“Dvořák’s songs are simple in structure, like folksongs, but the melodies go directly to the listener’s heart… Kožená’s golden tones and her feeling make them glow and feel like balm for the soul.”
Czech Songs, performed by Magdalena Kožená, Czech Philharmonic & Sir Simon Rattle, received a fantastic review and has been recommended by MusicWeb International.
“Magdalena Kožená has had a long and distinguished career, and her discography is comprehensive, extending more than 25 years back in time – in spite of her still relative youth. Born in Brno in the Czech Republic she has of course a special feeling for the music of her homeland, and one of her earliest solo albums, issued I March 2000, was a recital of Czech love songs by Dvořák, Martinů and Janáček, including Martinů’s seven Songs on One Page. They are included in the present programme – but with orchestral accompaniments, whereas on the March 2000 issue she sang them with the original piano accompaniments. Thus, they are not directly comparable, but it is fascinating to hear how little the voice has aged in these 23 years. It has naturally matured but not deteriorated – and that is a tribute to her early training and discriminating choice of repertoire – possibly, also, good genes.
But she knows that there is no longer any hope. It is a cruel but very gripping song, and Magdalena Kožená sings it with great warmth.
With excellent accompaniment by the Czech Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle this is a valuable sequel to the recent disc with folk songs.“
Göran Forsling
