Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ančerl - Karel Ančerl: Live Recordings (2022) (Hi-Res) FLAC/MP3

It is a real treasure that the famous Supraphon label offers us here, in collaboration with Czech Radio: more than fifteen hours of concert recordings by the great Karel Ančerl at the head of the Czech Philharmonic, one of the conductors and the one of the most important orchestras of the last century, to which we owe a number of recordings that are still considered references today – in a certain style of interpretation.

Not everything is of the same interest in this vast album, especially since some concerts had already been published by Pierre-Emile Barbier in the catalog of his famous Praga label. Particularly in the field of the French repertoire; among the things already revealed by Praga, the same and astonishing version of La Mer by Debussy, coupled in the Praga edition with the Shéhérazade by Ravel sung by the Belgian singer Suzanne Danco who had made a specialty of this cycle.

Here is also the very last concert of the Czech conductor, recorded during the Prague Spring 1968, shortly before the assault of the Soviet tanks: the conductor conducted the cycle My Homeland by Smetana. Ančerl went into exile shortly after to end his career, and his life, in Toronto, after having been refused by Parisian institutions who did not find him “prestigious” enough to give him a position in the French capital…

It would be tedious to list here all the works, composers and numerous soloists encountered on these albums. Let's say that, more than in the well-known repertoire of Karel Ančerl (the classics Mozart and Beethoven, Smetana, Dvořák, Strauss, Prokofiev or Stravinsky), the main interest of this publication lies rather in the discovery of a dozen Czech composers unknown outside their homeland. Music lovers curious about the history of music will find ample information there, especially in that of the former Czechoslovakia, which was one of the main breeding grounds for creation and interpretation of Mitteleuropa.

CD1
01. Má vlast: Vyšehrad
02. Má vlast: Vltava
03. Má vlast: Šárka
04. Má vlast: From Bohemian Fields and Groves
05. Má vlast: Tábor
06. Má vlast: Blaník

CD2
01. Adagio in E major for Violin and Orchestra in E Major, K. 261
02. Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219: I. Allegro aperto
03. Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219: II. Adagio
04. Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219: V. Rondeau. Tempo di Menuetto
05. Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299: I. Allegro
06. Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299: II. Andantino
07. Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66, B. 131
08. Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299: III. Rondo. Allegro

CD3
01. Coriolan. Overture, Op. 62
02. Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra in C Major, Op. 56: No. 1, Allegro
03. Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra in C Major, Op. 56: No. 2, Largo
04. Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra in C Major, Op. 56: No. 3, Rondo alla polacca
05. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: No. 1, Adagio molto-Allegro con brio
06. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: No. 2, Larghetto
07. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: No. 3, Scherzo. Allegro
08. Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36: No. 4, Allegro molto

CD4
01. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio
02. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando
03. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: III. Tempo di menuetto
04. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93: IV. Allegro vivace
05. Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90: I. Allegro vivace
06. Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90: II. Andante con moto
07. Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90: III. Con moto moderato
08. Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90: IV. Saltarello. Presto
09. Don Juan, Op. 20

CD5
01. Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70: I. Allegro maestoso
02. Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70: II. Poco adagio
03. Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70: IV. Scherzo. Vivace
04. Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70: VI. Finale. Allegro
05. Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88: I. Allegro con brio
06. Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88: II. Adagio
07. Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88: III. Allegretto grazioso
08. Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88: IV. Allegro ma non troppo

CD6
01. Biblical Songs, Op. 99: I. Oblak a mrákota
02. Biblical Songs, Op. 99: II. Skrýše má a pavéza má
03. Biblical Songs, Op. 99: III. Slyš, ó, Bože! Slyš modlitbu mou
04. Biblical Songs, Op. 99: IV. Hospodin jest můj pastýř
05. Biblical Songs, Op. 99: V. Bože, Bože, píseň novou
06. Asrael. Symphony for Large Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 27: I. Andante sostenuto
07. Asrael. Symphony for Large Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 27: II. Andante
08. Asrael. Symphony for Large Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 27: III. Vivace
09. Asrael. Symphony for Large Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 27: IV. Adagio
10. Asrael. Symphony for Large Orchestra in C Minor, Op. 27: V. Adagio e maestoso

CD7
01. The Ripening, Op. 34
02. Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 54: I. Molto sostenuto
03. Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 54: II. Allegro deciso
04. Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 54: III. Andante sostenuto
05. Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 54: IV. Lento lugubre-Allegro moderato

CD8
01. Variations on a Theme by Gustav Mahler
02. Autumn Symphony, Op. 62: I. Allegro appassionato
03. Autumn Symphony, Op. 62: II. Bacchanale
04. Autumn Symphony, Op. 62: III. Adagio

CD9
01. Pan, Op. 43: I. Prologue
02. Pan, Op. 43: II. Mountains
03. Pan, Op. 43: III. The Sea
04. Pan, Op. 43: IV. The Forest
05. Pan, Op. 43: V. Woman
06. Songs and Dances of Death (Trepak aus "Lieder und Tänze des Todes"): Trepak
07. Songs and Dances of Death (Trepak aus "Lieder und Tänze des Todes"): Lullaby
08. Songs and Dances of Death (Trepak aus "Lieder und Tänze des Todes"): Serenade
09. Songs and Dances of Death (Trepak aus "Lieder und Tänze des Todes"): Field Marshal

CD10
01. La mer, L. 109: I. De l´aube a midi sur la mer
02. La mer, L. 109: II. Jeux de vagues
03. La mer, L. 109: III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
04. Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 1, Nuages
05. Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 2, Fetes
06. Nocturnes, L. 91: No. 3, Sirénes
07. Shéhérazade: No. 1, Asie
08. Shéhérazade: No. 2, La flute enchantée
09. Shéhérazade: No. 3, L´indifférent
10. Rhapsodie espagnole, M. 54: No. 1, Prélude a la nuit. Tres modéré
11. Rhapsodie espagnole, M. 54: No. 2, Malagueňa. Assez vif
12. Rhapsodie espagnole, M. 54: No. 3, Habanera. Assez lent et d'un rythme las
13. Rhapsodie espagnole, M. 54: No. 4, Feria. Assez animé

CD11
01. Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47
02. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
03. Toccata for Orchestra
04. Scythian Suite, Op. 20: Invocation to Veles and Ala
05. Scythian Suite, Op. 20: The Evil God and the Dance of the Pagan Monsters
06. Scythian Suite, Op. 20: Night
07. Scythian Suite, Op. 20: Lolly´s Pursuit of the Evil God and the Sunrise
08. Funeral Music for String Orchestra: No. 1, Prologue
09. Funeral Music for String Orchestra: No. 2, Metamorphoses
10. Funeral Music for String Orchestra: No. 3, Apogeum
11. Funeral Music for String Orchestra: No. 4, Epilogue

CD12
01. Concerto Grosso for Chamber Orchestra: I. Allegro ma non troppo
02. Concerto Grosso for Chamber Orchestra: II. Adagio
03. Concerto Grosso for Chamber Orchestra: III. Allegretto
04. Symphony No. 1: I. Moderato
05. Symphony No. 1: II. Scherzo. Allegro
06. Symphony No. 1: IV. Largo
07. Symphony No. 1: V. Allegro non troppo
08. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra: I. Allegro
09. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra: II. Andante
10. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra: III. Allegro molto

CD13
01. Symphony No. 1 in D Major: I. Lento-Allegro feroce
02. Symphony No. 1 in D Major: II. Scherzo
03. Symphony No. 1 in D Major: III. Allegretto moderato
04. Symphony No. 1 in D Major: IV. Finale. Allegro vivo
05. Symphony No. 3: I. Allegro
06. Symphony No. 3: II. Scherzino. Presto prestissimo
07. Symphony No. 3: III. Aria. Allegretto moderato
08. Symphony No. 3: IV. Molto allegro
09. Phantasy for Piano and Orchestra
10. Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments: I. Largo-Allegro
11. Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments: II. Largo
12. Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments: III. Allegro

CD14
01. Philharmonisches Konzert
02. Rhapsody for Orchestra
03. Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 41: I. Andante patetico-Allegro
04. Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 41: II. Presto
05. Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 41: III. Adagio
06. Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 41: IV. Andante-Allegro

CD15
01. Concerto for Orchestra: I. Introduzione. Andante-Allegro vivace
02. Concerto for Orchestra: II. Andante non troppo e rubato
03. Concerto for Orchestra: III. Allegro scherzando
04. Concerto for Orchestra: IV. Allegro con brio
05. Communist manifesto: Es ist hohe Zeit. Moderato
06. Communist manifesto: Uns die Erde. Allegro ma non troppo
07. Communist manifesto: Das wollen wir! Allegro pesante
08. Communist manifesto: Vereinigt euch! Marcia