Paulus Quaedvlieg | Amsterdam Netherlands | 07/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With a grand opening this excellent recording of Dvorak's comic opera "Jakobin" will keep you tuned for its full 155 minutes. Its magnificant choruses, especially the childrens chorus, the fiery orchestral passages and the native soloists blow you fully away.
The full credits go to Maestro Jiri Pinkas who leads the Brno State Philharmonic. They deliver a fine job with some passionate playing.
The soloists are very convincing. An oustanding performance is given by Vilem Pribyl, who sings and acts the part of Jiri very well. The part of Julie is taken by the beautiful voiced Marcela Machotkova, while the part of Benda is sung by the great Beno Blachut. Although in his mid sixties, the creator of many tenor roles in Czech opera (most notably is his legendary interpretation in Smetana's "Dalibor") convinces as the schoolmaster.The sound quality is good. The production engineers did a fine job. This Supraphon set is well documented with a libretto in Czech, English, German and French, a Synopsis and some background information about the composer and his work.Buy this work and every day will start with a smile on your face.Enjoy !!!!"