My Country - Czech classics adapted for the harp
The cycle of symphonic poems My Country by Bedřich Smetana is one of the best-known pieces of Czech classical music. Harp soloist Jana Boušková selected three movements from the cycle for her latest CD.
"The idea to create a CD called My Country and use three parts from the cycle of symphonic poems came gradually, and my intention was to present the harp as a fully-fledged solo instrument that can sound like a whole symphony orchestra," Boušková says.
The artist created her own adaptation of Vltava, Vyšehrad, which actually begins with two harps, and Šárka, although special adaptations for the harp of the first two symphonic poems already existed.
Her new CD, sold under the Supraphn label, is also titled My Country, although it is not a recording of the whole cycle of symphonic poems and contains other well-known works –adapted for the harp -by famous Czech composers.
On the CD you will also find two works by Antonín Dvořák - Largo From the New World symphony and the American Suite, as well as Josef Suk's Summer Impressions.
"I adapted Dvořák's American Suite and Josef Suk's Summer Impressions from the piano version, which I had to rework for the harp. I believe that these compositions sound even better on the harp, than they do on the piano" Jana Boušková says.
