Karel Krautgartner

…Jan Panenka makes an honest reading of Schumann Op conferring it of serene poise and distinguished phrasing. Ancerl underlines magnificently the orchestral details to make at least a listenable version. But the jewel of the crown was the radiant and original reading of this battlehorse piece so many listened. Gilels' approach is very attractive, progressively he gets to imbue us around this Russian taste implicit in Tchaikovsky's first Symphony better known as "Winter dreams" . The Second Movement (in the 5:23) Ancerl makes a memorable rubato that really engaged me. Additionally, Gilels with his notable trills, provides the dreamlike atmosphere so typical from Tchaikovsky's ballets. The Final movement is lively and remarkably exciting.

Often referred to as the "golden voice of Prague" and the "Sinatra of the East," celebrated Czech singer, actor, and painter Karel Gott's career spanned six decades and yielded hundreds of albums and compilations before his death in October of 2019. Emerging in the early '60s, Gott's first solo single, a rendering of Henry Mancini's “Moon River," helped put him on the map, and as the years progressed he dabbled in everything from pop, rock, and country to opera and swing…

This is an excellent rendition of Dvorjak's Requiem. The Choral group have excellent diction and are sensitive to the light and shade required to bring our the meaning of the words. The Orchestra too contributes to the unity of the work. The Soloists are first class with beautiful voices. the conductor is to be congratulated for his skill in bring the three sections-chorus, soloists and orchestra-together to effectively recreate this wonderful work.

Karel Ancerl’s incomparable recording of Janácek’s resplendently barbaric Sinfonietta remains not only the finest available version of the work, but also is the best recorded … Although it was captured as long ago as 1961, no other version so effectively conveys the panoramic splendor of the trumpet-led opening across the stereo spectrum, no other offers such clarity in passages such as the finale’s hair-raising wind writing, and no other balances the orchestra against the massed brass of the closing pages so naturally and cleanly. Technically it’s quite an achievement …

Tenor Jonathan Tetelman has already earned a reputation in the opera world as a dedicated, distinctive and versatile artist. Having signed an exclusive agreement with DG last autumn, he has now recorded his debut DG album, Arias, released 12 August 2022. With his agile technique, dramatic eloquence and rich palette of vocal colours, Tetelman here inhabits a range of roles from the French and Italian repertoire. DG is pleased to have been able to record the album in the unique acoustics of the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and to work with such supportive partners as the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria and its Music Director Karel Mark Chichon.

All of Sviatoslav Richter's concert appearances in Prague, from his 1950 Prague Spring performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, to his 1993 performance of the Grieg concerto, were highlights of Prague's musical life. Richter, however, enjoyed traveling to small cities, often playing on instruments whose quality would be simply unacceptable for many of today's musical stars. His concerts were generally completely sold out and offered his listeners an extraordinary musical experience regardless of the venue or quality of the instrument.