Dvorak’s second opera, his first in Czech, tells the tale of King Matyas taking refuge incognito in the hut of the charcoal-burner Matej and causing a misunderstanding when he tries to further the love of his host’s daughter Liduska; her angry lover Jenik storms off and becomes a soldier, later turning up at court and through a series of ruses on the part of the King becoming reconciled to Liduska. It is a slender tale, in its first version (1871) apparently being so overloaded with difficulties that it was rejected in rehearsal when the performers found it all too much for them. It was then completely recomposed in a lighter vein in 1874, with further revisions in 1887. Yet another revision was made by Karel Kovarovic in 1914, and that forms the basis of the present recording, originally made for television and much cut (the four-language libretto in the booklet very sensibly prints the missing passages, in a different colour).
It is a remarkably enjoyable work. Dvorak’s grasp of what he was doing dramatically is not always entirely secure, even after all that revision, and there is no great depth of characterization, but he has a nice feeling for a given situation and a tuneful way of expressing it. This is nowhere more so than with Liduska, an affecting heroine with a spark of spirit, touchingly sung by Jitka Svobodova. Miroslav Kopp sings Jenik with a lyrical enthusiasm, and stands up well to the King he does not recognize (Rene Tucek on good form). Josef Chaloupka directs his forces with a lively feeling for the work’s qualities. The recording is not ideal, but neither this, nor the problems as regards versions, should deter anyone curious about an almost unknown Dvorak opera. If no great discovery, it is a very engaging one.'