At the acoustically superb concert venue of the Rudolfinum Prague, the Czech Philharmonic performs Bohuslav Martinu’s Symphony No. 4 as part of the first-ever filmed complete cycle of all six symphonies by the Czech composer. It is at the same time one of the last recordings with the Czech Philharmonic’s long-term musical director Jirí Belohlávek, who died in May 2017. Martinu’s Fourth Symphony – “the ultimate perfection” (Harmonie Magazine) – is complemented by Janácek’s late work Sinfonietta and Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 2, performed by renowned French horn soloist Radek Baborák. Following the footsteps of his mentor Belohlávek, Jakub Hruša will continue the Martinu cycle in 2018.
Martinu Symphony Cycle: Martinu 3 & 6
With the Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4, Jirí Belohlávek and his Czech Philharmonic started the ambitious project of recording the complete Martinu symphonies cycle at the visually and acoustically spectacular Rudolfinum Prague. After the death of his mentor Jirí Belohlávek, who was considered one of the world’s most renowned Martinu experts, rising star conductor Jakub Hruša is going to complete the cycle with performances of Martinu’s Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 between March 2018 and January 2019. Hruša has recently been hailed by the New York Times for his “passionate, thrilling” way of presenting his ‘all-Czech’ concert at the BBC Proms.