Karel Ancerl: Live Recordings - Concertos

Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 / Richter 1956. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 / Richter 1962. Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 / Szeryng 1966, Haendel 1957. Schumann – Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 / Panenka 1955. Sibelius – Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 / Haendel 1957. Liszt – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S 124 / Richter 1954. Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 / Richter 1954*, Gilels 1953. Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 / Kempff 1959. Dvořák – Cello Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 104 / Rostropovich 1952*. Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 / SOPR, Oistrakh 1950. Ravel – Piano Concerto in G major / Bernáthová 1959*. Poulenc – Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor / Lerche, Herkomer 1960. Stravinsky – Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra / Haendel 1962. Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10 / Moravec 1962 Mstislav Rostropovich cello. David Oistrakh, Henryk Szeryng, Ida Haendel violin. Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Wilhelm Kempff, Ivan Moravec, Eva Bernáthová, Jan Panenka, Juliane Lerche, Ingeborg Herkomer piano. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conductor Karel Ančerl The great success of the 15-CD set Ančerl Live Recordings (2022 – Choc de Classica, Diapason d’Or etc.) and of the series Ančerl Gold Edition (2002-2008) is indicative of Karel Ančerl’s firm standing among the most important conductors of the post-war world. The present album ties in with the boxed set mentioned above; this time, our selection from the Czech Radio archive contains live recordings with the conductor Ančerl in the role of an accompanist. The list of soloists he invited for collaboration is imposing. Predominant among these names are world-famous artists from the Soviet Union, to which Czechoslovakia was allied in those days, with Prague serving as the Eastern Bloc’s gateway to the West. The greatest treasures are the two oldest recordings: unique documentation of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh (1950), which played a major part in the choice of Ančerl as the chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic after Kubelík’s emigration, and the oldest recording of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Rostropovich, issued here for the first time, made two weeks before Rostropovich’s legendary studio recording with Václav Talich. Often, however, the artists standing to Ančerl’s left were stars coming to Prague from the West as well as great Czech artists. The album authentically captures the unrepeatable performances of soloists and orchestra. All of these recordings have been carefully remastered from the original magnetic tapes. Lovers of historical recordings will not hesitate. Karel Ančerl in the special company of world-famous soloists Reviews “Ančerl’s reli­ability and consistency as a musical partner is evident in two nevertheless contrasting accounts of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, from 1966 with Henryk Szeryng, and 1957 with a young Ida Haendel… But they’re really in their element with the two Dvořák concertos on CD 5: from June 1952 comes the earliest and in many ways the most idiomatic of Rostropovich’s re­corded accounts of the Cello Concerto, in which youthful fire is coupled with exquisite sounds from the orchestra: the woody pungency of the horns, the seductive vibrato of the horn and clarinet solos, and the sweetness of the strings… this set will delight Ančerl’s many admirers…” Europadisc, February 2025 “The set’s presentation is both sturdy and compact, the transfers from (mono) analogue tapes pretty well immaculate. I hope I’ve conveyed enough enthusiasm to endorse this set: if you don’t purchase it and it falls to the deletion axe, it will be cause for some regret. It’s good at the very least and stunning at best, so don’t deprive yourself. Another Supraphon historical winner.” Gramophone, April 2025 “Quand le chef accompagnait Mstislav Rostropovich, David Oïstrakh, Ivan Moravec, Jan Panenka, Wilhelm Kempff, Ida Haendel, Sviatoslav Richter… Avec des trésors à la pelle… Le coffret s'adresse donc en priorité aux collectionneurs néophytes. Pour les autres, son intérêt sera strictement proportionnel à ce que contient déjà leur discothèque.” Diapason, May 2025 “This is the companion box to the 15-CD set ‘Ančerl Live Recordings’… this box has been remastered from the original magnetic tapes in the Czech Radio archives and represents the best sound quality available, even when it’s only ‘School of 1955’ sound quality. There’s a well-illustrated and well-written booklet too.” MusicWeb International, July 2025 https://www.supraphon.com/album/851543-karel-ancerl-live-recordings-concertos