

34

'No! I don't believe you!'

4:58

Marenka, Krušina, Kecal, Ludmila, Háta, Mícha

Scene 5

35

'Oh, Vašek! Don't run away!'

1:14

Kecal, Vašek, Ludmila, Háta, Krušina, Mícha

36

Sextet: 'Think it over, Marenka, think it through'

3:18

Ludmila, Háta, Krušina, Kecal, Mícha, Marenka

Scene 6

37

'Oh, but the pain! The burning pain!'

1:49

38

'We dreamed upon a moonlit night'

4:33

Marenka

Scene 7

39

'Marenka mine, Marenka mine!'

4:31

Jeník, Marenka

Scene 8

40

'So then, young man'

1:19

Kecal, Marenka, Jeník

41

Trio: 'Be calm, oh my love'

3:37

Jeník, Marenka, Kecal

Scene 9 - Finale

42

'Tell us, Marenka, it's all up to you'

1:11

Chorus, Marenka, Jeník

43

'It's Jeník! What's he doing here?'

3:40

Háta, Mícha, Jeník, Kecal, Marenka, Ludmila, Krušina

Scene 10

44

'Everybody get out of the way!'

3:08

Two boys, Vašek, Háta, Krušina, Ludmila, Mícha, Marenka, Jeník, Chorus

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

Sir Charles Mackerras

15-21 & 23 December 2004