Music from Fibich's Hippodamia trilogy

[Mark Thomas]

Fibich's trilogy of melodramas Hippodamia, was issued a few years ago now by Supraphon on six CDs (MusicWeb Internationl review here). Much as I enjoy Fibich's music generally, the problem for me at least was that the music in the recordings, as in Fibich's conception to the works, is subserviant to the spoken text which, of course, is in Czech. I found it impossible to filter out the dialogue and focus on the music, and in the end gave my set away.

However, I've found on YouTube a set of three "symphonic suites", which appear to have been compiled by Supraphon themselves, taken from the music of each of the melodramas. Totalling 79 minutes, each is episodic but the music runs continuously and, although none is completely speech free, for the most part the handful of remaining vocal interjections are extremely short and don't get in the way of enjoying the music. I thought that the compilation from the second part of the cycle, The Atonement of Tantalus, worked best and made quite a believable and satisfying symphonic poem, reminiscent of Dvorak's late ones. The Death of Hippodamia music is perhaps the most consistently dramatic of the three, but I was less impressed with the one from The Courtship of Pelops, the first of the trio, which seemed to be composed largely of cymbal and brass-heavy ceremonial music. Still, even though they're not presented in the way Fibich intended, it's still fascinating to hear these three compilations of virtually unknown orchestral music by him. It is by turns dramatic, lyrical and blazingly triumphant - powerful stuff.

Hippodamia (1): The Courtship of Pelops https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQxykL-aj0&t=5s - 22 mins.
Hippodamia (2): The Atonement of Tantalus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBE8-0CpnHs - 26 mins
Hippodamia (3): The Death of Hippodamia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDqGigBLg-w&t=34s - 31 mins

[jasthill]

I'm not so sure that the Fibich Melodrama Suites were compiled by Supraphon but rather by the poster on the youtube video site.  The source is certainly from the Supraphon recordings and the youtube video notes lists the sections from the complete melodramas that were used to compile the suites.  I offer this opinion as a matter of conjecture - I also note the the poster has compiled suites from other operas. Particularly interesting are suites from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, some Verdi operas, and Wagner's Renzi.  I'm also not sure if the vocal parts in some of these compilations have been digitally removed or if the suites are a pastiche of the orchestral segments.  Not being an opera enthusiast I appreciate hearing the music sans the vocal component.  However, as a genre melodramas and tableau vivant's (re: Naxos Fibich Vol. 4 excerpts) seem extremely dated and embarrassing to hear.  Of course, future generations will speak the same of some our contemporary music.

[Mark Thomas]

I'm not so sure that the Fibich Melodrama Suites were compiled by Supraphon but rather by the poster on the youtube video site

Yes, you're right. I was being rather naïve in assuming that "Ed. Supraphon" meant it was edited by Supraphon themselves. It guess it means "Edition Supraphon". I see the poster's other videos include an Aida "Symphony". Mmmm.

[Kevin]

I've never known what to make of the Hippodamia trilogy - the juries still out what I think of them. On the one hand John Tyrell calls them the ''most ambitious melodramas ever written'' and on the other Gerald Abraham calls them ''workmanlike... a false step''  I think my position is somewhere in the middle. It's a pity too that the speakers are so prominent in the recordings and the orchestra seems to be as far back as possible so you can hear all the words spoken I suppose - it ruins my enjoyment to a large degree.

[Alan Howe]

Ed. Supraphon

Or: 'edited from Supraphon original by Tiziano Virgili'.

[Mark Thomas]

Well yes, quite. Still, whatever their genesis, these three compilations are valuable for sampling worthwhile chunks of the music of each of the three dramas minus the speech. Try The Atonement of Tantalus first.