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Martinu: The Greek Passion / Mitchinson, Field, Mackerras


Release Date: 10/30/2007 
Label:  Supraphon   Catalog #: 7014   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Bohuslav Martinu
Performer:  John Mitchinson,  John Tomlinson,  Helen Field,  Catherine Savory
Conductor:  Sir Charles Mackerras
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Prague Philharmonic Chorus,  Kühn Children's Chorus,  Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 33 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

John Mitchinson; Helen Field; John Tomlinson; Catherine Savory; and other soloists of the Welsh National Opera Cardiff

Prague Philharmonic Choir/Josef Veselka
Kühn Children´s Chorus/Jirí Chvála
Brno Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras

Recorded June 1-6, 1981, TV film Czech Television
NTSC All Region
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
Color
Subtitled in Czech, German & French

Martinu wrote his own libretto for the opera Greek Passion based on Christ Recrucified (1951), a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. The opera was written in between 1955 – 1957 and it cost Martinu a lot of effort to achieve the final Read more version. It was premiered in Zurich in 1961, after the death of the author. The story takes place in the Greek countryside; refugees from a village plundered by Turks come to the town-square and ask for asylum. However, they are wrathfully refused by most of the selfish villagers. This story line blends with the preparation of passion-play in the village. The roles of the approaching Passion raise the minds of the actors to another level and slowly change their lives. Typically for Martinu – the lines between reality and fantasy often become blurred and disappear. The intriguing film is based on the benchmark recording of Sir Charles Mackerras made in 1981 with number of excellent soloists mostly from the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.
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Works on This Recording

1. Greek Passion by Bohuslav Martinu
Performer:  John Mitchinson (Tenor), John Tomlinson (Bass), Helen Field (Soprano),
Catherine Savory (Soprano)
Conductor:  Sir Charles Mackerras
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Prague Philharmonic Chorus,  Kühn Children's Chorus,  Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1956-1959; Switzerland 

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