Album
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Lovro von Matačić
Beethoven 3 - Tchaikovsky 5/6 - Bruckner 5/7/9 - Wagner - Korte
Catalogue Number: SU 4354-2
Published: 28th February 2025
Genre: Orchestral
Format: 6 CD
This album has received following awards:
- Diapason d’Or (2025)
The first complete edition of Supraphon recordings made by the legendary conductor Lovro von Matačić with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
This set contains unique historical recordings of six great symphonies of the Romantic era with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor Lovro von Matačić. These recordings were made between 1959 and 1980 by one of the most remarkable conductors of his generation. Matačić was born in Croatia when it was still part of Austria-Hungary. He studied in Vienna, where the great world of music revealed itself to him, and opera especially. The difficult path he had to follow led him through two world wars, but in the end he became a charismatic figure capable of inspiring and galvanising any orchestra. He repeatedly conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Munich Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan, and he stood at the helm of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the Czech public always welcomed him as a special guest, and Supraphon enabled him to record first Beethoven’s Eroica and two great symphonies by Tchaikovsky. Especially rare are the three symphonies by Anton Bruckner with the best-known Seventh, the grandiose Fifth, and the concluding Ninth representing Late Romanticism at its zenith. This one-of-a-kind creation shows the orchestra of Ančerl’s and Neumann’s era in a different light. Around the world, Matačić is better known for his opera recordings, so this Supraphon set of orchestral recordings is unique.
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ‘Eroica’, Op. 55 (1959). Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (1960), Symphony No. 6 in B minor ‘Pathétique‘, Op. 74 (1968). Anton Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 in E major (1967), Symphony No. 5 in B flat major (1970), Symphony No. 9 in D minor (1980). Richard Wagner – Götterdämmerung. Orchestral Suite from the Opera (1967). Oldřich František Korte – Flutes’ Story (1968)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Lovro von Matačić
This set contains unique historical recordings of six great symphonies of the Romantic era with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor Lovro von Matačić. These recordings were made between 1959 and 1980 by one of the most remarkable conductors of his generation. Matačić was born in Croatia when it was still part of Austria-Hungary. He studied in Vienna, where the great world of music revealed itself to him, and opera especially. The difficult path he had to follow led him through two world wars, but in the end he became a charismatic figure capable of inspiring and galvanising any orchestra. He repeatedly conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Munich Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan, and he stood at the helm of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the Czech public always welcomed him as a special guest, and Supraphon enabled him to record first Beethoven’s Eroica and two great symphonies by Tchaikovsky. Especially rare are the three symphonies by Anton Bruckner with the best-known Seventh, the grandiose Fifth, and the concluding Ninth representing Late Romanticism at its zenith. This one-of-a-kind creation shows the orchestra of Ančerl’s and Neumann’s era in a different light. Around the world, Matačić is better known for his opera recordings, so this Supraphon set of orchestral recordings is unique.
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 3 in E flat major ‘Eroica’, Op. 55 (1959). Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (1960), Symphony No. 6 in B minor ‘Pathétique‘, Op. 74 (1968). Anton Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 in E major (1967), Symphony No. 5 in B flat major (1970), Symphony No. 9 in D minor (1980). Richard Wagner – Götterdämmerung. Orchestral Suite from the Opera (1967). Oldřich František Korte – Flutes’ Story (1968)
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Lovro von Matačić
Reviews
“For those who admire old-school Beethoven playing that combines rhythmic drive with unhurried tempi and a little more colour than the granitic austerity of Klemperer, this recording is an absolute must. As are the recordings of Tchaikovsky’s last two symphonies: the Fifth (set down in March 1960) blazingly direct and driven, with outstanding contributions from the Czech Phil’s distinctive clarinets and horns, and a deeply-felt but unsentimental ‘Pathétique’ from eight years later, the Czech brass more disciplined, the woodwind more pert, the strings sweeter than their Russian counterparts of the period… as these magnificent Supraphon recordings amply demonstrate, Lovro von Matačić’s superb musical artistry deserves to be known to more than just specialist collectors!”
Europadisc, March 2025
“I am immediately struck by the lightness, clarity and precision of the Czech Philharmonic under Lovro von Matačić here; these qualities, in combination with the excellence and transparency of the recorded sound could easily convince you that you were listening to a much more modern recording.”
MusicWeb International, April 2025
“These recordings reflect the mutual artistic respect between Matačić and the Czech musical scene, and highlight a lesser-known chapter in his career. The set provides a valuable historical document of a conductor admired for his depth and authority across Central European repertoire.”
The Classical Review, June 2025
“Supraphon réunit en 6 CD les enregistrements réalisés par Lovro von Matacic au pupitre du Philharmonique tchèque, où trônent trois symphonies de Bruckner gorgées de lumière… Leurs symphonies de Bruckner surprendront les habitués des grosses cylindrées par la légèreté du coup de crayon et le dégraissage de l'orchestre, jamais baveux, surtout pas romantique. Le maestro démontre un sens de l'architecture, un art de la lumière qui partout dénote la maturité de sa conception.”
Diapason, July 2025
CD 1 |
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Eroica, Op. 55
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| 1. | Allegro con brio | 15:09 | |
| 2. | Marcia funebre - Adagio assai | 16:11 | |
| 3. | Scherzo - Allegro vivace | 05:37 | |
| 4. | Finale - Allegro molto | 12:05 | |
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Richard Wagner
Götterdämmerung. Orchestral Suite from Opera
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| 5. | Nacht - Morgendämmerung - Siegfried und Brünnhilde - Rheinfahrt | 17:06 | |
| 6. | Der Götter Ende | 07:37 | |
CD 2 |
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
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| 1. | Andante - Allegro con animo | 13:15 | |
| 2. | Andante cantabile | 12:05 | |
| 3. | Allegro moderato | 05:40 | |
| 4. | Finale - Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace | 11:46 | |
CD 3 |
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”
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| 1. | Adagio - Allegro non troppo | 18:18 | |
| 2. | Allegro con grazia | 07:36 | |
| 3. | Allegro molto vivace | 08:42 | |
| 4. | Finale - Adagio lamentoso | 09:46 | |
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Oldřich František Korte
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| 5. | The Story of the Flutes | 18:42 | |
CD 4 |
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Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 5 in B flat major
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| 1. | Adagio. Allegro | 19:27 | |
| 2. | Adagio | 18:21 | |
| 3. | Scherzo. Molto vivace | 11:53 | |
| 4. | Finale. Adagio. Allegro moderato | 20:29 | |
CD 5 |
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Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 7 in E major
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| 1. | Allegro moderato | 21:38 | |
| 2. | Adagio. Sehr feierlich und langsam | 24:00 | |
| 3. | Scherzo. Sehr schnell | 10:46 | |
| 4. | Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht schnell | 12:47 | |
CD 6 |
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Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor
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| 1. | Feierlich, misterioso | 23:36 | |
| 2. | Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft. Trio. Schnell | 10:17 | |
| 3. | Adagio. Langsam, feierlich | 26:35 | |