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>> Jarmila Novotna Festival in Liten near Beroun is still searching for its own face.
It shows that the excellent singer hasn't been forgotten in Cech lands.
/music/ >> 1st year of Jarmila Novotna Festival
>> Jarmila Novotna was - not only for opera lovers - one of the most prominent personalities
of the Czech nation. She sung Marenka in National Theatre at 18, was a protegé of president
Masaryk, and a long-time soloist of MET in New York. A woman who dedicated her recording
of Czech national songs with Jan Masaryk to Lidice, the village razed to the ground by Nazis.
>> George Daubek, son of Jarmila Novotna: I thought people forgot about her when she
wasn't allowed to visit her country, and some of them maybe did. But she was a great
patriot promoting her nation whenever she could.
>> People were gathering at the tomb of Jarmila and the Daubek family from the early morning
to watch the solemn act of opening the festival's first year.
>> Ivana Leidlova, President of the Festival: We've heard a lot about the Daubeks from
the village people so we tried to contact them. Last September we wrote a letter to
Mr. Daubek introducing us as new owners of the Liten estate. Few days later we sat in
the garden of Daubeks' American house... >> Im so happy that the Leidls care about
my mother's name and art and respect the history of this place.
>> Than we met Jarmila's granddaughter Tatiana Daubek and decided to give George a birthday
present: a music festival. >> Tatiana Daubek: My relationship to Liten
goes back to when I was 7. My parents brought me there and let me baptized in this church.
I remember it very well, the church being crowded, I was shy and scared... But I cherish
that memory and I'm very happy to be here today.
/music/ >> Dita Hradecka, Artistic Leader of Festival:
An event with Jamila Novotna's name in the title should feature an opera performance.
This year we have been working under time and financial pressure and we can't afford
own opera production. But people will see Smetana's Bartered Bride, although in a
playful version for amateur actors. Our festival wants to show human -- and especially women
voice in all the different colours. For me human voice is something almost magical. This
year we introduce two promissing young singers to the public: Alzbeta Vomackova sings two
arias which were on Jarmila Novotnas repertoire. /Ms. Vomackova sings Mozart's Voi che sapete/
>> It's an honour to be here, to walk through rooms where she used to memorize arias which
I sing tonight -- Donna Elvira or Cherubino. I would say, a unique experience!
>>... and Ms. Martina Sehylova who sings extracts from Mozart as well as Bach's cantata.
>> Not only classical music was on the evening program: as an encore the two beautiful young
singers gave a performance of Czech national songs.
/music and applause/
>> Ms. Novotna's granddaughter Tatiana specializes in baroque performance and thats why we plan
to stage a small baroque opera next year performed on historical instruments.
>> We've had a very nice cooperation with ensemble Musica Florea, me and Gonzalo Ruiz.
They are excellent musicians and very nice people, very pleasant to work with.
>> Marek Stryncl, leader of Musica Florea: Tatiana Daubek is an excellent musician with
predestination for baroque violin. She's a wonderful soloist who can afford to play
with the best world ensembles and at the same time she fits into the ensemble as chamber
player.
/Jarmila Novotna's beloved song Ach synku synku/
>> Visitors of Jarmila Novotna Festival are eager to come again next year and so wishes
the Czech TV.