Prague Philharmonia Orchestra, Petr Alticher, conductor; Veronika Rovná, soprano; Richard Samek, tenor; Roman Janál, baritone; Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, Petr Fiala, chorusmaster.
Antonín DVOŘÁK: The Spectre’s Bride (Svatební košile), Op. 69, B. 135
Navona Records NV6795
Formats: digital
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Total Duration: 79:00
Giorgio Koukl | 11 MAR 2026
Antonín Dvořák’s dramatic cantata The Spectre’s Bride (Svatební košile, 1884) is a dark Gothic tale based on a ballad by Karel Jaromír Erben.
NV6795 album art (click to enlarge)
A short glimpse into the story reveals already some characteristics of a typical Czech 19th-century drama. Love, death, and even the final solution with a rooster chanting announcing the end of the night.
An orphaned girl waits for her fiancé, who has been away for years. Desperate, she prays to the Virgin Mary and utters a blasphemous wish: if he does not return, she would rather die. Suddenly, her lover appears at her window, urging her to leave with him immediately to be married. The two embark on a terrifying nocturnal journey through a haunted landscape. Along the way, the “fiancé”—actually a living corpse—persuades or forces her to throw away her sacred objects. They reach a cemetery, which the spectre calls his “home.” He jumps over the wall and commands her to follow. Realizing his true nature, she flees and hides in a nearby chapel. Inside, she finds another corpse on a bench. The spectre commands the dead man to rise and open the door. The girl prays fervently to the Virgin Mary. In the morning, villagers find the terrified girl; her wedding shirts, which she had sewn for her marriage, are found torn and scattered across the graves.
Though commissioned for an English festival, Dvořák insisted that the first performance should take place in his homeland. So, in March 1885, with the composer himself conducting, it premiered to great success in the city of Pilsen, followed shortly by a performance at the Birmingham Festival. Since then, numerous recordings have been made.
The version conductor Petr Altrichter offers us for this Navona Records release features exclusively Czech interpreters: the Prague Philharmonia Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, and acclaimed soloists Veronika Rovná, Richard Samek, and Roman Janál.
It has to be said that all participants are of a good quality, maybe with a special mention for the soprano, Ms. Rovná. Her voice is fresh and very impressive, especially in the highest register, which the composer uses extensively. This is basically a two-character drama, with the Baritone and choir in a sort of supporting and narrative role.
The minor role of the choir nevertheless gives us a nice glimpse into their capacities.
But the real surprise is the quality of the orchestra. This is definitely not one of the renowned, big, traditional orchestras of the Czech Republic. But even so, they manage to produce a nice, smooth timbre and a great dynamic range, serving the dark, thick orchestration well.
Mr. Altrichter’s tempo choices are quite traditional, never bringing a fresh angle to the familiar. Despite this, it remains within the range of solid craftsmanship.
The work of the sound engineers is remarkable, capturing all the magic of this rather complicated orchestral score without ever covering the solo voices. It is worth noting that the bass clarinet, extensively used by the composer in other works for orchestra and certainly fitting well into this dark atmosphere of death and terror, was instead supplied by A clarinets, a choice that was never fully explained.
This is not one of the Czech composer’s big, well-known masterworks. It is not the Cello Concerto or the 9th Symphony. It is probably inferior even to some stage works like Rusalka. But it remains a well-crafted composition, with some noteworthy melodies and plenty of opportunities to showcase the singers’ abilities. In this sense, the rendering delivers a well-planned, high-quality experience, paired with a superior sonic image. As such, it is an easy recommendation. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Prague Philharmonia Orchestra: prgphil.cz/en
- Petr Alticher: nachtigallartists.cz/en/artists/altrichter-petr
- Veronika Rovná: veronikarovna.com/en
- Richard Samek: richardsamek.cz/en/biography/
- Roman Janál: romanjanal.com
- Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno: cfsbrno.cz/en/choir
Read more by Giorgio Koukl.
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