This is a Czech original, and an English translation which is not verbatim, but better fitting the musical mood changes than the German version.

MAŘENKA (sama)
Oh, jaký žal! Jaký to žal,
když srdce oklamáno!
– Však přece ještě nevěřím,
ač stojí tam napsáno.
– Nevěřím, až s ním promluvím,
snad ani o tom neví!
– Ó, kýž se mi v nesnázi té
skutečná pravda zjeví!
– Ten lásky sen, jak krásný byl,
jak nadějně rozkvítal,
a nad ubohým srdcem mým
co tichá hvězda svítal.
Jak blahý život s milencem
v snu tomto jsem si přála,
tu osud přivál vichřici
a růže lásky zvadla.
Ne, ne, není možný taký klam;
tenť smutnou byl by ranou,
a rozplakala by se zem
nad láskou pochovanou!
Ten lásky sen, atd.

MAŘENKA (alone)
Oh, what a grief! What burning pain
when a loving heart’s deceived’
– But I don’t as yet believe it
though it stood there black on white. ¨
Don’t I believe it,
till I hear from him,
he does not, perhaps, know about it.
– Oh how I yearn to know the truth
in this difficult moment!
– That dream of love how fair it was,
how hopefully it blossomed,
and over my pitiful heart
it like a star was rising.
What blissful life that dream has seemed
to promise me for ever,
but fate has ordained otherwise
and all my hopes have withered.
No, such a deceit cannot be;
that would, indeed, be cruel,
and earth itself could not resist
to mourn the death of our love!
That dream of love, etc.

 

This is a Czech original, and an English translation which is not verbatim, but better fitting the musical mood changes than the German version.

MAŘENKA (sama)
Oh, jaký žal! Jaký to žal,
když srdce oklamáno!
– Však přece ještě nevěřím,
ač stojí tam napsáno.
– Nevěřím, až s ním promluvím,
snad ani o tom neví!
– Ó, kýž se mi v nesnázi té
skutečná pravda zjeví!
– Ten lásky sen, jak krásný byl,
jak nadějně rozkvítal,
a nad ubohým srdcem mým
co tichá hvězda svítal.
Jak blahý život s milencem
v snu tomto jsem si přála,
tu osud přivál vichřici
a růže lásky zvadla.
Ne, ne, není možný taký klam;
tenť smutnou byl by ranou,
a rozplakala by se zem
nad láskou pochovanou!
Ten lásky sen, atd.

MAŘENKA (alone)
Oh, what a grief! What burning pain
when a loving heart’s deceived’
– But I don’t as yet believe it
though it stood there black on white. ¨
Don’t I believe it,
till I hear from him,
he does not, perhaps, know about it.
– Oh how I yearn to know the truth
in this difficult moment!
– That dream of love how fair it was,
how hopefully it blossomed,
and over my pitiful heart
it like a star was rising.
What blissful life that dream has seemed
to promise me for ever,
but fate has ordained otherwise
and all my hopes have withered.
No, such a deceit cannot be;
that would, indeed, be cruel,
and earth itself could not resist
to mourn the death of our love!
That dream of love, etc.

I have one more Czech singer for you in the last round. Nice to have you back. You are so unique here in your take on things. I think of you when I watch my Arkansas state troupers chase felons at 180km per hour and take them out on my new super duper high def TV!!!

 

Milada Musilová irritated me in the recitative, as if she was affectated and aspirating ???, "žhal" instead of "žal", I guess that was the fashion at the time, the way they were acting in the old Czech movies. I will pay attention to it next time I see one.
Ayway, once she started a proper aria, I really loved her and felt a nice flow of both voice and instruments. Like that "Lenz"- the"spring tide" from the German translation which is not present in the Czech text.

Červínková was more natural in the recitative, but her dark voice felt less fitting for a young girl like Mařenka. (She would be a good fit for a slightly hysterical Milada in Smetana's Dalibor.) The dark color was exacerbated by "a" vowels weering slightly to "o". I did not like her highest notes, a little screaming. I liked her better than it seems from my writing, LOL ! But Musilová wins this round for me.

 

Welcome back BBSVK! I hope you and your family are well! Your daughter is feeling good now?

I really enjoy Musilova's voice. I heard what you meant regarding the zhal/zal differences. I don't speak the language though. It makes it sound somewhat ultra soft and feminine in a delicate way here to my ear. Musilova has a beautiful voice of great clarity and bright, youthfully intense angst. She really fits the aria to me. It's a lighter voice than the other, but her high notes are really beautiful and here many are in the climax of musical phrases and it's a big plus to the melodic flow to me. She has such a wistful, tender beauty to her whole delivery. Brava.

Cervinkova is the much darker, stronger, more dramatic voice, but somewhat overqualified for this role. She sounds much more darkly tragic in terms of vocal weight and timbre. She is very deeply expressive musically with more maturity, which is not really an advantage here. I don't like her high notes, they are strained here. I'll vote for Musilova today.

 

I have never heard Nordenova, it is more declamatory, somewhat more grandiose than Musilova, more tragic in a straightforward manner. Lovely voice, nicely done entrance. She is vocally in between Musilova and Cervinkova in terms of weight and power. It is a more simple delivery, but old fashioned and heartfelt in simplicity as well. This is still a youthful princess, older than Musilova, but much younger than Cervinkova. She is more contemplative and reflective on the sadness of her experiences. It is very beautiful, darker then Musilova, less overtly fancy, but deeply expressive. Not overly mature and profound as Cervinkova, but this is a very thoughtful interpretation to my ear. I would be very happy to hear this in a live theater today. She also looks lovely in the photo. Her high notes are beautiful and she sustains the musical line excellently. I think Musilova is more....exciting, sparkling so to say for the stage, but this one is very good. Thanks BBSVK!

 

I immediately fell in love with Musilova. She and her Solti-esque conductor had a high powered brilliantly projected approach that still had charm and pathos. I just loved her.

czervinkova’s approach and sound never got me. She was committed but I wondered if she was a little long in the tooth here. Nothing sounded inevitable and the tone had a somewhat swallowed impact… at the least a contained effect that didn’t appeal to me

 

So, I'm the only one who likes Červinková.
I don't know the opera and can't judge who fits the role. But I'm not convinced that a comedy protagonist, that very bride, should obligatory sound light, soubrettish. All the girls are different, and scorned ones may sing dramatically, as a precursor of what would reveal after a couple decades of marriage.

 

But I'm not convinced that a comedy protagonist, that very bride, should obligatory sound light, soubrettish.

She is not a 100% soubrette, she is something in between.
(The soubrette of this opera would be the cirkus artist Esmeralda).

But, for instance, Mařenka is trying to solve her problems by approaching her arranged groom incognito and tell him not to mary Mařenka, because everybody knows how evil she is. Then she recommends an alternative bride - the incognito self ! (What could go wrong ?)

Or, there is a comical quarrel she has with Jeník. See this at 2:30 (I could not time tag it) .

Btw, this is Beňačková.