ZELENKA J.D. IL SERPENTE DI BRONZO - ORATORIUM ZWV61 / Ensemble Inégal / A.Viktora

Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679 - 1745) - Il serpente di bronzo (oratorium) ZWV 61

1. Coro 4:40

2. Recitativo (Azaria, Namuel) 1:06

3. Aria (Namuel) 9:44

4. Recitativo (Egla) 0:34

5. Aria (Egla) 4:35

6. Recitativo accompagnato (Dio) 1:35

7. Aria (Dio) 5:53

8. Recitativo (Azaria, Egla, Namuel) 1:26

9. Aria (Azaria) 5:54

10. Recitativo (Egla,Namuel) 1:01

11. Aria a due (Egla, Namuel) 6:19

12. Recitativo (Mosé) 1:35

13. Aria (Mosé) 6:45

14. Recitativo accompagnato (Dio) 1:15

15. Recitativo (Egla) 1:49

16. Arietta con recitativo (Egla, Azaria) 2:45

17. Aria (Azaria) 5:37

18. Recitativo (Mosé) 1:31

19. Coro 3:13

Egla - Hana Blažíková

Namuel - Petra Noskaiová

Dio - Peter Kooij

Azaria - Alex Potter

Mosé - Jaroslav Březina

Ensemble Inégal

Adam Viktora conductor

Among the Czech composers of the first half of the 18th century, Jan Dismas Zelenka stands out as a personality of truly European dimensions - as regards both his significance and his fortunes. As to his stature he occupies a place next to Each, Handel or Vivaldi, as to his roots he is anchored in his native Bohemia, as to his career and the most productive period, however, he belongs to Saxonia.

It was as if his career is a composer was only beginning when as a mature man who had just turned thirty he left Prague to serve with the royal court band in Dresden where he then spent the rest of his life. There is evidence of only two works he had composed before he left Prague, though he must have written more there. But he would hardly have reached such a level of accomplishment as a composer without the stimuli offered to him by the eventful musical life in Dresden and by his studies with Johann Joseph Fux in Vienna, studies financed by his new superior. True, in the end Zelenka failed to reach a position corresponding to his undeniable talent. His works, though, were appreciated by all the authorities who came to know him, including Johann Sebastian Bach. Zelenka never lost touch with the Prague scene and so his compositions were familiar in his home country, too. While in Dresden, soon after his death, Zelenka's work became relatively soon well nigh forgotten, in the Bohemian church choirs his compositions could be heard perhaps till the end of the 18th century.

(Vaclav Kapsa, Nibiru Records 2005)