Jana Vöröšová : Gulliver's Travels
Premiere: Martinů Hall of Lichtenstein Palace, 5/3/2007
Vladimír Javorský – narrator
Four movements of Gulliver’s Travels represent moods and feelings evoked by creatures, places, things and incidents that Gulliver comes across while on his journey.
1. Giant‘s Adventure
Scared and confounded as I was, I could not forbear going on withthese reflections, when one of the reapers, approaching within tenyards of the ridge where I lay, made me apprehend that with thenext step I should be squashed to death under his foot, or cut intwo with his reaping-hook. And therefore, when he was again about to move, I screamed as loud as fear could make me.
2. Flying Island
The flying or floating island is exactly circular... The bottom is one even regular plate of adamant... above it lie the several minerals in their usual order, and over all is a coat of rich mould. The declivity of the upper surface, from the circumference to the centre, is the natural cause why all the dews and rains are conveyed in small rivulets toward the middle... By means of a loadstone of a prodigious size, the island is made to rise and fall, and move from one place to another.
3. Academy of Lagad
This academy is not an entire single building, but a continuation of several houses on both sides of a street, which growing waste, was purchased and applied to that use. I was received very kindly by the warden, and went for many days to the academy. Every room has in it one or more projectors; ... The first man I saw was of a meagre aspect, with sooty hands and face ... He has been eight years upon a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers ... I saw another at work to calcine ice into gunpowder ... There was a most ingenious architect, who had contrived a new method for building houses, by beginning at the roof, and working downward to the foundation... Some were condensing air into a dry tangible substance ... others softening marble ... others petrifying the hoofs of a living horse ... others sowed land with chaff...
4. Gust of Wind and Blade of Grass
When all was ready, and the day came for my departure, I took leave of my master and lady and the whole family, my eyes flowing with tears, and my heart quite sunk with grief. ... I paid my respects to the rest of the Houyhnhnms in his honour's company; then getting into my canoe, I pushed off from shore.
please note: you are listening to the live recordings from the premieres
