Czech Philharmonic Choir / Guttenberg - Te Deum Mass 2 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Czech Masses (2013) by Jan Morávek (bass), Jana Tuková (alto), Marta Fadljevicová (soprano), Ondrej Socha (tenor), Petr Cech (organ), Václav Jelínek (organ), Charles University Choir Prague (choir, chorus), Prague Youth Chamber Ensemble

After critically-acclaimed recordings of Mahler's Fourth and Fifth Symphony, the Czech Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov continue their Pentatone Mahler cycle with a rendition of the composer's Second, nicknamed InchThe ResurrectionInch. They are joined by soprano Christiane Karg, alto Elisabeth Kulman and the Prague Philharmonic Choir. Starting with a funeral march, passing through the introspective alto song InchUrlichtInch and ending in choral bliss and euphoria, Mahler's Second is a deeply spiritual and personal contemplation on the secret of life and the possibility of overcoming death. For Bychkov, the symphony Inchshows the life cycle in all it's struggles suffering, joy, irony, humour, love and doubt.Inch The Czech Philharmonic is one of the world's most acclaimed orchestras, with a rich tradition of performing Czech masters and music from Central Europe. Semyon Bychkov has led the greatest orchestras of the world, and is Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic as of the 2018/2019 season. Orchestra and maestro released recordings of Mahler's Fourth and Fifth Symphony (both 2022) on Pentatone, kicking off a complete Mahler cycle. Elisabeth Kulman has participated on several Pentatone releases, while Christiane Karg makes her Pentatone debut.

This album is dedicated to Czech composers. The first is Antonin Dvorak, who wrote his Moravian Duets in 1875 and 1876. The original idea was to arrange folk melodies from the collection of Frantisek Susil, but Dvorak eventually decided to use just the folk texts, setting them to music by himself. The resulting work in a way marked the beginning of his worldwide recognition. Although the genre of duets for two women's voices and piano is well known today thanks chiefly to Dvorak, in it's time it was cultivated by other composers too. Among them by Dvorak's contemporary and friend Karel Bendl, whose InchDvanact dvojzpevuInch (Twelve Duets) are settings of mostly lyrical texts by Vitezslav Halek from the collection InchV prirodeInch (In Nature) and were probably written in the second half of the 1870s. The last cycle is The Slovak Duets by one of the most important contemporary Czech composers Sylvie Bodorova. Working with the rhythmic aspect of her music and layering her polyphony are typical features of her approach. She has also found inspiration in Roma, Jewish, and contemporary approach to folk (especially East European and Balkan) music, as well as other areas of the music of our time. The works here are sung by Hana Dobesova and Michaela Rozsa Ruzickova, accompanied by pianist Ladislava Vondrackova, and were recorded live at Martinu Hall, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.