#56 The Smell of His Master's Voice

Smell the history. This recording was made in Vienna in June 1933, it's the first recording of the opera. Here's the conflict between Jeník and Mařenka. Each of them has his and her side of truth. They're not listening, it's not a dialogue but rather two monologues.

However, the music is telling us something: it's the same melody for Jeník and for Mařenka. They don't communicate but they belong together. At the end of the duet, they combine their voices, singing in tandem. They're separated but not for long.

Composer: Bedřich Smetana
Work: The Bartered Bride, "Tak tvrdošíjná, dívko, jsi"
Recording: Ada Nordenová, Vladimír Tomš, Chorus and Orchestra of the National Opera Company of Prague, Otakar Ostrčil