Janáček: The Diary of One Who Disappeared

The reissue of the recordings made in 1978 and 1988 pays tribute to the unforgettable Czech tenor Vilém Pribyl’s superb performance of three extraordinary Czech song cycles. The artist dazzled several generations of music-lovers in Bedrich Smetana’s and Leoš Janácek’s operas. His professional career was mainly connected with Brno, where he lived and worked for three decades. Moreover, Pribyl performed as a guest at the National Theatre in Prague, and he also impressed audiences in Edinburgh, London (Royal Opera House), as well as in France, Italy and the USA. The three song cycles are deemed to be the best works in the genre created by Smetana, Dvorák and Janácek. They are fundamentally different in terms of inspiration. While in his short cycle Evening Songs Smetana sumps up his lifelong endeavours and experiences, Dvorák’s Biblical Songs represent the composer’s intimate prayer and thanksgiving. In The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Janácek’ depicts the story of a village boy who madly falls in love with a beautiful gypsy girl. The benchmark historical albums are as enchanting today as they were decades ago. An engrossing recording of three Czech mature song cycles, as performed by Vilém Pribyl.