Smetana: The Kiss Opera in Two Acts Eduard Haken (Father Peloucky) Eva Delpotova (Vendulka) et al / Brno Janáček Opera Chorus /Brno Janáček Opera Orchestra/ František Vajnar Supraphon 2 cd's
As great as Libuše is,this is more like the kind of Smetana opera that rocks my boat! A lovely score,very well performed and recorded to my ears. I have read,more than once,that the earlier recording by Krombholc) is better (more characterful & livelier performances) and from what I know of Krombholc and East European/Czech recordings from that period,I have no doubt it is. The trouble is,apart from the fact that it's in mono (not that I have a problem with that) there are earlier recordings of The Kiss (Chalabala) and Dvořák's Kate and the Devil (Chalabala),both of which I already own in later stereo recordings and if I buy every recording of every opera I'm going to end up with an empty bank account! :(
And I'll repeat this fun fact (hope,even at my age!) : Eduard Haken was 70 years old,when he made this recording & I wouldn't have known it from listening! :)
