BRITTEN B. WAR REQUIEM, SPRING SYMPHONY, THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA (2CD)

CD 1

Benjamin Britten - War Requiem, Op.66 (1961-62)* 79:27

1. I. Requiem aeternam 9:15

2. II. Dies irae 25:45

3. III. Offertorium 9:23

4. IV. Sanctus 9:44

5. V. Agnus Dei 3:36

6. VI. Libera me 21:12

CD2

1. Benjamin Britten - The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op.34 (1946) - Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell * 17:13

Benjamin Britten - Spring Symphony, Op. 44 (1948-49)* (in Czech) 42:55

Part I

2. I. Introduction: Shine out 8:57

3. II. The merry cuckoo 2:03

4. III. Spring, the sweet spring 1:39

5. IV. The driving boy 1:55

6. V. The morning star 3:07

Part II

7. VI. Welcome maids of honour 2:40

8. VII. Waters above 2:38

9. VIII. Out on the lawn I lie in bed 5:46

Part III

10. IX. When will my May come 2:32

11. X. Fair and fair 2:33

12. XI. Sound the flute 1:23

Part IV

13. XII. Finale: London, to thee I do present 7:13

Naděžda Kniplová - soprano, Gerald English - tenor, John Cameron - baritone (War Requiem), Milada Šubrtová - soprano, Věra Soukupová - alto, Beno Blachut - tenor (Spring Symphony)

Prague Philharmonic Choir, Kühn Children's Chorus

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Karel Ančerl conductor

Recorded at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, Prague, on January 13, 1966 (CD1), May 3, 1958 (CD2/1) and January 17, 1964 (CD2/2-13).

Benjamin Britten's music formed one of the pillars of the Czech Philharmonic's concert programmes under its chief conductor Karel Ančerl. The famous Variations on a Theme of Purcell was in all likelihood the most frequently performed work (in 1962 also in England), and this CD contains the previously unreleased 1958 recording in the original version without narration. The enchanting and joyous Spring Symphony, commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky, was presented in Czech in Prague by Ančerl, the Czech Philharmonic and the finest soloists of the time. Forming a stark contrast to these two works is the War Requiem, a grand piece commemorating the victims of the most gruesome armed conflict in human history. Britten dedicated it to the memory of four friends of his who died in WWII while serving in the British navy or army. The work's Czech premiere, with the participation of superlative foreign soloists (Gerald English, John Cameron), took place less than four years after its world premiere. So enthused was he by the work that in November 1969, following his emigration to Canada, Ančerl included the War Requiem in one of his first concerts in Toronto. The conductor's personal profound experience of the senseless barbarity of the war imbued his conception of the work with a chilling authenticity. Both of the two previously unreleased concert recordings were made by the former Czechoslovak Radio.

Britten conducted by Karel Ančerl - * previously unreleased unique recordings from the Prague Radio archives.

(Supraphon 2013)