Album

Václav Neumann

Early Recordings

Catalogue Number: SU 4133-2
Published: 25th July 2014
Genre: Orchestral
Format: 6 CD
Dvořák - Symphonies No. 1 in C minor*, No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 4*, No. 4 in D minor, Op. 13*, Rondo for Cello and Orchestra*, Nocturne, Op. 40; E. Grieg - Lyric Suite, Op. 54*, Peer Gynt - Suites No. 1, Op. 46, and No. 2, Op. 55; P. I. Tchaikovsky - The Seasons, Op. 37*; F. Schubert - Symphonies No. 3 in D major, No. 8 in B minor, the "Unfinished"; G. Mahler - Kindertotenlieder**, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen**; A. Roussel - Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 42, Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43; O. Messiaen - Oiseaux exotiques**, Réveil des oiseaux**; V. Sommer - Vocal Symphony**; P. Bořkovec - Silentium turbatum. Symphonic movement*

* First time on CD / ** First time on Supraphon

Věra Soukupová - alto, Yvonne Loriod - piano, Josef Chuchro - cello, etc., Prague Symphony Orchestra, Film Symphony Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor: Václav Neumann

The recordings made by Václav Neumann, the charismatic music director of the Czech Philharmonic from 1968, form one of the cornerstones of the symphonic repertoire in Supraphon's archive. The majority of listeners, however, are not familiar with the albums dating from the previous period. By the time he became head of the Czech Philharmonic, Neumann already enjoyed international renown (in 1955 he began appearing as a guest at Berlin's Komische Oper, from 1964 to 1968 he served as music director of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig). Under his baton, the splendid Prague Symphony Orchestra made the very oldest recordings of Dvořák's early symphonies (Nos. 1, 2 and 4), a recording of Trojan's orchestrated version of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, while the Czech Philharmonic recorded Mahler's enchanting song cycles and major international and Czech modern works - by Messiaen (with the composer's wife Yvonne Loriod on the piano), Bořkovec and Sommer. This selection is symbolically rounded off by Dvořák's Nocturne, recorded by Neumann with the Czech Philharmonic in 1968, just a few weeks after the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact forces. A number of these unique and sensitively remastered recordings are being released on CD for the very first time.

Unknown Václav Neumann - remarkable recordings from the 1950s and 1960s for the first time on CD

CD 1

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 1 in C minor The Bells of Zlonice, sine op. (B 9)
1. Maestoso - Allegro 11:30
2. Adagio 12:53
3. Allegretto 08:31
4. Allegro animato 10:10
Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 13 (B 41)
5. Allegro 10:13
6. Andante sostenuto e molto cantabile 12:26
7. Allegro feroce 07:10
8. Allegro con brio 10:10

CD 2

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 4 (B 12)
1. Allegro con moto 12:26
2. Poco adagio 12:02
3. Scherzo. Allegro con brio 12:25
4. Finale. Allegro con fuoco 10:56
Antonín Dvořák
5. Rondo for Cello and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 94, B. 181 07:49
Edvard Hagerup Grieg
Lyric suite, Op. 54
6. Shepherd Boy 04:25
7. Norwegian March 03:14
8. Notturno 03:54
9. March of the Dwarfs 03:26

CD 3

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Les Saisons. The Seasons. Twelve Charasteristic Pieces, Op. 37
1. January, "At the Fireside" 05:53
2. February, "Carnival" 03:10
3. March, "Song of the Lark" 02:03
4. April, "Snowdrop" 03:27
5. May, "Starlit Nights" 04:33
6. June, "Barcarolle" 05:45
7. July, "Song of the Reaper" 02:06
8. August, "Harvest" 04:07
9. September, "Hunting" 02:59
10. October, "Autumn Song" 04:47
11. November, "Troika" 03:06
12. December, "Christmas" 04:15
Edvard Hagerup Grieg
Peer Gynt. Music to the dramatic poem by Henrik Ibsen, Op. 46+55
13. Morning Mood 03:21
14. The Death of Âse 04:36
15. Anitra's Dance 03:36
16. In the Hall of the Mountain King 02:51
17. The Abduction of the Bride. Ingrid's Lament 03:59
18. Arabian Dance 04:08
19. Peer Gynt's Homecoming - Stormy Evening on the Sea 02:38
20. Solveig's Song 04:41

CD 4

Albert Roussel
Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 42
1. Allegro vivo 05:47
2. Adagio 09:31
3. Vivace 03:06
4. Allegro con spirito 06:10
Albert Roussel
5. Bacchus and Ariadne, Op. 43: Suite No. 2 19:48
Olivier Messiaen
6. Exotic Birds 15:26
Olivier Messiaen
7. Awakening of the Birds 21:09

CD 5

Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200
1. Adagio maestoso - Allegro con brio 09:51
2. Allegretto 04:26
3. Menuetto vivace 04:12
4. Presto vivace 05:06
Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 in B minor Unfinished, D. 759
5. Allegro moderato 11:47
6. Andante con moto 12:14
Vladimír Sommer
Vocal Symphony for Mezzo-soprano, Speaker, Chorus and Large Orchestra
7. At Night .Con moto - Adagio - Piu lento - Adagio 11:35
8. A Dream. Allegro moderato - Vivo - Con furore - Sostenuto 11:56
9. The Death will coming and Have Your Eyes. Adagio 08:17

CD 6

Gustav Mahler
Kindertotenlieder
1. Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgehen (Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgehen) 06:34
2. Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen (Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen) 05:26
3. Wenn dein Mütterlein tritt zur Tür herein (Wenn dein Mütterlein tritt zur Tür herein) 05:29
4. Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen (Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen) 03:23
5. In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus (In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus) 06:27
Gustav Mahler
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
6. Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht (Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht) 03:36
7. Ging heut Morgen übers Feld (Ging heut Morgen übers Feld) 04:07
8. Ich hab ein glühend Messer (Ich hab ein glühend Messer) 03:19
9. Die zwei blauen Augen (Die zwei blauen Augen) 04:38
Gustav Mahler
10. Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen 05:39
Pavel Bořkovec
11. Silentium turbatum. Symphonic movement for alto, large orchestra and electric guitar 17:36
Antonín Dvořák
12. Nocturne for String orchestra in B major, Op. 40, B 47 08:50