Dvorák's oratorio Saint Ludmila was written in English for the Leeds Festival, and it premiered there in 1886 with a chorus of 250 singers, not matched here. The work followed the Stabat Mater, Op. 58 and Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70, both written for English organizations, and Dvorák seems to have decided that if some Englishness was good, more would be better. The original work was gigantic. Criticized for its length, it was cut down by the composer to 41 numbers. Conductor Leos Svárovský and the Slovak Philharmonic ...
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Dvorák's oratorio Saint Ludmila was written in English for the Leeds Festival, and it premiered there in 1886 with a chorus of 250 singers, not matched here. The work followed the Stabat Mater, Op. 58 and Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70, both written for English organizations, and Dvorák seems to have decided that if some Englishness was good, more would be better. The original work was gigantic. Criticized for its length, it was cut down by the composer to 41 numbers. Conductor Leos Svárovský and the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir hack away at it once again, leaving 26 numbers on the present recordings. The style is heavily influenced by the English choral tradition going back to Handel and Mendelssohn, with lots of festive, tuneful choruses. The subject matter, however, is Czech, and deals with events in the life of the titular Ludmila, who is the patron saint of Bohemia and the grandmother of good king Wenceslas of Christmas carol fame. It's an odd combination, and perhaps because of the...
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