CD 1
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904) - Serenade in E major for String Orchestra, Op. 22 28:31
1. I. Moderato 4:01
2. II. Tempo di valse 6:28
3. III. Scherzo. Vivace 5:46
4. IV. Larghetto 5:59
5. V. Finale. Allegro vivace 6:07
JOSEF SUK (1874–1935) - Serenade in E flat major for String Orchestra, Op. 6 (1892) * 27:32
6. I. Andante con motto 5:29
7. II. Allegro ma non troppo e grazioso 5:20
8. III. Adagio 9:35
9. IV. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo presto 7:01
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK - Czech Suite in D major, Op. 39, (B. 93; 1879) 24:22
10. I. Preludio (Pastorale). Allegro moderato 3:52
11. II. Polka. Allegretto grazioso 5:17
12. III. Sousedská (Minuetto). Allegro giusto 4:42
13. IV. Romanza. Andante con moto 4:46
14. V. Finale (Furiant). Presto 5:36
CD 2
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) - Divertimento in D major for String Orchestra, K. 136 (1772) 14:22
1. I. Allegro 6:15
2. II. Andante 4:14
3. III. Presto 3:48
4. Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546 (1788) * 9:17
Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Serenade No. 13 in G major for String Orchestra, K. 525 b (1787) 18:27
5. I. Allegro 6:13
6. II. Romance. Andante 6:09
7. III. Menuetto 2:12
8. IV. Rondo. Allegro 3:42
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
9. Andante cantabile from Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 (1871) 7:18
Serenade in C major for String Orchestra, Op. 48 (1880) 28:53
10. I. Pezzo in forma di sonatina 9:14
11. II. Waltz 3:57
12. III. Elegy 8:04
13. IV. Finale. Teme russo 7:32
CD 3
BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913–1976) - Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10 (1937) * 25:30
1. Introduction and Theme 2:05
2. Variation 1: Adagio 2:08
3. Variation 2: March 1:08
4. Variation 3: Romance 1:24
5. Variation 4: Aria Italiana 1:21
6. Variation 5: Bourrée classique 1:31
7. Variation 6: Wiener Waltzer 2:32
8. Variation 7: Moto perpetuo 1:07
9. Variation 8: Funeral March 3:32
10. Variation 9: Chant 1:38
11. Variation 10: Fugue and Finale 6:41
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918) - Danse sacrée et Danse profane, for Harp and Strings (1904) * 9:19
12. Danse sacrée 4:28
13. Danse profane 4:50
ILJA HURNÍK (1922–2013) - Concerto for Oboe, Piano and String orchestra (1961) * 17:25
14. I. Allegro con brio 4:07
15. II. Andante pesante 4:52
16. III. Allegretto 2:19
17. IV. Presto 6:01
JIŘÍ PAUER (1919–2007) - Symphony for Strings (1978) * 22:34
18. I. Allegro 5:38
19. II. Andante 8:52
20. III. Animato 7:58
CD 4
HENRY PURCELL (1659–1695) - King Arthur. Suite for Strings from the opera (1691) * 14:59
1. Overture 2:49
2. Air 1:44
3. Hornpipe 0:38
4. Song tune 2:15
5. Air 0:44
6. Chaconne 6:36
OTTORINO RESPIGHI (1879–1936) - Gli Uccelli / The Birds. Suite of Pieces by Old Composers for Small Orchestra (1928) 20:51
7. Preludio da Bernardo Pasquini 2:58
8. Colomba da Jacques de Gallot 4:39
9. Gallina da Jean-Philippe Rameau 3:00
10. L'Usignuolo da un anonimo inglese 5:06
11. Il Cucu da Bernardo Pasquini 5:00
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882–1971) - Apollon Musagete. Ballet in two scenes (1927-28,rev.1947) * 29:56
First tableau
12. Prologue: The Birth of Apollo 4:48
Second tableau
13. Variation of Apollo 2:31
14. Pas d'action 4:15
15. Variation of Calliope 1:33
16. Variation of Polyhymnia 1:16
17. Variation of Terpsichore 1:35
18. Variation of Apollo 2:31
19. Pas de deux 3:56
20. Coda 3:18
21. Apotheosis 3:54
* poprvé na CD / first time on CD
Czech Chamber Orchestra, conductor Josef Vlach
Karel Patras – harp (CD3/12–13)
Stanislav Duchoň – oboe, Ilja Hurník – piano (CD3/14–17)
Prague Chamber Orchestra (CD1/10–14, CD4/7–11)
CD1 recorded in the Rudolfinum, Prague, December 27–28, 1966 (1–5), September 23–25, 1961 (6–9), at the Supraphon Dejvice Studio, Prague, November 9–17, 1976 (10–14).
CD2 recorded in the Domovina Studio, February 23, 1960 (1–3), September 11, 1960 (4), February 25–26 and in the Rudolfinum, Prague, March 3, 1960 (5–8), and October 1, 2 and 4, 1964 (9–13). November 28 – December 1, 1962 (10–12), November 24–26, 1962 (13), February 4, 1966 (14).
CD3 recorded in the Rudolfinum, Prague, June 24 and 28–29, 1965 (1–11), September 17, 1961 (12–13), September 3–4, 1961 (14–17), and November 27–28, 1981 in the Czech Radio.
CD4 recorded in the Rudolfinum, Prague, February 5–19, 1978 (1–6), December 17–21, 1965 (12–21), and in the Domovina Studio, Prague, February 4 – 8, 1974 (7–11).
The violinist and conductor Josef Vlach (1923–1988), who played a crucial role in cultivating the superlative Talich tradition and quality, is far from being as well known as he deserves to be. At the age of 23, Vlach co-founded the Czech Chamber Orchestra for Václav Talich, who after being falsely accused of collaborating with the Nazis was banned from working with the Czech Philharmonic and the National Theatre. The young orchestra soon proved to be a sensation (Pierre Fournier branded it the best chamber formation in the world), yet following the Communist coup in 1948, it rather opted for diluting than renouncing Talich.
The maestro’s stringent requirements for the utmost artistic quality, diligence and engagement served as the fundamental principles for the Czech Chamber Orchestra, revived by Josef Vlach in 1957. They went on to gain great acclaim worldwide, with the most noteworthy triumphs including the performance in Osaka in 1960 (standing in for the Boston Symphony Orchestra), the concert at the Salzburger Festspiele in 1962 (broadcast by some 180 radio stations), tours of the USA, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, France, Belgium ... The orchestra then returned from the limelight to the twilight at home, rehearsals in a dingy basement, to a country where they were more tolerated than supported. Yet even amidst such unfavourable circumstances Vlach’s exceptionable musical qualities and the Talich credo would bear extraordinary fruits. According to Ivan Moravec’s reminiscences, Josef Vlach was “in everyday life a person absolutely unexceptional, humble yet rather absent-minded, whereas his imagination as regards music was so immense that I can hardly conceive of Talich’s successor possessing a greater, ampler and more compelling vision.” The presented recordings, made between 1960 and 1982 (most of them before 1966) are among the most precious gems from the Supraphon archives. They have all been carefully remastered, with half of them now being released on CD for the very first time.
Josef Vlach and the Czech Chamber Orchestra – recordings abounding in torrential energy, a legend arising from the feted Talich tradition.
Josef Vlach (1923–1988) – jméno houslisty a dirigenta, zdaleka ne tak známé, jak by si zasloužilo, jméno, jež nás odkazuje k výsostné talichovské tradici a kvalitě. Ne náhodou. Třiadvacetiletý Vlach spoluzakládal Český komorní orchestr pro Talicha, kterému byla pro křivé obvinění z kolaborace s nacisty zakázána práce s ČF i v Národním divadle.
Mladý orchestr se stal senzací (Pierre Fournier jej označil za nejlepší komorní těleso na světě), po komunistickém puči roku 1948 se však raději „rozpustil“, než by se vzdal Václava Talicha. Jeho maximalistické požadavky na uměleckou kvalitu, poctivost a odevzdanost se staly základem ČKO, který Josef Vlach roku 1957 znovu probudil k životu. Ve světě slavili senzační úspěchy: 1960 Ósaka – záskok za Boston Symphony Orchestra; 1962 Salcburský festival – koncert přenášen 180 stanicemi; turné po USA, Německu, Velké Británii, Švýcarsku, Francii, Belgii... Ze světel ramp se pak orchestr vracel do domácího přítmí, třeba do sklepní „zkušebny“, v zemi, kde byl spíše tolerován, než podporován. Vlachovy výsostné muzikantské kvality a talichovské krédo však i v takto nepříznivém klimatu dávaly vzniknout výjimečným plodům. Ve vzpomínání Ivana Moravce byl Josef Vlach „člověk v civilu zcela normální, neefektní a prostý, ale v hudbě a v jeho imaginaci bylo takové bohatství, že si po Talichovi těžko dovedu představit někoho, kdo by měl fantazii širší, bohatší a zajímavější.“
Předkládané nahrávky z let 1960-1982 (většina však vznikla do roku 1966) patří k těm nejvzácnějším drahokamům, které supraphonský archiv skrývá. Snímky prošly pečlivým remasteringem, polovina z nich se zde objevuje vůbec poprvé na CD.
(Supraphon 2016)
| Property | Value |
| format | CD audio |
