Page 971 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

'The Chamber Orchestra of Europe’s woodwind perform like the stars they are.' Read our
review here.

• The best recordings of Mozart's Piano Concertos

• What is a concerto?
Czech Philharmonic

Here is one of the best and most distinctive orchestras in the world.

The Czech Phil has long been loved for, apart from many other virtues, the distinctive
quality of its woodwinds, which have always had a prominent, Central European tang to

them.

Originally the orchestra of the Prague National Theatre, the Cezch Phil played its first

concert under its current name on January 4, 1896. The great composer Antonín
Dvořák conducted his own compositions that evening. A little later, in 1908, Gustav
Mahler conducted the world premiere of his Symphony No. 7.

• 10 best Czech composers

Václav Talich was the orchestra's first great principal conductor, leading the Czech Phil to

great exploits from 1919 to 1931, and again from 1933 to 1941. The subsequent rollcall of
chief conductors is illustrious (and decidedly Czech), including Rafael Kubelík (1942-

1948), Karel Ančerl (1950-1968), Václav Neumann (1968-1989), and Jiří
Bělohlávek (1990-1992).

The latter achieved, among other things, a wonderful cycle of the symphonies of the great

20th-century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů – as well as, of course, some brilliant
Dvořák recordings.

The current man at the top is Semyon Bychkov, who has recently extended his tenure in

Prague.

Recommended recording:

Mahler: Symphony No. 4 Czech Philharmonic / Semyon Bychkov Pentatone PTC 5186 972

Read our review here.

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