Kalabis V. (1923-2006) Harpsichord Concerto, Violin Concerto, Love Songs, Symphonic var.

Viktor Kalabis (1923-2006)

1.-3. Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings Op.42 27:25

4.-6. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 Op.17 21:39

7.-11. Five Romantic Love Songs Op.38 15:26

12. Symphonic Variations for Large Orchestra Op.24 13:01

Zuzana Růžičková harpsichord

Petr Škvor violin, Ernst Haefliger tenor

Prague Chamber Orchestra, Czech Chamber Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra

Viktor Kalabis conductor

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Václav Neumann conductor

Composer Viktor Kalabis, who turned eighty on 27th February, 2003, ranks among prominent Czech composers of our time. His compositional style is highly distinctive, indeed unmistakeable. In a way that is entirely his own, he has been linking up with the legacies left behind by the epoch-making masters of 20th-century music. In his progress along this road, he has produced works marked by respect for compositional order, wealth of harmony, and inventive melodic devices. His output has comprised over 90 opuses encompassing a wide variety of genres. Kalabis´s music furnishes an eloquent testimony to the spiritual conflicts of the 20th century, never losing its distinct humanitarian message, blending elements of pathos with a sense of tender emotionality and intimacy, admiration for the family of man and for nature, meditative introspection, and spontaneous joy. In his formative years, Viktor Kalabis combined studies of composition and conducting, demonstrating his skill in that latter field on this CD as well. His works were interpreted here by a distinguished cast of soloists and ensembles. This portrait of composer Viktor Kalabis offers a chance of insight into the labyrinth of paths followed by 20th-century music. Viktor Kalabis: a composer´s message on the spiritual and artistic conflicts of the 20th century.

(Supraphon 2003)