Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29 & Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55 Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra & Marek Štilec

• Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859 - 1951): Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29:
• 1 Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29: I. Allegro moderato 10:59
• 2 Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29: II. Andante sostenuto 07:57
• 3 Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29: III. Allegro 05:34
• 4 Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29: IV. Allegro con brio 11:23
• Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55:
• 5 Foerster: Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55: I. Andante con moto 06:37
• 6 Foerster: Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55: II. Andante sostenuto 03:23
• 7 Foerster: Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55: III. Allegro - Tempo di Valse 06:01
• 8 Foerster: Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55: IV. Allegro deciso 09:56
• 9 Foerster: Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55: V. Andante sostenuto 05:51
• Total Runtime 01:07:41

Info for Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29 & Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55

Josef Bohuslav Foerster was a pivotal figure in Czech musical history and a lifelong friend of fellow German-speaking Bohemian, Gustav Mahler. Foerster’s Symphony no.2, dedicated to the memory of his sister, Marie, achieves a satisfying unity, with its sombre qualities eloquently transformed into a fervent apotheosis. Cyrano de Bergerac was Foerster’s most successful orchestral piece and is a perfect example of his late-Romantic finesse. Conceived as an autonomous work not intended as incidental music, its ‘five symphonic images’ each relate to a specific place in the drama.

Vol.1 is on 8574336. It contains Symphony no.1 and other orchestral works. Fanfare wrote, ‘The combination of Štilec conducting the Janáček Philharmonic in these works by Foerster is a winning one. …the performances strike a very fine pose, the recording is excellent, and the price is right’.

Foerster’s Symphony no.4 can be heard on 8557776 coupled with the Festive Overture, op.70 and My Youth, op.44. This won a 3-star review in the Penguin Guide: ‘The American conductor Lance Friedel is obviously committed to this music and gets a very good response from the Slovak orchestra. Recommended with enthusiasm’.

Czech conductor Marek Štilec is known as an interpreter of Classical orchestral repertoire and is a specialist in Czech Romantic and contemporary music. He has collaborated with orchestras the world over, including the New World Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, London Classical Soloists, Orchestra of the Swan, Berlin Camerata, Kammerphilharmonie Graz and Sinfonietta Bratislava. A prolific recording artist, he has made over 30 albums for labels including Naxos, ArcoDiva, cpo and Supraphon. In the field of historically informed performance Štilec has collaborated with ensembles including Czech Ensemble Baroque and Ensemble 18+.

Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
Marek Štilec, conductor

The Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
has borne its name since the establishment of the Czech Republic in 1993. It follows the tradition of a professional municipal orchestra founded in 1978, which achieved the status of a state symphony orchestra in 1987. The orchestra underwent significant artistic development under František Vajnar and Andreas Sebastian Weiser. Kaspar Zehnder has served as principal conductor since the 2018–19 season.

The orchestra has performed in major European concert halls including the Grosser Musikvereinssaal in Vienna, Gewandhaus Leipzig and KKL Luzern. It has appeared at leading festivals such as Prague Spring and Smetana Litomyšl, and toured Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Spain and Switzerland. The orchestra’s artistic quality is reflected in recordings for Czech and international labels, Czech Television and Czech Radio. Since 2005, it has organised the Music Forum Hradec Králové, a contemporary music festival broadcast by Czech Radio. The orchestra also focuses on blending musical genres and presenting crossover concerts.

Booklet for Foerster: Symphony No. 2 in F Major, Op. 29 & Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 55