Vitezslaw Novak (1870-1949)

[Symphonic Addict]

A new recording of his three string quartets (very impressive works, btw), courtesy of Supraphon and the Stamic Quartet. To be released on 4 July:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/vitezlav-novak-streichquartette-nr-1-3/hnum/12283724

The covers of this recording:

[Symphonic Addict]

To be released on 9 October:



It includes the suites of his ballets Signorina Gioventù and Nikotina. Not sure about this recording as the complete ballets and piano concerto have been recorded before and the concerto is not that interesting.

The other CPO releases for October are not properly enticing either.

[kyjo]

To be released on 9 October:



It includes the suites of his ballets Signorina Gioventù and Nikotina. Not sure about this recording as the complete ballets and piano concerto have been recorded before and the concerto is not that interesting.

The other CPO releases for October are not properly enticing either.

A "curate's egg" of a release, for sure. On one hand, it's great to see new recordings of these wonderful ballets in any form, but on the other hand the complete ballet scores are so consistently inspired that's it hard to imagine the suites being terribly necessary. The early PC is unknown to me, but I've mostly heard lukewarm things about it. Now, I wonder what's keeping CPO and other record companies from finally giving us modern recordings of Novák's Autumn and May Symphonies...?

[J]

Now, I wonder what's keeping CPO and other record companies from finally giving us modern recordings of Novák's Autumn and May Symphonies...?

It might be cause they're pretty lackluster works based on my hearing of the older recordings circulating around.

Not denying it could be the old performances which are "lackluster", and the works themselves would shine given improved sonics & conducting.

But then again maybe not, and a shared judgement of mediocrity by the record companies has kept Novak's seasonal reflections on the sidelines.

[kyjo]

It might be cause they're pretty lackluster works based on my hearing of the older recordings circulating around.

Not denying it could be the old performances which are "lackluster", and the works themselves would shine given improved sonics & conducting.

But then again maybe not, and a shared judgement of mediocrity by the record companies has kept Novak's seasonal reflections on the sidelines.

That's entirely possible! I do recall listening to a bit of the Autumn Symphony in Ancerl's old recording and not being too impressed. True, the sound quality on that recording is pretty poor, but usually I can at least tell the quality of a work through even through a bad recording.

[kyjo]

The covers of this recording:

Yesterday I had a first listen to the String Quartet No. 2 in D major. I must confess, this is not the Novák I enjoy. Or maybe it was just a combination of me not being in the right mood and the performance not being satisfactory enough to my ears. This work shows a very different side of the composer than his colorful, dramatic orchestral works - it's generally subdued, emotionally and thematically ambiguous, and rather lacking in coloristic variety IMO. I feel like it could grow on me with repeated listens, but as of right now I don't feel terribly compelled to return to it. Regarding the performance by the Stamic Quartet - their ensemble and group intonation are fine (if not remarkable), but the first violinist's playing suffers from poor intonation, especially in the upper register, which nearly ruins some crucial passages. Fortunately, there are alternative recordings of all three quartets to be found on Spotify.

I do have quite positive memories of his more outgoing and accessible String Quartet No. 1 in G major, as performed very well by the Suk Quartet on Supraphon, coupled with the lovely Piano Quintet. Browsing the internet, I came across a newly released Supraphon recording of this quartet, interestingly coupled with quartets by two practically unknown Czechs, Emil Axman (1887-1949) and Karel Hába (1898-1972, brother of the better-known Alois):



FWIW, my top five favorite Novák works would be:

Nikotina (ballet-pantomime)
Signorina Gioventu (ballet-pantomime)
In the Tatra Mountains (symphonic poem)
Toman and the Wood Nymph (symphonic poem)
Piano Quintet in A minor