Leos Janacek: The Makropulos Affair; The Diary of One Who Di

$37.99
Label
SOMM Recordings
Release Date
November 21, 2025
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      Leos Janacek
    • PERFORMER
      Marie Collier, Gregory Dempsey, Raimund Herincx, Erich Shilling, Chorus and Orchestra of Sadler's We
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 21, 2025
    • UPC
      758871504423
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      ARIADNE 5044-2
    • LABEL
      SOMM Recordings
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Orchestral & Symphonic
    Works ⌄

    1. Act I: Prelude

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    2. Act I: Oh dear, my goodness! (Vitek, Gregor)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Stanley Bevan, Gregory Dempsey

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    3. Act I: Come this way please (Kolenaty, Kristina, Marty, Gregor)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Gregory Dempsey, Eric Shilling, Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    4. Act I: Yes. Just what do you require? (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    5. Act I: Gone at last! (Gregor, Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Gregory Dempsey, Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    6. Act I: Found it! We've found it (Kolenaty, Marty, Gregor, Prus)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Gregory Dempsey, Eric Shilling, Marie Collier, Raimund Herincx

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    7. Act II: Did you ever see such flowers? (Cleaner, Stage Hand, Prus)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Raimund Herincx

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    8. Act II: Janek, come on. No one here will see us (Kristina, Janek, Prus, Marty, Gregor, Vitek)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Stanley Bevan, Gregory Dempsey, Marie Collier, Raimund Herincx, John Chorley

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    9. Act II: Father! (Janek)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: John Chorley

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    10. Act II: Miss Marty, may I … (Hauk-Šendorf)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier, Cragg Sinkinson

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    11. Act II: And the next! Is that the lot? (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    12. Act II: Is that you, Gregor? (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    13. Act II: Is that you, Gregor? - No, only me, only Janek (Marty, Gregor)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Gregory Dempsey, Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    14. Act III: Well? D'you hear me? (Marty, Prus, Chambermaid)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier, Raimund Herincx

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    15. Act III: Who's that? (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    16. Act III: Buenos dias Maxi! Why so early? (Marty, hauk, Chambermaid, Kolenaty, Gregor)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Eric Shilling, Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    17. Act III: Do you want to question me? (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    18. Act III: The seal and th'initials E.M. (Gregor, Vitek, Kolenaty, Prus, Marty, Kristina)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Stanley Bevan, Gregory Dempsey, Eric Shilling, Marie Collier, Raimund Herincx

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    19. Act III: Will you tell us your real name? (Prus)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Raimund Herincx

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    20. Act III: Feel my hands, Gregor (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Gregory Dempsey, Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    21. Act III: Now I am sure that death laid his hand on me (Marty)

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Ensemble: Sadler Wells Orchestra

      Performer: Marie Collier

      Conductor: Charles Mackerras

    22. Radio Announcement

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Anonymous

    23. No. 1. One day I met a Gypsy girl

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    24. No. 2. That black-eyed Gypsy has haunted my all the day

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    25. No. 3. Through the twilight glow-worms dance

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    26. No. 4. Already swallows are twittering overhead

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    27. No. 5. Weary work is ploughing

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    28. No. 6. Hey there, my tawny oxen

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    29. No. 7. I've got a loose axle

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    30. No. 8. Don't look, my oxen, so sad at my change of heart

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    31. No. 9. Welcome my handsome one

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    32. No. 10. God all powerful, God eternal

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    33. No. 11. From the ripening cornfield, oh, what sweet odours creep

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    34. No. 12. Forest's shady height

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    35. No. 13. Intermezzo. Andante

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Ernest Lush

    36. No. 14. See how high the sun is!

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    37. No. 15. Now, my tawny oxen, why do you stare at me?

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    38. No. 16. What has come over me? What is it that I have done?

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    39. No. 17. Who can escape his fate, for what must be, must be

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    40. No. 18. Nothing matters now until evening shadows fall

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    41. No. 19. See that thieving magpie suddenly fly away!

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    42. No. 20. Now she bears my child

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    43. No. 21. Father, how wrong you were

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush

    44. No. 22. Then Farewell, dearest land

      Composer: Leoš Janáček

      Performer: Richard Lewis, Maureen Forrester, Ernest Lush


In November 2025, SOMM pays special tribute to the centenary of Sir Charles Mackerras (1925 - 2010) who was, amongst other stellar achievements, an outstanding interpreter of the music of Czech composer Leos Janacek (1854 - 1928). At the age of 25, and over the next six decades, Mackerras introduced generations of London opera-goers to Janacek's extraordinary masterpieces, and he was directly responsible for these works becoming established in the British operatic repertoire. Our centenary tribute features the release of a remastered broadcast, from 1964, of Mackerras's first London production of the opera The Makropulos Affair. Also included is Janacek's quasi-operatic song cycle, The Diary of One who Disappeared. Audio restoration is by Lani Spahr, whose previous restorations for SOMM of works by Elgar, Bruckner, Holst, and Bliss have recently received no less than three Gramophone Editor's Choices. Shortly after Mackerras arrived in the UK from Australia in 1947, a British Council Scholarship enabled him to study conducting with Vaclav Talich at the Prague Academy of Music, during which time he discovered Czech music and Janacek in particular. His breakthrough in introducing Janacek's unfamiliar music to British audiences came in February 1964, when he conducted The Makropulos Affair at Sadler's Wells. This release is an exciting, highly-charged souvenir of that first London production. The title of the opera, inspired by Karel Capek's 1922 play, refers to a century-old probate case, which holds the key to the formula for a life-extending elixir. The coolly enigmatic opera diva Emilia Marty shows great interest in the case, and is revealed to be Elina Makropulos, a woman from Crete, who has lived for 337 years. This recording features the Australian dramatic soprano Marie Collier, an outstanding exponent of the role. The vocal writing in the opera is predominantly conversational, underpinned by an orchestral score that is both uncompromisingly modern and evocative of ancient times. The lead characters in two of Janacek's operas Kata in Katya Kabanova and Emilia Marty in The Makropulos Affair were inspired by Kamila Stosslova with whom he fell deeply in love, despite their both being married and he being almost forty years her senior. The earliest work to be inspired by Kamila was The Diary of One who Disappeared, begun the month after Janacek met her in 1917. This unorthodox song cycle for tenor, contralto, female voices, and piano was inspired by a diary-in-poems about a village boy who falls in love with the gipsy girl Žofka. Janacek wrote to Kamila, "All through the work I thought of you! You were my Žofka." This 1956 recording features Bernard Keeffe's English translation with Richard Lewis, tenor, Maureen Forrester, contralto, women from the BBC Singers, and pianist Ernest Lush.