Kubelik

2017's latest release in Pentatone's Remastered Classics series is Rafael Kubelik’s sprited and acclaimed reading from the 1970s of Beethoven’s first and fourth symphonies, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Rafael Kubelik's highly chromatic, poetic Mahler recordings have been staples in Deutsche Grammophon's catalogue since their inception. Tempos overall tend to be quicker than the norm, yet never at the expense of glossing over the composers renowned wealth of inner details. Many Mahler aficionados still regard Kubelik's readings here of the Symphonies No. 1 and No. 7 as reference recordings. Distinguished soloists include Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Edith Mathis, Norma Proctor, Franz Crass, and Julia Hamari. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra as well as the various outstanding choirs employed throughout the cycle couldn't be more in sync with Kubelik's inspired visionary interpretations.

Dating from the 1970s, Rafael Kubelik’s incisive and acclaimed reading of Beethoven’s second and fifth symphonies in the Remastered Classics series from Pentatone, performed with panache by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Dating from the 1970s, Rafael Kubelik’s incisive and acclaimed reading of Beethoven’s second and fifth symphonies in the Remastered Classics series from Pentatone, performed with panache by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Kubelik conducted Bedřich Smetana's "Má vlast" in several countries after his departure from Czechoslovakia, and recorded it four times, with orchestras in Chicago, Vienna, Boston and Munich. This Boston performance that is the finest of the four this conductor has recorded, and surely the most inspiriting account of "Má vlast" on SACD.

Both the term symphonic poem and the form itself were invented by Franz Liszt, who in works such as Les Préludes (1848; after Alphonse de Lamartine’s Méditations poétiques) used thematic transformation to parallel the poetic emotions. That’s true again with Byron (Tasso, lamento e trionfo), Schiller (Die Ideale) and Victor Hugo (Mazeppa). A winning quartet!

Mr. Kubelik conducted Bedřich Smetana's "Má vlast" in several countries after his departure from Czechoslovakia, and recorded it four times, with orchestras in Chicago, Vienna, Boston and Munich. This Boston performance that is the finest of the four this conductor has recorded, and surely the most inspiriting account of "Má vlast" on SACD.

"Les Indispensables de Diapason - Diapason's Selections" is a series in which Diapason, a world-renowned French magazine specializing in classical music, selects historically great performances of masterpieces that shine in music history, remasters them, and reprints them. The 173rd volume of the series is a collection of orchestral works by Hungarian composer Bartók, who was also active as a concert pianist and ethnomusicologist!

Founded in Munich in 1949 under Eugen Jochum, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra quickly won an international reputation, collaborating with leading conductors and contemporary composers, the latter notably under the Musica Viva programme. Jochum was succeeded by Rafael Kubelík, who held the position of principal conductor until 1979, to be followed by Colin Davis until 1992, and Lorin Maazel. In 2003 Mariss Jansons became principal conductor. Under successive conductors the repertoire of the orchestra has been widened, as well as under many other distinguished guest conductors. In addition to its broadcasts the orchestra gives regular concerts in Munich and elsewhere, and has participated in numerous festivals and recordings.