The second of six portraits of great musicians from the past presented by David Mellor. Vilem Tausky and Charles Mackerras knew many of the outstanding Czech conductors of this century. They pay tribute to a tradition that weathered both Naziism and Communism and flourished from Smetana's time to today. The programme includes excerpts from
Smetana's The Bartered
Bride, Janacek's From the House of the Dead, Jenufa,
Katya Kabanova and Taras Bulba; Suk's Asrael symphony, Fibich's Sarka and Martinu's Spalicek.
Conductors include Otakar
Ostrcil, Bretislav Bakala ,
Jaroslav Vogel ,
Vaclav Talich , Zdenek Chalabala ,
Jaroslav Krombholc , Karel
Ancerl and Frantisek Jilek.
Discs