Twenty years old (1956 – 1975) – by Jan Vratislavský (the article of 1975)

In the year of 1976 our leading choir “The Kantiléna” is coming into its twentieth year of its admirable artistic activity. This is undoubtedly important reason for us to have a retrospective glance back on the threshold of a meaningful jubilee and to remind how the life of this eternally young artistic organism was going, how its fate was fulfilled from the first shy little steps of the children´s choir Šlapanický dětský sbor until today´s twenty year old beauty Kantiléna in which there is a great interest not only in this country but far and wide abroad.

It was on 6th October 1956 when for the first time Ivan Sedláček, the founder and the artistic leader of the Šlapanice´s singers, especially devoted and enthusiastic supporter of the children´s choir singing, stood in front of his little choir. Working under the conditions that nobody can form an idea about. Starting from the amateur singing school´s circle, he worked with usual voice material of the Šlapanice´s basic school of that time, fought with indifference, lack of understanding, fluctuation. He sang almost every day, in the morning before the lessons, in the afternoon after them, on Sundays and on holidays as well, he studied in groups and with individuals as well.

Since 1957 there has started to speak about the Šlapanický dětský sbor because the success of its frequent performances increased in number and in addition to its name appeared at yearly regular intervals as the winner of that time STM competitions. At first within the district standards, in 1959 it was the first prize of the regional round. The same year the Šlapanice´s singer received an honourable appreciation from the Prague´s central round. This was a visible progress being multiplied next year by a special prize of the regional jury, in 1961 by third prize of the central round in Prague, in 1962 by the winning in the central round in Bratislava and finally in 1967 by bronze medal of the national-wide competition of the selective children´s choirs in Havířov. Behind this chain of official competitive success there is an immerse purposefulness and working method leading to the utmost targets. And this is the same with the concert success.

From the first occasional performances at cultural and social events, educational concerts, through the Brno´s concert on 28th October 1959 which became the gate to a conscious artistic work, to a dramaturgical concept, to clarifying of forms and possibilities of application, up to the threshold date of its own era of the Kantiléna. Let us consider that already at the beginning of 1960 the choir firstly recorded for the Czech Radio, within the years 1961, 1963 and 1964 it co-participated in the memorable Brno´s choir festivals, in 1965 at the festival of Celostátní festival vokální tvorby in Jihlava. In 1964 for the first time the Janaček Opera used the qualities of the Šlapanice´s singers for the participation in the Bohéma opera and after surprising success there followed the Jakobín, Liška Bystrouška, Turandot and Carmen operas where the Sedláček´s singers have been excellently practising so far and furthermore, as we will learn, they have been extending their opera repertoire. The first gramophone record in 1965 (Eben) and three years later the first television performance speaks clearly about a steep artistic advancement of the choir. With increasing interpretation level, wide dramaturgical basis, a self-assurance based on the success there goes the effort in the widest application. Indeed the Šlapanice´s singers soon stepped out from its closest neighbourhood to Moravian towns, sang in Slovakia, went for laurels to Prague and to other Czech towns and starting from 1966 they regularly used to go abroad. The Sedláček´s long-standing fixed idea to build the choir on the basis of strictly artistic standpoints, to create a modern children´s choir ensemble, became to be fulfilled when there was established a preparatory choir section, was extended voice selection among a series of Brno´s schools and there were introduced summer and winter working training camps. These revolutionary novelties in artistic-working regime having been implemented about from 1961 meant a rapid quality interpretation leap forward which moved the choir among our leading bodies. Non-violent, fluent change finished in 1967 was confirmed also by the change of the choir name, which by the concert of 26th December 1967 in Brno came into our consciousness as the “Kantiléna”. Together with the artistic stabilisation there went hand in hand also the organizational and financial provision which was solved with exceptional understanding by the cultural centre Brno – venkov by adopting the function of the founder. By this step the choir was relieved of the burden which choked all its activity and repressed its initiative so far. Starting from 1967 the choir was coming into the sunny period of its work, being secured, recognized and appreciated.

The existing huge working investment returned its interests. We are not able to write about all of them, incidentally it is not a purpose of this article. There is sufficient a general overview with emphasizing the most significant artistic events, competitive success and foreign trips so as to correctly appreciate the position which is taken by the Kantiléna in our motherland and within international standards. There has been established a permanent co-operation with the association of the Svaz českých skladatelů with the participation in the novelty concerts, deepened the co-operation with the Czech Radio by increasing the number of broadcast programmes. The Kantiléna became an attractive participant in the Olomouc´s festival of children´s choirs with the international participation in 1973, 1975 (that year the magazine Hudební rozhledy XXIV, No.12 wrote: “…Within the whole programme the Kantiléna showed a high professional level in the best sense of the word. Its performance is, even in the most difficult compositions, sure, persuasive and at the same time naturally musical.”). It co-operated with the Czechoslovak Television, the State Philharmonic Orchestra Brno (based on the success in the Prokofiev´s Ivan Hrozný opera there was agreed a permanent co-operation with the nearest task in Berlioz´s Faustovo prokletí). The independent concert of novelties within the festival of Mezinárodní hudební festival in Brno in 1975 with the preview in Bratislava (a public radio record) attracted for the Kantiléna further admirers from the festival foreign guests. The co-operation with the Brno Opera has been continuing either in operas, which have been mentioned or in new productions of Krvavá svatba (1971), Špalíček (1973) for the first time together with a children´s actor´s action), which was later shot as a colour TV film, in the opera Lukullovo odsouzení (1974) and finally in Boris Godunov (1975). Extremely successful chapter of the Kantiléna is formed by foreign trips. The first two in Yugoslavia (1966, 1967) were performed by the little singers still as the Šlapanice´s children´s choir, the success in the following years was already gained as the selective choir of the re-organized Kantiléna. In 1968 there was in France, Belgium, Germany, Yugoslavia, Austria, in 1969 in Germany, 1970 in the German Democratic Republic. In 1971 the Kantiléna sang in Beograd at the festival Radost Evropě (the whole concert was recorded by TV) and the choir sang also in the final gala-concert being broadcast by the Eurovision. The year 1972 brought the body a success in Germany, France, Belgium, Poland and the fifth place in the competitive performance in English Llangollen. In 1973 the Kantiléna gave a concert in Rumania, and the German Democratic Republic, apart from the others in the castle Pillnitz within the festival Dresdner Sommer. The following year 1974 after the concerts in Rumania and Germany the Kantiléna won the “golden” prize from the Belgium Neerpelt together with the medal granted by the Ministry of Culture “Pro musica” when the international jury evaluated its performance with 96 points of 100 possible. In 1975 the Sedláček´s singers sang in the German Democratic Republic, apart from the others in Dresden at the festival “Fest des Liedes” (it was recorded by the Radio of the German Democratic Republic) and in the final gala-concert and in June after the concerts in a series of Slovenian towns the body brought from the Yugoslavian Celje the Golden Plaque of the point appraisal of 97.6 points of 100 possible ones! (Řezníček´s Atomus was declared to be the most difficult and at the same time the most interesting composition of the festival). This (Neerpelt, Celje) was said to be a real success ! If we count to that the winning participation in our official competition Svitavská soutěž výběrových sborů, in 1971 “silver” and in 1975 even “Golden” laurel only then we are able to see a relevant picture what the Kantiléna means for the Czech art of the area.

The choir grew up in its interpretational level based on its systematic study of vocal polyphony, whose merit the choir learned to sing a cappella, while its opposite pole, a contemporary expression, using the fresh sound means, develops musicality, musical imagination and creative fantasy of children with its complexity and means of expression demands. Thus within the dramaturgy Ivan Sedláček followed the dual intention: either a thorough style line or the confrontation of former musical eras to modern compositional exploits. More and more he inclined to the compositions of intellectually significant expressing great general ideas (humanity, peace themes, love to mother country), thus shifting the children´s intellectual content to the world of adults. This view of Sedláček has a great support in a series of composition of the contemporary authors (Kohoutek, Eben, Pololáník, Řezníček, Parsch, Matys), which together with the choir singings by Zdeněk Blažek and a classical heritage of B. Martinů are the programme core of the Kantiléna. For those years the Kantiléna has created firm singing ties with Lithuania, Hungary, Rumania, Poland, German Democratic Republic, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and became a non-violent promoter of the Czech contemporary arts within the international standards.

The success of the Sedláček´s children is not incidental. It is a purposeful long-year work of an excellent conductor and experienced methodologist having a clear idea about the target and means, his exceptional ability to develop the children´s musicality also in complicated works without traces of whatever drill, the ability to give the young, at the threshold of their first emotional storms the esthetical baggage and basis of a nice human relation. In this direction together with the original interpretational and dramaturgical appearance the Kantiléna and its enthusiastic conductor occupy veritably exceptional position. Let it be in the following tens of its life!

From the choir´s archive materials (1976-2000)

Since the half of the seventies the Kantiléna has been extending the preparatory section into two groups according to the age. About 150 children received differentiated singing and musical bases. This quality improvement makes possible the concert choir to learn new compositions more rapidly and in addition to the choir was able to interpret technically demanding compositions of high difficulty. As ordered by the choir there originated the novelties of Moravian authors (a polystratofonic compositions by Ctirad Kohoutek, Rudolf Růžička, the compositions built with modern expressional means by Arnošt Parsch, technically complicated compositions by Petr Řezníček, polyharmonic double-choir by Evžen Zámečník) as well as the complex novelties by Raichl, Neumann, Slavický etc. All these compositions were recoded by the choir on the radio. were performed at the festivals, international competitions and transit concerts. (Who experienced the seventies and the eighties in this country, he knows how difficult it was to travel abroad. The Kantiléna struggled to overcome all the administrative barriers and could participate in the international singing competitions. Within such trips it realized concerts for dinner and bed. The government never provided the choir with foreign currency even we could not buy it.) Excellent success was received by the Kantiléna at the 14th congress ISME (the International Society for Musical Education) in Warsaw. After performing the suite Catonis moralia by Petr Eben, whose time duration is 12 minutes there followed the applause which exceeded the length of the composition ! There the Japanese pedagogues made the base of later tour to Japan which managed to be realized even after ten long years. A great influence on the singing development had a co-operation with the voice pedagogue Jiří Bar. His impact dates back to February 1979 and lasted until 1989 when a terminal illness prevented in continuation of education.

The novelty compositions enriched the choir not only in technical viewpoint but also in expressional one. Today it deserves to admit that they partially diminished the attention of the censorship. The other part of the dramaturgy was a systematic study of vocal polyphony, especially of motet, thus the compositions having sacral contents. (Madrigals are interpretationally destined for much older singers.). These compositions were possible to be performed on foreign tours. At home unfortunately it was considerably limited. They found their full application in competition tours to Italy. In 1977 the Kantiléna won the 1st prize at the Concorso polifonico Quido di Arezzo, it performed in Florence in the Palazzo vecchio (the world´s acoustic parameters) and in other six towns. Even more precious trophy was won in Arezzo on the second tour in 1981. Apart from the winning in the category of children´s choirs it fought in finale to the winners of mixed choirs, men´s, women´s and the category of Gregorian singing and won the absolute victory. The double-choir by Evžen Zámečník “Utvořme krajinu zpěvu” was awarded by all the jurors with the maximum number of points (a complete hundred ones). As well within that tour the Kantiléna gave concerts again in Florence and in a series of other Italian towns and in Austria. In the following year 1982 the choir won at the choir competition in the Italian Prato. In our country it performed gradually at the festivals in Jihlava, Olomouc, Prague, Žilina, Brno and Litomyšl. It experienced hard conflicts with the regional authority ONV Brno – venkov, it lost the patronage of the cultural institution of Okresní kulturní středisko and the choir master applied for the selection procedure for the position of the choir leader of the State Philharmonic Orchestra Brno (1963). The Kantiléna became an ensemble of this cultural institution. It welcomed a part of children of the former choir Lýsek´s Brněnský dětský sbor into its rank. For the time of their co-operation, the last for “the age” they left in 1989, the choir had the name Brněnský dětský sbor Kantiléna.

Since 1984 there have started for the Kantiléna professional duties: every year to study an independent concert – spring, autumn and Christmas ones. Apart from others to co-perform with the orchestra in the cantata and oratory works. Such a co-operation did not made any problems for the choir, for it has already co-operated with the orchestra FSB in 1975 in the Prokofiev´s oratory Ivan Hrozný under the conducting by B. Liška and in 1979 in Honegger´s Jana z Arcu with the conductor F. Jílek, in the same year a sound record of children´s scenes in the records of the opera “Jakobín without scratches” with the conductor J. Pinkas. The choir co-performed with the opera ensemble in the performances of the operas of Bohéma, Jakobín, Turandot, Carmen, Liška Bystrouška, Krvavá svatba, ballet Špalíeek, Lukullovo odsouzení, Boris Godunov, Vojcek, Kouzelná flétna, Ferda Mravenec, Sen noci svatojánské (a scenic music for the drama), Carmina burana, Růže pro Johanku. No less intensive activity continued in the following years. For example, in 1986 the choir performed 13 independent concerts, visited Liepzig in the German Democratic Republic and its concert in the Gewandhaus was recorded by the radio broadcasting company, performed at the festival in Halle (it was also recorded by radio), in Prague in the concert hall Dům umělců at 32nd exhibition of the novelty works, similarly in Brno, went to Koln/R. and Siegburg in Germany. In 1987 the choir went to France and Spain where it performed in total 12 concerts (twice in Barcelona, twice in Lerida, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, Tolosa where it won the second prize in the competition), from the French concerts the most meaningful are the concerts in Lyon and Mulhouse. In 1988 apart from an active domestic concert activity we can name as the most meaningful the making of a record of Špalíček by B. Martinů with the conductor F. Jílek and the orchestra SFB (for the Supraphon company), two concerts in Yugoslavia and a chain of concerts in Greece from the northern Thesaloniki to the southern town of Kalamata in Pelopones. In 1989 the Kantiléna said farewell to the oldest generation of the former choir Brninský ditský sbor by the participation in the competition in Arezzo in the category of youth choirs and completely unfortunate social coincidence it won “only” the third place. (Then the consummate Swedish university choir won, after it there was a boy´s choir from Poland which triumphed with its political changes while the Italian newspaper informed in the title pages about our country writing how SNB dispersed the demonstrators in the Wenceslas Square in Prague on 21st August..). Since 1990 the choir has been again named by its original name the KANTILÉNA.

The fall of communism in this country released the choir from the ideological burden. The Kantiléna obtained the freedom in selection of its compositions. The dramaturgy has been enriched with the compositions mostly sung in abroad to that time (motets by Gallo, Palestrina, Lasso, Hassler, Victori and others).

Christmas concerts were moved into churches and after the reconstruction of the Besední dům the performances of the spring and autumn ones were realized originally in the hall of B. Bakala, later due to its bad acoustics in the Mahen and Janaček Theatres or in the hall of the Zemská sněmovna. Here, however, due to its small capacity there were even two repetitions which were very demanding for the choir members. Later the Christmas concerts became established in the Cathedral and every year they enjoyed a great number of listeners. In 1991 there held three-week trip around the cities of Japan. It was preceded by the performance in the Church of St. Nicolas in Prague and making a CD from the compositions being prepared for Japan. The record was awarded by the prize of the Český hudební fond form an extraordinary interpretation in 1992. From the co-operation with the philharmonic orchestra we can name at least the Honegger´s Král David, Hurník´s Prastaré obrazy with the soloist Magdalena Kožená, the former member of the Kantiléna, Eben´s Noční hodiny or a new selection of the choir items from the ballet of Špalíček. A free tour abroad was used by the Kantiléna for more frequent trips to the neighbouring states (Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Greece with an interesting trip to the Rhodos Island) and mostly performed a style programme of sacred music PROCHÁZKA STALETÍMI. These programmes extended a concert cycle of SFB dedicated to the sacred music in two seasons. At the same time (18th December 1994) the choir participated in a live programme on the special day “Special den Euroradio”. A positive professional and listeners ´response is documented by the thanks of the deputy-chief editor of the Vltava radio station and Mr. Tribolet, the organizer of this event of the programme section in Genéve.

In 1995 the Kantiléna came into its 40th season and celebrated it with a festive concert in the reconstructed Besední dům. In the new production there returned the most distinctive titles of contemporary authors (Řezníček´s Atomus, Eben´s suite Catonis moralia, Kohoutek´s Skalické zvony and others). In 1996 the choir won the prize Cena města Brna “Ke 40. výročí své činnosti a za špičkovou interpretaci starší i moderní české hudby”. The most meaningful event of 1997 was the tour along the East Coast of the USA. The Kantiléna performed in the hall of the conservatory in Boston, in the St. Patrick Cathedral in New York, in the UNO building, in the Czech Cultural Centre, in the concert hall of the Young symphonic players in Philadelphia, in the large Cathedral of National Shrine in Washington, in some other smaller towns and in Canada´s Montreal. At the end of the year the choir performed in the hall Obecní dům in Prague together with Magdalena Kožená, the concert was taken by TV and was broadcast on Christmas Day. In December 1998 it released a new CD with the name Cantate Domino (again with the co-performance of Magdalena Kožená and Marika Žáková). In the following year the body studied a series of compositions by Petr Eben, it performed two concerts on the occasion of his 70th anniversary of birthday with his co-operation of piano and organs and together with him the choir performed at the festival Krajina zpěvu in Šumperk. The end of season belonged to the tour to Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany. During the summer holidays a group of children co-performed under the leadership of Valerie Maťašová (she has been leading the preparatory choirs since 1993) on the forty-day tour of the National Theatre Brno in Bizet´s Carmen in Japan. In August the body performed in the commemorative concert on the occasion of the anniversary of B. Martinů in Polička with the cantata Otvírání studánek. In December the choir introduced the premiere of the composition Magnificat by Brno´s author František Emmert. In 2000 this exceptional work was recorded for radio under the co-performance of the soloists of Hana Šrubařová, Marika Žáková and Kateřina Hudcová. In spring 2000 apart from the spring concert the choir participated in the subscription concert for parents with children, it co-performed with the philharmonic orchestra of Moravská filharmonie in Prostějov and in Olomouc (the choir scenes of the ballet Špalíček and Otvírání studánek) and at the end of the season it sang at the concerts in Warsaw and in Lithuanian churches in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda.

By the autumn concert 2000 the Kantiléna came into its jubilee 45th season, took part at several benefit concerts in Brno´s temples and in the hall Besední dům in the programme being recorded by the Czech TV performing 100th performance of the Pololáník´s Missa brevis. From the foloolowing concerts we can mention as remarkable the Ceremony of Carols in the Brno Cathedral in December, on 7th February in Adalbertino in Hradec Králové there was performed the Sanctus Episcopus Adalbertus by Petr Řezníček and 25th February another festive concert Koncert duchovní hudby to the jubilee of the choir in the St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral and finally the successful tour to Rome (performance in the mass in the basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and the independent concert in the same place) and several concerts on the way.