Josef Suk: Praga, symphonic poem, Op. 26

[@ericdevaughn5941]

A great performance of a wonderful , beautiful work of Art and a Great tribute to the Grand City of Prague ! I'm enthralled with this ! I have always been told Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. Greetings from NYC !

[@bpbach2207]

Just listened to this in Prague itself. Majestic, powerful, passionate, like the very city it describes. Suk is a great storyteller, a master orchestrator, and the inheritor of Dvorak's soulful musicality. A masterpiece, which improves with every listening. Here in Prague, I was brimming with emotion.

[@jksteven1]

Rare recording. I have never been able to find this. Thanks for the upload!

[@williamreidboyd2944]

Thanks for this. I heard it via Catriona Young on BBC R3 "Through the Night" tonight and came here for seconds. New to me and loved it. Catriona followed up with his 1st Symphony, also tremendous if a lot sunnier.

[@bowerdw]

A most excellent work.

[@GodmyX]

Zajímavé! Very interesting and also the fact the most commentators aren't Czechs: they probably appreciate Suk a bit more than us, hahaha!

[@davebarclay4429]

There is more than a hint of Dvorak in this work which isn't surprising since Suk was his pupil and married his daughter.

[@plto4ka71]

great performance, beautiful work

[@hanswurst5426]

two words: great music!

[@daydays12]

Very great. I love Suk's music.

[@DeathStar1977]

14:45 I AAAAAMMMMM ADOOONIIISSSS, LOOOORD OF CHAAAOOOOOSSSS!!!

[@MrJeff-fl5zv]

errrhhheeeeer I Feed!!

[@harryandruschak2843]

A wonderful reminder that, inspite of what the classical music radio stations here in Los Angeles think, , Suk was much more then a one hit wonder (his opus 6). Come to think of it, don't remember anything in the way of public performances either.

[@j6u4a8n3s]

The poem is nice and heard

[@ChrisBreemer]

Despite the gorgeous heroic themes, lush orchestration and excellent performance, this this work never really seems to get going until near the end, and then it seems like too little too late, trying to rival the final pages of Ma Vlast but not succeeding by half. I'm not complaining... everything Suk wrote is more than worth listening. I guess I had just expected more of it. Many thanks for uploading all the same !

[@lyricaltones]

Suk doesn't try to rival Smetana here - Praga is a composition of a different style and different time, time of Art Nouveau with its decorativeness, time of Richard Strauss's monumental symphonic poems etc. And I have no reason to think that Suk wasn't successful in his intention.

[@ChrisBreemer]

lyricaltones You could have a point, Ma Vlast dates from some decades earlier. And one should not compare different composers. Can't help thinking though that every Czech composer working with the Hussite hymn would feel the shadow of Smetana looming large.

[@juliusyoung3467]

+Chris Breemer Not to mention, Kdoz jsu bozi bojovnici offers unique challenges for modern composers. Smetana's is the earliest I know of, and it may be my favorite. Janacek briefly uses it in the Hussite act of Broucek, but I much prefer the Hussite hymn setting in the beginning of the act, "Slyste, riteri bozi", which I believe is historical. At least it was in Vavra's Hussite films, which were from a period in which Czech music was dominated by Nejedly, who disliked Janacek (as well as Suk and Dvorak, but idolized Smetana) - thus likely ruling out Janacek as a progenitor of the tune. If so, that scene is my favorite setting of Hussite music, and continues to give me chills.

[@zaphbmail]

To máš bohužel asi pravdu

[@daydays12]

I agree with you. @@lyricaltones

[@josealexandre6632]

A descrpitive country-city-place symphonic piece is by nature, "special". Emotions fly easily but not nevessarily within a "beautiful-sizing" of a foreign listener. Try Finland op. 25 of Sibelius, London Symphony of Vaugham Williams, Groot of Fingal of Mendelssohn, Ma Vlast, and so forth. PRAGA evokes history, fight, war, suffering and in the last part, glory. SUK did a good job and that is that. If suffices.

[@arrangeur55]

Some Smetana!

[@lyricaltones]

Thanks for your comment. If they only look for "hits", no wonder that they keep such a stupid view of Suk, ignoring his masterful Asrael symphony, Radúz and Mahulena, Summer Tale, Ripening, beautiful piano and chamber pieces and other great works.

[@bgccallahan4116]

I hear a hint of "Ma Vlast" in the opening.

[@daydays12]

?? Why?

[@slarkey4516]

Prostež od Boha pomoci, a doufejte v něho?!