Vaclav Smetacek - The Art of Vaclav Smetacek vol.2 (1974, 1975) [2019]

A collection of great performances by Smetáček, who was active around the world and was known in the Czech Republic as the "flying conductor" and "musical ambassador," and in Japan as the "Czech Karajan." He performs with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, which, along with the Czech Philharmonic, are known as the "three great Czech orchestras." Although "New World" is a favorite piece of his, there are no commercial recordings of it, so the value of this recording is immeasurable. The performance is exquisite and stunning, exceeding expectations. No. 6 is another piece that Smetáček often performed, and the fragrant music that comes from his deep understanding of the piece is irresistible.
"(Symphony No. 6) is more than just a national piece; what is impressive is the depth of Smetáček's analysis of the music and the sureness of his ability to turn it into actual sound. For example, in the first movement, from the pianissimo opening, it takes 48 bars to lead to the practice mark A and the overwhelming fortissimo presentation of the theme (grandioso). While many other conductors would reach the boiling point of expression by the time they reached the A, Smetáček finally succeeds in expressing the overwhelming presence that one feels when seeing something great." "(From the New World) Right from the beginning, the rich, lively sound of the strings, the powerful playing of the brass and percussion, the nuanced playing of the woodwinds, the emphasis on accents and crescendos, and the exquisite alternation of tension and relaxation create an extremely deep expression. And at the decisive points and codas of each movement, as mentioned in the previous work, dramatic tempo changes accompanied by "buildups" and accelerations, and the powerful playing of each instrument create a spectacular climax. (From the commentary by Shigeo Itakura in the booklet)

*As it is a machine translation, the result may not provide an accurate description.
Please use it only as a reference.


Tracks:

1-4. Dvorak: Symphony No. 6
5-8. Dvorak: Symphony No. 9

Personnel:

Václav Smetáček (Conductor)
Prague Symphony Orchestra