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Release Date: May 8, 2020
Catalog #: NV6288
Format: Digital & Physical

Openings

Bohuslav Martinů composer
Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal conductor

Their fourth release with Navona Records, OPENINGS by the Jitro Czech Girls Choir and conductor Jiří Skopal presents the rich beauty of the Czech Republic’s national dances, folk texts, and songs for audiences around the world.

Composer Bohuslav Martinů believed that music holds the power to open our minds to a new, transcendent understanding of time, nature, and tradition. The first piece on OPENINGS, Primrose does so with buoyant joy. The bright, airy timbre of the children’s choir is radiant, with lyrics that conjure up pastoral images of the beautiful Czech countryside. From the Czech word “petrklíč,” Primrose symbolizes Saint Peter’s key which opens the earth each spring as the ice and snow of winter recede. Next comes Songs for a Children’s Choir, composed by Martinů in Switzerland during 1959—the last year of his life. The piece borrows texts from collections of Czech folk songs and poetry, employing the tight, sculpted harmonies of Jitro. The album’s final track, Opening of Spring, relates the story of a springtime queen, laden with flowers, followed through the country hills by a procession of townspeople.

OPENINGS is an apt title for this newest album by the Jitro Czech Girls Choir, not only because of its focus on spring and renewal, but also because it offers a portal through which listeners of all backgrounds may appreciate and enjoy the beauty of Czech culture. With technical precision and infectious exuberance, the girls of Jitro lovingly offer the songs and stories of their people to all who listen.

Listen

Hear the full album on YouTube

Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Primrose, H. 348 (Arr. for Treble Chorus, Violin & Piano): No. 1, New Hat Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Zdeněk Häckl, violin; Michal Chrobák, piano 0:56
02 Primrose, H. 348 (Arr. for Treble Chorus, Violin & Piano): No. 2, Above the Yard Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Zdeněk Häckl, violin; Michal Chrobák, piano 1:17
03 Primrose, H. 348 (Arr. for Treble Chorus, Violin & Piano): No. 3, Accusation Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Zdeněk Häckl, violin; Michal Chrobák, piano 2:02
04 Primrose, H. 348 (Arr. for Treble Chorus, Violin & Piano): No. 4, Surface-Colored Wood Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Zdeněk Häckl, violin; Michal Chrobák, piano 1:23
05 Primrose, H. 348 (Arr. for Treble Chorus, Violin & Piano): No. 5, Noon Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Zdeněk Häckl, violin; Michal Chrobák, piano 1:02
06 Songs for a Children's Choir, H. 373: No. 1, Easter Song Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor 1:37
07 Songs for a Children's Choir, H. 373: No. 2, The Blacksmith Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor 0:45
08 Songs for a Children's Choir, H. 373: No. 3, Children's Riddles Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor 2:07
09 The Bird Feast, H. 379 Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Jiří Houdek, trumpet 1:53
10 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 1, Final Death Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:57
11 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 2, Closing of the Forest Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:50
12 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 3, Shepherdesses profession I Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:43
13 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 4, Morana! Morana! Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:57
14 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 5, Shepherdesses profession II Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:25
15 Czech Nursery Rhymes, H. 210 (Arr. for Treble Chorus): No. 6, Exaltation of the Death Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Martina Jelínková, soloist; Jana Novotná, soloist 2:17
16 Opening of the Springs, H. 354 Bohuslav Martinů Jitro Czech Girls Choir | Jiří Skopal, conductor; Ludmila Horová soprano; Markéta Kubínová, alto; Luděk Vele, baritone; Alfréd Strejček, declamation; Jindřich Pazdera, violin; Josef Kekula, violin; Jan Pěruška, viola; Michal Chrobák, piano 21:21

Primrose
Lyrics after F. Sušil, F. Bartoš and L. Janáček´s Moravian folk song collections

Songs for a Children's Choir
Lyrics by František Halas

Track 1-5 recorded June 22, 2019 at the Philharmonic Hall in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Producer Jan Míšek
Sound Engineer Václav Vlachý

All other tracks recorded March 18 – November 4, 2001 in the Museum Grand Hall, Chrudim, Czech Republic
Producer Jan Kyselák
Sound Engineer Václav Vlachý
Liner notes written by Stanislav Bohadlo

Executive Producer Bob Lord

Executive A&R Sam Renshaw
A&R Director Brandon MacNeil

VP, Audio Production Jeff LeRoy
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Mastering Shaun Michaud

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Sara Warner

Artist Information

Jitro

Choir

Jitro, meaning “Daybreak” in Czech, is more than just a concert choir from Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. It is an organization of 400 children in seven preparatory ensembles, of which only the best 25 or 30 qualify to tour. For the past 45 years they have been admired all over the world for their tonal brilliance, superb intonation, distinctively rich blend of sound, and energetic vitality. Today, Jitro is considered one of the best children’s choirs in the world.

Jiří Skopal

Conductor

Jiří Skopal, choral conductor and music educator, was born on August 15, 1947 in Velké Losiny, Czech Republic. Skopal received his first music education from his father, Jan Skopal, a choral conductor of North Moravia’s Teachers’ Association. For his Master’s in Education, he studied in Olomouc from 1965 to 1969, and received his doctorate in 1973. In 1982, he was named Associate Professor at the Charles University in Prague, and in 1994 he became a full Professor.

Bohuslav Martinů

Composer

Bohuslav Martinů’s (1890 – 1959) music has always been a gentle but powerful key to opening mysterious experiences of time, spring, nature, memories, traditions, hearts, souls, and love. For Martinů, a theme of wisdom, national dances, folk texts, and ancient customs in relation to children’s virtue kept him grounded in his homeland while he was abroad.

He wrote happily from Paris about the rendition of his early Children’s Songs (1926), and in 1932 he even addressed the Academy of Sciences in Prague with a letter expressing his interest in publications about folk music and Moravian folk songs from Bartoš and Janáček´s collection (1901).

There is a biblical meaning behind the Czech word “petrklíč” (primrose) symbolizing St. Peter’s key to open the springtime earth after snowy winters. For Martinů, it was a pure joy to “sing along” with this folk love poetry and discover its phrasing and rhythmic roots for his duets (1954).

While still abroad, he composed Songs for a Children’s Choir in Schönenberg, Switzerland, in January 1959, the last year of his life. The text by František Halas from the collection of verses Tuning (Prague 1955) was set to music, as well as the texts from the collection of Czech folk songs and rhymes (1864) by K. J. Erben. One month later, still in the same place, he finished the sophisticated score of Bird Feast set to an ancient Czech text V Strachotíně hájku (In a grove of Strachotín).

The cycle of six pieces à cappella for women’s choir under the influence of K. J. Erben originated in Paris in 1930, and the first ternary of them was evidently titled based upon his Czech folk songs and proverbs. The composer named the second ternary from 1931 as Czech Nursery Rhymes. Both marginal choirs were also involved in the chanted ballet entitled Špalíček (The Chap-Book, 1932).

However, the strongest feeling of “the bonds of in-coming and leaving generations” (T. Hejzlar) we can have is in listening to the cantata Opening of the Springs (Otvírání studánek) (1955) with text written by Miloslav Bureš. “This is all coming from our countryside, all about fairies and folk queens, about purging the wells in spring,” wrote Martinů in his letter to Brno, and Polička, his native community. This real audience was part of the world premiere of his deep and intimate Opening on January 7, 1956.

Texts

1. Gamekeeper Yimramovskey, how braw he looks and gay, he has a new bonnet, with fine ribbon braided. His wife his new bonnet braided. For she loved him truly always. 2. Where our folks live, ‘bove the farmhouse, rides by a callant on a black horse. There’s a lassie that’s glad and the gate opens wide: ride in quickly, comfort my heart that’s sorrowing so. 3. On a plumtree sat a birdie, plaint made daughter to her mother: oh, mammie bad news bring I, my own laddie is forsaking me. 4. From the forest comes my sweetheart. Here hast, my love, a load of wood, cut it into logs for firewood. 5. See there a farmer moving. High stands the sun, my dear love, bear me company through the wood, there we’ll part.

1. A clucking-hen clucked, cluck, cluck, being angry with the faucet for he lays Easter eggs.  2. Smite, smite, smith, put a horseshoe on my foot, on both of my feet and I’ll pay you well later.  3. I am sweeping it out, I am carrying it out to no end. What is it? The sunshine.

The birds sing in Strachotín grove beautifully. But now, when winter arrived, they are gone. Now, whom should I spend my time with?

1. There was once a house, inside a little table, water in a bowl, a little fish in that water. Where’s the fish? The cat ate it. Where is the cat? Then, eating one another the men remained buried in a cemetery. 2. Closing, closing the forest, so no one gets in here, neither a cat nor a dog. 3.  Hey! Hey! Mara Zikmundova! Run your herd to my pasture. 4. Morana! Morana, where did you put the keys? I gave them to Saint George to open the door to paradise. Saint George gets up, the ground unlocks for grass to grow, green grass, red rose, violet blue. 5. Hey! Hey! Ann Tomesova! Drive your cattle to me. The wolf wants a calf on me. I don’t have a calf. I won’t give him a cow. 6. We are carrying Death from the village, new Easter rods to the village. Be cheerful, ladies!

“This is a custom we have in the hills; the Queen is she whom everybody wills, and hangs her pitcher round with healing herbs. Behind her in the place custom decrees her maids-in-waiting follow; on their heels troop the boys with pranks and bantering words. All the boys are carrying hooks and hoes; with spades and rakes the gay procession goes; all laden down with flowers are the lasses and in their midst they lead their gentle Queen as fresh as Spring, and young-not yet fourteen. The forest wind has brought her his caresses.” (M. Bureš)