were arranged as a piano trio in 1976 by Josef Ceremuga [b.Ostrava 14 June 1920-d.Prague 6 May 2005].
Carol (1937) | Agraf Nt (to her father): Zatim dnes jenom tohle, sebralo mne to moc casu. Prihlasila jsem se do franiny k Aleonovi, byl rad, ze uz tebe ucil, tato, a nyni dceru. Dekuje za pozdrav. Ale stalo me to 60 a uz jsem uplne bez penez. Dopis podrobnejsi zasilam az zitra, aby mne nezavreli Foyer, kam jdu na veceri (jen do osmi). Ta koleda se mne povedla, jen ji umet zahrat. Je to neco jako Groteskni Passacaglia. | "This is all for today, it took a lot of time. I have registered for French with Aleon and he was pleased, since he had already taught you, Daddy, and now the daughter. He thanks you for your good wishes. But it cost me 60 [francs] and now I have no money left. I will send you details tomorrow, now I have to hurry so that I get to the Foyer, where I am heading for my supper, before they close it (open only till 8). This carol is good, now only to be able to play it. It is a bit like Grotesque Passacaglia." | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Hymn of the Volunteer Nurses of the Czechoslovak Red Cross (1938) | Agraf Nt (to her father): Posilam to prece. Tati, oprav to sam na dvojhlas, tj. seksty a tercie, ono uz to samo vychazi. Ja na to nemam uz cas, zpozorovala jsem to pozde, ze to ma byt dvojhlas. Co se Ti nelibi, oprav. | "I am sending it, after all. Daddy, double the voice, will you, i.e. sixths and thirds, it should come out naturally. I can't spend any more time on it, it was too late when I noticed that there should have been two voices. And correct what you don't like." | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Occassional compositions. | Folk songs: Ach synku, synku; Tece voda tece; Bodaj by vas vy mladenci; Nechod Janku pres Polianku.
My Dear One (Seconds, op. 18) | Agraf Nt (to her mother): Jsem Ti uz dlouho dluzna pisnicku, zde Ti ji tedy posilam, myslim, ze se Ti bude hodne libit, asi jako mne ty slova. Tata at do ni nerejpa ani v nejmensim. Zaroven preji vsechno nejlepsi, stesti a zdravi a brzske shledani. Pariz 31.5.1939. | "I have been owing you, for a long time, a song - so here it is. I think you will like it a lot, as much as I like the words. Tell Dad not to touch it in the least. I wish you all the best and (hope) that we'll be reunited soon. Paris 31.5.1939." | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Suita Rustica, op. 19 | Folk songs: The following folk songs are quoted in the suite: "Preletel slavycek pres Javornycek" [The nightingale flew over Javornycek], "Ciaze je to rolicka nezorana" [Whose is it, this unploughed little field], "Mela jsem holubka v truhle schovaneho a on mi vyletel do pole sireho" [I had a little pigeon hidden in my wooden trunk and he flew away into the fields] "Sedlak, sedlak" [Farmer, farmer] [furiant], "Esce me nemas, hopaj, supaj" [You don't have me yet], "Vysoko zornicka, dobru noc Anicka" [Good night Ann, the evening star is high in the sky], "Vandrovali hudci" [Wandering pipers], "Bude vojna, bude" [There will be a war].
Melodrama "To Karel Capek" (1939) | Agraf Nt (front page): Recitovalo se to francouzsky / It was recited in French (last page): Ten konec byl moc hezky / The ending was really neat.
Partita, op. 20 | Agraf Nt - Spalicek je oslik usaty, sedivy a hykavy. Ms Nt (BM) - Nech tam tu fugu, chces? Je moc dlouha, ale zato hezka, nech ji tam. Jeste ji muzes protahnout, jen ji nepretrhni. / At zijou husiti. Tu fugu tam nech anebo ji vyhod. / Nezapomen opakovat zacatek. Hloupej jak daleko vidi!!! / | Agraf Nt: Spalicek (Martinu's intimate nickname given to him by Kapralova) is a little donkey, long-eared, grayish and braying. Ms Nt (BM): Leave the fugue there, if you wish. It is too long but pretty (so) leave it there. You can stretch it, just don't rip it. / Long live the Hussites. Either leave the fugue there or throw it out. / Don't forget to repeat the beginning. Silly how far it can see!!! | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Vanocni preludium Vitezslavy Kapralove predstavuje dve a pul minuty sveziho
divciho usmevu v podobe komorni hudby. Kraticky celek pusobi uzasne jemnym a
prchavym dojmem jako mirne rozostrena fotografie vanocni zasnezene krajiny. Pruzracny pastyrsky motiv v barve horny s hobojem je zabaleny do zamlzene krajky drobnych smyccovych sestnactin oscilujicich v obou modech dur i moll soucasne. Barva harfy s klavirem, ktera pres smycce obcas prosvita, nutne vyvola asociaci s instrumentaci
skladatelcina vzoru - s Bohuslavem Martinu, stejne jako radostne vysvitnuti cisteho duroveho souzvuku z jemne disonantniho prediva. | The Czech Radio Publishing House website, January 15, 2002
Christmas Carol (1939) | Agraf Nt (to parents): Stastne a pekne vanoce a vsechno to nejlepsi do noveho roku preje Vitulka. Doufam, ze jste uz muj dopis dostali, posilam okamzite po tomto druhy. Martinu Vam preje take hezke svatecky. Toto na misto darku. Liba Vas oba a nebudte smutni. | "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vitulka. I hope that by now you have received my letter. I am sending another one immediately after this one. Martinu too sends his Christmas wishes. This (carol) is instead of a present. Kisses to both and don't be sad." | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Tales of a Small Flute (1940) | Agraf Nt.: I. Jaro bylo a nebylo. Na opravdove jaro to vonelo prilis smutkem, a kdesi v kvetu kastanu se prece jen neco klubalo. II. Jednoho dne to vypadalo, jako by se nic nestalo, a kastany se otevrely docela. III. A za teple noci sestoupila z kvetu vila Laska a udelala pekneho chlapce princem. I.There was and yet was not spring. Air scented too much with sadness for a true spring but somewhere inside the chestnut flower something was about to break out. II. One day it looked like nothing would happen but suddenly the chestnut buds opened wide. III. And during that warm night a fairy named Love came down from the chestnut flower and transformed a handsome boy into a prince. | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Letter (1940) | Agraf Nt.: - Un jeune homme repond a son amour: Vous m'avez ecrit "non", soit! Le destin nous a separé, je l'ai regretté, mais je voie que vous êtes heureuse et c'est pourquoi je suis heureux. Je ne veux pas dire qui est coupable et qui perd plus. Autres fois il y avaient deux chemins, aujourd'hui il n'y en a qu'un seul. Enfin, peut-etre tu reviendras, parce que Dieu est un grand artiste et personne ne connaît ses projets. | A young man responds to his love: You said "no". So be it! It was fate that separated us. I regret that but see that you are happy and that is why I am happy. I do not want judge who is to blame, whose loss is bigger. Just the other day, there were two paths, today there is only one. Perhaps, you will return one day because the Lord God is a great artist and no one knows His plans... | Translation © Karla Hartl, 2003.
Authors of the lyrics of Kapralova's songs (in the songs' chronological order):
Neruda, Jan. "Maticce." In: Kniha versu. Praha, 1867.
Bojko, R. "Jitro." In: Proste kvety. Praha: Kvasnicka & Hampl, 1924.
Bojko, R. "Osirely." In: Proste kvety. Praha: Kvasnicka & Hampl, 1924.
Jelinek, Bohdan. "V upominkach." In: Snehova ruze. 3rd edition. Praha: Prace, 1948 (previous editons: 1880, 1926).
Jelinek, Bohdan. "Snehova ruze." In: Snehova ruze. 3rd edition. Praha: Prace, 1948 (1880, 1926).
Nezval, Vitezslav. "Leden." In: Zpatecni listek. Praha, 1932.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Pisen na vrbovou pistalku." Jablko s klina. Praha: F.J. Müller, 1933.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Matka a dite." Jablko s klina. Praha: F.J. Müller, 1933.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Bezvetri." Jablko s klina. Praha: F.J. Müller, 1933.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Jarni pout." Jablko s klina. Praha: F.J. Müller, 1933.
Carek, Jan. "Navzdy." In: Hvezdy na nebi. Praha: Druzstevni prace, 1934.
Carek, Jan. "Cim je muj zal." In: Hvezdy na nebi. Praha: Druzstevni prace, 1934.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Ruce." Jablko s klina. Praha: F.J. Müller, 1933.
Nezval, Vitezslav. "Sbohem a satecek." In: Sbohem a satecek. Praha, 1934.
Podjavorinska, L'udmila. "Lesna panna." In: Balady. Praha: L.Mazac, 1931.
"Nevdas se!" In: Prikryl, Ondrej. Hanacke pesnicke. Prostejov, 1936.
Seifert, Jaroslav. "Pisen." Postovni holub. Praha: Plejada, 1929.
Hora, Josef. Kdyz straze sve cas vymenuje. Praha: Melantrich, 1937.
Sramek, Frana. "Velikonoce." In: Nove basne. 2nd edition. Praha: Fr. Borovy, 1940 (1st edition in 1928).
Velkoborsky, Frana. "Pisen nedozniva." 1928?
Carek, Jan. "Rodny kraj." In: Hvezdy na nebi. Praha: Druzstevni prace, 1934.
"Koleda milostna. In: Susil, Frantisek. Moravske narodni pisne. 4th(?) edition. Praha: Vysehrad, 1951 (previous editions: 1935, 1840, 1860)
Nezval, Vitezslav. Karlu Capkovi. Praha, 1939.
Carek, Jan. "V zemi ceske." In: V zemi ceske. 2nd edition. Praha: Novina, 1942.
Kripner, Viktor. "Pisen tve nepritomnosti." In: Zpivano do dalky. Praha: Fr. Borovy, 1938.
Kripner, Viktor. "Polohlasem." In: Zpivano do dalky. Praha: Fr. Borovy, 1938.
Kripner, Viktor. "Ticho." In: Zpivano do dalky. Praha: Fr. Borovy, 1938.
Kricka, Petr. "Vy 'ne' jste rekla." In: Hoch s lukem. 1924.
Dedicatees of Kapralova's music (in alphabetical order)
Edvard Benes - Czechoslovakia's second president
Gracian Cernusak - musicologist and professor of music history at the Brno Conservatory
Jirinka Cernusakova - daughter of Gracian Cernusak and Kapralova's friend
Rudolf Firkusny - renowned Czech pianist
Marie ("Masa") Fleischerova nee Fischerova (5.8. 1887 Uherske Hradiste - 4.4. 1950 Brno)- professor of voice at the Brno Conservatory and the first interpreter of Kapralova's op. 10
Vladimir Helfert - musicologist, professor of the Masaryk university in Brno and a family friend
R. (Rudolf) Kopec - Kapralova's friend whom she met in Paris in spring 1938
Otakar (Otto) Kraus - opera singer and Kapralova's friend in Paris
Milada Kunderova - wife of Ludvik Kundera, professor of the Brno Conservatory and a family friend
Magda Kühnova - medical doctor and a family friend
T.G. (Tomas Garrigue) Masaryk ("TGM") - Czechoslovakia's first president
Jiri Mucha ("Jirkovi") - Czech writer, son of the art nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha and Kapralova's husband
Sasenka Pucova - daughter of Cestmir Puc, Czech-French entrepreneur and generous supporter of Czech artists in Paris
"Renuska" (Renata) Helfertova-Trtilkova - daughter of Vladimir Helfert
Otakar Sourek - music writer and critic based in Prague. He was instrumental in assisting Kapralova to renew her French scholarship
Ota ("Otacek") Vach (birth name Otto Wach) - Kapralova's classmate from the Brno Conservatory and her first love
© Karla Hartl, 1998-2010.