KORTE O.F. (1926) PŘÍBĚH FLÉTEN / THE STORY OF THE FLUTES, BEETHOVEN L.v. SYMPHONY No.3

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Eroica, Op. 55 49:15

1. Allegro con brio 00:15:12

2. Marcia funebre. Adagio assai 00:16:13

3. Scherzo. Allegro Vivace 00:05:37

4. Finale. Allegro molto. Poco andante. Presto 00:12:01

5. Oldřich František Korte (1926-2014) - Příběh fléten / The Story of the Flutes (Flute's Story). A symphonic drama 00:18:40

Géza Novák, František Čech flute

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Lovro von Matačić conductor

To the casual observer, it might seem that recordings from the 50's and 60's, even digitally retouched, could be of little interest to the contemporary listener. Nothing, however, could be farther from the truth! The Croatian conductor Lovro von Matačić was not only world renowned and ill-fated (after the war he was condemned to death), but also well acquainted with the qualities of the Czech Philharmonic, thanks to his frequent guest appearances with them. Furthermore Supraphon sound engineer František Burda had a God-given talent for engineering, while his colleague Miloslav Kulhan was a professional in the true sense of the word, with wide-ranging musical knowledge and hundreds of recordings to his credit. Add to that the fact that Beethoven's Eroica is one of the most compact and dramatic works in the history of music, while Korte's meticulously conceived The Story of the Flutes is one of the most significant and successful Czech symphonic compositions of the second half of the 20th century. You have a combination that promises a truly outstanding experience comparable to the best world-class recordings made with modern technology.

(Supraphon 2005)