Iva Bittová . Skampa Kwartet

The Czech composer Leos Janácek (1854-1928) collected folk music and poetry from Moravia which he arranged as a songs with piano accompaniment. Vladimir Godar transcribed Janácek's score for voice and string quartet, of which the Skampa Quartet and the singer Iva Bittová have recently made a refreshing CD. Anyone familiar with Bittová's own work knows what a dazzling musical fantasy is to be found in her voice, improvisation and compositions. This also comes out in her performance of these folksongs. Bittová sings in a highly individual style in which her classical training, avant-garde influences and unpolished sound of real folk music blend wonderfully. She is able to breathe new life into these songs, with an enthusiastic Skampa Quartet close behind her. These short songs sketch a range of atmospheres, from riotous through subdued, seductive, voluptuous and jittery to languorous. When performed by Bittová and Skampa, Janácek's adaptations of folk music sound both very authentic and yet very much their own. They are played with plenty of good taste and intelligence.