Review: A Beautiful Box of Bělohlávek

[@alanmcginn4796]

Guys. Can we all please give a huge shout out to Supraphon and Naxos for not only their amazingly large and diverse recordings, but for the fact that they let Dave play countless samples for us all on these videos. Other record labels. Please take note. His audience is growing by the way. Thanks again to Supraphon and Naxos. I just ordered the Recollection box set.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

And Ondine, Cedille, cpo, Orfeo, Haenssler, New World, Channel Classics, and quite a few others.

[@alanmcginn4796]

@@DavesClassicalGuide and kudos to all of them.

[@petejilka968]

I heard Jiří Bělohlávek conduct the Czech Philharmonic and Chorus in concert performing Dvorak's Stabat Mater in 2014 on the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. And of the hundreds of concerts I have ever performed or attended, one of the most moving, soul stirring performances I have ever heard.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I believe it! A remarkable work that he played (and recorded) with great depth of feeling.

[@Donaldopato]

Fabulous conductor. And I agree, that Italian is worth the price of admission. There used to be video, now gone, of him as a vacuum cleaner soloist at a Proms performance of Arnold’s “A Grand, Grand Overture” with David Robertson conductor. Multi talented.

[@onepointofview]

Yeah, I think the gong is a nice touch. I learn a lot from your talks, Dave

[@ThankYouKiwi]

As someone who was born too late to live in the CD era these videos are fascinating. I listen to everything digitally so I never thought about box sets or discs or anything, I just thought about specific pieces. But lately your videos have made me curious and I've been listening to some boxes and listenining through actual cds. (I greatly enjoyed the french piano concerto box you reviewed). Listening like this has really been a great way to find some hidden gems for me. Your videos have made me think about recordings in a whole nother way and I love it.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Glad you find them handy!

[@marknewkirk4322]

About those Martinu Parables. I first encountered the piece playing in the Moravian Philharmonic in Olomouc. I had never heard of it, and when I saw the title on the viola part, I though it meant "Parabolas", so I was expecting something like "Integrales" by Varese. Boy was that off the mark.

[@stpd1957]

I’m going to put that set in my JPC basket, thanks Dave.

[@timotheuspeter734]

I would love a video of you discussing your favourite recordings of Mendelssohn’s choral works.

[@djysmallman2183]

Total agreement David with the Suk Fantastic Scherzo. What a gem! I promoted it to the conductor of the Martinu Czech Philharmonic when on tour in India. He seemed surprised I know of it? lol Belahlavek was. a super conductor of wonderful Czech music around to appreciate.

[@randywolfgang4943]

Thanks so much for this. I did not know this conductor at all

[@fred6904]

Hello Mr Hurwitz! I just saw that Abbado's London recordings is to be issued soon. Also Ormandy's recordings on sony is in the way. I'm looking forward enormously for your reveiw. Best wishes Fred

[@Don-md6wn]

I have a bunch of Supraphon boxes and they're always beautifully put together. The tribute boxes they did for Mackerras (Dvorak/Smetana and Janacek/Martinu) and the Ivan Moravec box you did a video on (which includes recordings licensed from other labels) are wonderful. I'm with you, they should put together a box of Belohlavek's Martinu recordings. My favorite Belohlavek recording of the ones I have is the Dvorak Stabat Mater on Chandos.

[@Craig_Wheeler]

Talk about crazy luck! My favorite little locally-owned independent record store - which just happens to be owned by a Czech couple - had this box sitting on a shelf, behind the counter, today. (They buy lots of Czech artists' releases; who knew?!) They'd got it over a year ago and it hadn't sold. The wife let me have it for $34.95! [Happy Dance!] Dave, you're costing me a fortune with all your wonderful recommendations, but there are always bargains to be had. 😊 🎶👍

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Very cool! Enjoy!

[@Craig_Wheeler]

@@DavesClassicalGuide, I shall! I finally went ahead & took the "Nestea Plunge" to become a Classics Today Insider. I appreciate your knowledge and wit, along with what you're doing for the industry. Please keep up the good work and I'll keep on listening. 🎶😊

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@Craig_Wheeler Thanks so much!

[@jankucera8180]

Bělohlávek did some truly great Mahler in concerts (5th, 9th...). Yet it was not recorded...

[@tortuedelanuit2299]

Totally agree on Mendelssohn 4. A little detail supporting your analysis of the clarity of the wind sonorities in the first movement: the clarinet, horn, and bassoon are IN TUNE in their restatement of the theme, and the clarinet rises to a clarion high note that resonates like in an Alpine valley, ceding to pulsating wind chords and throbbing lower strings, a perfectly executed handoff.

[@dennisbade3874]

The original CD also includes the “Scottish” which is downloadable, I presume!!

[@ernestrobles1510]

Eloquence does a pretty good job announcing new releases via their KZbin channel. Maybe Supraphon and other labels can follow suit.

[@marknewkirk4322]

Belohlavek was a great artist. I remember how shocked I was when I heard that he died. Yes, he had been ill, but it seemed like he was on the mend. It was very upsetting. I heard him in live concert quite a number of times, and with more than one orchestra. He was great with young groups and always got the best from them. I think his career was hurt by the political change in 1989 and the overall decay of the arts scene because of the uncertainty of those times. He was the logical successor to Neumann, but various things conspired against it. He was replaced by Gerd Albrecht, and I think the orchestra lost its way for a while. And Belohlavek then spent an enormous amount of time building up a new orchestra, training youth orchestras, and teaching conducting. He also conducted a lot in the UK and the Netherlands. But his return to the Czech Philharmonic was a big deal, and he died just as things there were picking up steam.

[@UlfilasNZ]

And his Decca Dvorak set was, for me, a revalation. I know DH didn't care for it, but I can only go with my ears! It's wonderful.

[@mrktdd]

Excellent box but I wish they had included the original couplings of the Italian Symphony and Mozart Prague which to my mind were the best - Scottish Symphony and Voříšek Symphomy - just one more disc!

[@mickeytheviewmoo]

Many thx for finding this gem. Very interested in the Fibich #3. I have Karel Sejna (SUP) as my reference recording(early stereo) but the sound is a bit ropey. So I'm looking forward in listening to this one.

[@simontrezise8495]

I am in your debt and further in thrall to Amazon. Thank you for sharing this.

[@2906nico]

I got to know JB in his days with the BBC SO - and have some of his wonderful Martinu performances. This box looks like great fun, even though I have one or two of the recordings already.

[@nigelsimeone9966]

Good to see this, even though I usually found Bělohlávek pretty sub-par in most of his London concerts. But pieces like the Dvorák Serenade are lovely. Surprised that Bělohlávek's genuinely excellent Brahms Serenades aren't in here too. That early Janáček disc made with the Brno State Philharmonic is certainly more interesting than his later attempts.

[@johnwright7749]

Wow! I’ll have to get this! I have always had a real affection for Belohlavek’s recordings . While I agree that much of his earlier work was superior to his later performances, that wasn’t always the case. The splendid Italian Symphony was from 2002 (?), right? Two of his best recordings come from late in his career: the best Dvorak Violin Concerto since Suk/Ancerl with Czech Phil concertmaster Josef Spacek that also has the Suk Fantasy and Janacek Concerto on Supraphon, and on Decca one of Belohlavek’s last recordings, of Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass (B’s only recording of that work as far as I know) in one of its earlier versions + a terrific Sinfonietta that is much better than the earlier one he did for Chandos. Of course I haven’t heard the earliest Brno performance you discussed. Looking forward to more Belohlavek!

[@richardadams9122]

Fair evaluation of Belohlavek. The Mendelssohn Italian is indeed so airy, uplifting, and special. I regret the low voltage, mushy orchestral support of Ivan Moraveć's majestic Brahms piano concerti for Supraphon with Belohlavek at the helm. Not sure to blame engineering or Belohlavek.

[@balbirsingh3562]

Thanks David

[@parkermonroe]

Agree about the need for a Martinu box! The best Czech composer after Suk, and one who desperately needs advocacy!

[@josecarmona9168]

Talking about the tam-tam, I am always searching for orchestral works which have hypercosmical finales with tam-tams or gongs sounding magnificently loud. For example, Mahler's 8th, Messiaen's Des Canyons or Et Exspecto, Gubaidulina's 2nd violin concerto, Rautavaara's 8th... Could you suggest me some others more, please? Or is it interesting enough for you to make a video (that would be fantastic, of course)?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Rachmaninov 1 (with Ashkenazy), Walton 1, Bernstein 2, Mahler 2, Respighi Church Windows (a must hear priority--3 tam-tams)...

[@josecarmona9168]

@@DavesClassicalGuide , thank you very much. I have the Mahler and Bernstein but didn't know the others. Already searching for them!!!

[@captainhaddock6435]

Dear David, completely unrelated, but you wouldn't by any chance be interested in making a video about Nemtin's "completion" of Scrjabin's "Mysterium"? Heard it the other day (Ashkenazy's recording) and don't know what to think - I mean, how can this man get three hours of music out of 72 pages of original sketches, is there any Scrjabin left at all? Or is it just Nemtin? Sorry for the unrelated intrusion, I'm on my way ;)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Fair question, but as a subject to a talk--I don't think so. I don't know enough about it.

[@captainhaddock6435]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Anyway, thanks for your answer! Keep up the good work!

[@murraylow4523]

I have this recording and I totally understand your incredulity... However, clearly Ashkenazy is a serious character and so thought it worthwhile. It does rather wash over you but maybe best to treat it as a "what if" and a way to at least get a glimpse of the sort of thing Scriabin wanted to write (and its only the introduction!)

[@Peter-wd1yo]

Do you ever get any complaints from your neighbors? ( Canada or Mexico even?)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Everyone always complains about everything. It's an apartment building.

[@andreassmith7773]

David, that was a tickle rather than a whack!

[@ewmbr1164]

That may be so, but my phone is still vibrating as a result of the "tickle"...:-)

[@cappycapuzi1716]

Is a tam-tam the same thing as a gong??

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

All tam-tams are gongs, but not all gongs are tam-tams.

[@barryguerrero7652]

The score is now 154 to zero - you should hit the gong on every presentation!