The world-famous mezzo-soprano decided to leave the world of classical music behind for a while and
embarked on a gentle flirtation with the 'light muses'. She chose a truly soulful and immensely witty
author for her excursion into the world of classical American musical – Cole Porter. She will sing his
renowned, jazz-inspired hits to the accompaniment of Ondřej Havelka and His Melody Makers, an
orchestra which ranks among the world's leaders in authentic interpretation of jazz, swing and dance
music of the 1930s and 1940s. The album is released by new Magdalena's recording label Brnofon and
distributed by Supraphon. You can enjoy the famous melodies Night And Day, I've Got You Under My
Skin, Love For Sale or Begin To Beguin sung by Magdalena Kožená who invites you to listen by saying:
Let's Misbehave!
"I fell in love with Cole Porter's songs and the music of that period during the years when I was a student. I
am a great admirer of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and other jazz legends. Their recordings are
still amongst my favourites. I did not dare take on this repertoire for a long time, however, because I am of
the opinion that each artist should stick to his or her own style. However, I was inspired by listening to the
songs of Cole Porter performed by Frederica von Stade, whom I admire greatly. Without in any way
endeavouring to alter her singing style, she gave Porter's songs great charm and brought them into a
different, interesting dimension. So, I decided that I would try and present my own take on these timeless
melodies to audiences." Magdalena Kožená
COLE PORTER (1891–1964)
music and lyrics
Juraj Bartoš [1–6, 8–15], Petr Tichý [7]
transcripctions and arrangements