Kniha džunglí

The Jungle Book is a studio recording of music by Marko Ivanović, created for a theatrical music-and-dance project on which the composer and conductor collaborated with the Forman Brothers’ Theatre, Dekkadancers, the Czech Philharmonic, and Jatka78 Theatre. The world premiere of the project, based on Rudyard Kipling’s eponymous novel took place in Azyl78 in Prague in June 2022 and was followed by nearly two dozen performances in the following month, all completely sold out.
On this new album, Ivanović has been joined by an orchestra composed of members of the Czech Philharmonic. Its release marks this year’s block of performances of The Jungle Book which will take place between 28 May and 18 June 2023, again on the scene of Azyl78.

Marko Ivanović has not only authored the music but has also co-authored the script and conducts the fifteen member orchestra during the performances. The Jungle Book is, in his words, his first attempt at a form in which music and dance, rather than words, narrate the story and carry its meaning. He adds: “For me, as a former boy scout, Kipling's book and its message and atmosphere have always held a strong appeal. And the opportunity to try and emulate in music the world of wild and seemingly chaotic nature, where a deep, unchanging order reigns has been a wonderfully inspiring experience.”

Marko Ivanović is currently the chief conductor of the Janáček Theatre in Brno. He is also a dedicated promoter of contemporary music and has contributed to many first Czech performances of major foreign works. Together with Petr Kadlec, he has established a series of educational programmes of classical and contemporary music for young audiences. His previous successful collaborations with Forman Brothers’ Theatre include music for the opera “Čarokraj” (2012) and his instrumentation of the score of Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr’s jazz opera “Dobře placená procházka” for a new production at the National Theatre in Prague in 2007 (directed by Miloš and Petr Forman).