Vaclav Smetacek

If you take it for granted that Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was the greatest pianist of the twentieth century and that his performances of Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto were the greatest of the twentieth century, then you'll probably want to pick up this disc containing Michelangeli's fabled May 29, 1957, performance in Prague with Vaclav Smetacek and the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Although Smetacek is not the deepest, the greatest, or the most sympathetic accompanist Michelangeli ever had, and although the Prague players are not always quite on their best behavior, Michelangeli is as he always is in this work: absolutely definite.

In many ways Ma Vlast seems like a problematic work. It is full of patriotism and conductors often choose to exploit its grandeur. Such approaches bring a risk of heaviness. Nikolaus Harnoncourt managed to employ slow tempi and achieve a deeper look without a trace of ponderousness, but his feat was remarkable and difficult to emulate. (Harnoncourt takes 83 minutes compared to 73 for Smetacek, a huge difference.) So Smetacek's decision to go for abandon and delight seems wise. The Czech Phil adds volumes to the treat, with a warm, juicy tone that is almost as enjoyable in this repertoire as the Vienna Phil. In addition, Supraphon's sound is splendid, about as good as early digital gets.

Best of Classics - the perfect present for you and your nearest and dearest, who like beautiful music in top quality.The Best of Mozart title, the first of the exquisite series of CDs featuring classical music, has met with a tremendous response on the part of listeners who always want to have the most wonderful musical gems within easy reach.

Following the collections of symphonies (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Kletzki, SU 4051-2) and violin sonatas (Suk, Panenka, SU 4077-2), Supraphon is now releasing the complete Beethoven concertante pieces. All of them (including the Triple Concerto and the genre-unique Fantasia for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra) came into being within a mere sixteen years, between 1793 and 1809. Although Beethoven deemed the piano "an imperfect instrument", his five piano concertos form one of the cornerstones of his oeuvre and represent a significant landmark in this genre.

Richter's rendition of Grieg concerto is uncompromising and as hard as nature itself, none of the Romantic sentimentality often associated with this piece. One can feel the capacity of the instrument is stretched to the limit in octave passages. No pianists can match Richter's Grieg in its depth, grandeur and etherial beauty of the slow movement. Rubinstein once said, in the Film Richter the Enigma, that piano sounded so different when he heard Richter played, these two concerto recordings are the prime example.

Greetings From Russia - Czech Orchestras perform Russian Works (1988)
EAC Rip | FLAC (img + cue), LOG | TT 67:58 | Covers (jpg 300 dpi) | RAR 358 MB (3% Recovery)
Supraphon | Czechoslovakia | 11 0622-2 011 | 1988

The birth of Russian national music culture in the 19th century is closely connected with Glinka. Balakirev was one of the initiators of the group in which musicians of varying creative inclinations & abilities came together. The oriental element is very evident in works by Borodin & he makes effective use of the exotic sound world in his only opera Prince Igor. Rimsky-Korsakov is represented as a composer in his own right on this recording by his overture Russian Easter Festival (1888). Tchaikovsky was not a member of the "Mighty Five", unlike the composers already mentioned, but he too strove to write works in which typical national features were prominent.

Beethoven - Violin Concerto, Romances Nos. 1 & 2 - Josef Suk (1988)
EAC Rip | FLAC (img + cue), LOG | TT 63:09 | Covers (jpg 300 dpi) | RAR 325 MB (3% Recovery)
Supraphon | Czechoslovakia | 11 0628-2 011 | 1988

The interpreter is the Czech violinist Josef Suk (1929). Having completed his studies in Prague, he devoted himself to both chamber music and solo performances. Among his repertoire Suk includes works not only by Dvorak, Suk and Beethoven but also by Berg, Janacek and Martinu. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom Suk appeared as a soloist for many years, performs here under the direction of the conductor Franz Konwitschny (1901-1962). Konwitschny first began his musical career as a violinist and viola player; he took up the baton succesfully for the first time in 1927. In 1949 he was made Director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and later took up the post of Principal Conductor at both the Dresden and Berlin Operas. Milos Navratil