Czech ‘ambassadors of music’ excited audiences in Traunstein. Violin soloists Jana Vlachova and Karel Stadtherr excelled in Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, confirming their reputation as top Czech musicians with skills combining technical perfection and enormous power of expression... After the intermission, the Orchestra performed P. I. Tchaikovsky’s Serenade. The entire first movement gave plenty of room to technical passages that were beautifully executed with dazzling precision. The second movement was pervaded by continual waltz bliss. Larghetto Elegico, the third movement, was dominated by a musically balanced dialogue between violin and cello. In the finale, the orchestra performed an excellent adaptation of the Russian theme, ending in a Stretto that was executed with admirable temperament. The musicians were rewarded by rapturous applause that brought the orchestra back on stage for multiple encores. 10 October 2008
Traunsteiner Tagblatt
- ... Led by Jana Vlachova and conducted by Ondrej Kukal, the Czech Chamber Orchestra yet again showed attributes that are rarely heard; soft, colourful and refined tone that is wonderfully evocative of the landscape of Sladek’s poems and that is crucial in particular to interpreting late 19th century music, a delicate sense of tempo and impressive style (and, of course, perfect harmony and synchronization). The Orchestra builds on and continues the legendary tradition of Czech music: Vaclav Talich and Josef Vlach. The concert’s climax caught me by surprise – it took the form of a brilliantly executed Bartók. Another aspect of the orchestra’s multi-faceted skills was showcased in Grieg – its tonal beauty and sophistication of detail had an almost dream-like quality...
2 March 2008 | Author: Lubos Stehlik
Written for: Harmonie, February 2008
- ...All three compositions are ‘listener-friendly’ and comprehensible, not in the least thanks to the orchestra’s interpretation – it played Kukal’s works (under his baton) with great insight. The other two compositions on the programme belong to the orchestra’s fundamental repertoire: Josef Suk’s Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade in C Major. Any audience will be delighted with the precise and carefully structured performance of Suk’s composition and the masterful perfection in the execution of Tchaikovsky’s serenade. Especially pleasing about the Czech Chamber Orchestra is the unwavering quality of its artistic performance and skill.
14 Nov 2007 | Author: Eva Vitova
Written for: Harmonie, May 2007
- ...Even though the Czech Chamber Orchestra does not specialize in interpreting old music, their ‘baroque’ was filled to the brim with full-, rich- and precise-sounding music.
7 April 2006 | Author: Eva Vitova
Written for: Harmonie February 2006
- ...Martinu’s Partita for String Orchestra captivated the audience by the masterful execution of all four movements, especially the pizzicato second and the slow third movements, in which the musicians fulfilled – with great passion – the conductor’s interpretative vision. In the modern-times premiere of Stamic’s Sinfonia Concertante in F Major for Violin, Cello and Strings, the orchestra gave lead soloist Jana Vlachova and first cellist Mikael Ericsson opportunity to showcase their solo skills. The violin’s shiny, metallic and glowing tone and the cello’s multicoloured velvet tone were of course perfectly combined with technical skill and accompanied by the adequately-sounding ‘voice’ of the entire orchestra. It was the interpretative aspect of execution that gave the composition its primary purpose. Dvorak’s Two Waltzes not only filled the hall with dancing lightness, brilliance and perfect phrasing but, yet again, it embodied the ‘return’ to the sound of the Czech Chamber Orchestra’s expressive ideal from more than forty years ago…
7 July 2004 | Author: Eva Vitova
Written for: Harmonie, June 2004
- ...The orchestra’s execution of A Little Night Music was superbly light and soft and showed such perfect harmony that, at times, I felt as if I were listening to a string quartet. Then, Dvorak’s String Sextet Op. 48 allowed the orchestra to fully showcase their exceptional quality of tone and interpretation. Moreover, even after decades have passed, both the concept, the formation of tone and the phrasing still carry on the tradition that was established by Vaclav Talich and continued by his successor Josef Vlach…
19 December 2003 | Author: Lubos Stehlik
Written for: Harmonie, November 2003
- ...Mozart’s Symphony in G minor KV 550 was executed with exceptional beauty. Despite the rather slow tempos, its clear contours were full of energy and brightness. This was the best execution of this composition in Prague in the past decade.
While the inclusion of the famous Barber’s Adagio may have been a friendly outreach to the broad spectrum of Rudolfinum’s visitors, I cannot remember the last time Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and Orchestra, Op. 47 was featured in Prague. This is a very eclectic piece. However, when played the way that I had a chance to listen to with astonishment, even an average composition can be great. Credit for this goes mainly to the Vlach Quartet of Prague.
21 September 2003 | Author: Lubos Stehlik
Written for: Harmonie, August 2003
- ...The Czech Chamber Orchestra performed a cheerful programme: Isa Krejci’s Little Suite, Bohuslav Martinu’s Serenade No. 2, Claude Debussy’s Dances for Harp and Strings and Josef Suk’s Serenade in E Flat Major. All pieces, each in its own way, reflected thorough practice, sophisticated harmony and purity of sound. Isa Krejci’s music showed both brisk rhythmic sophistication in fast movements and sticky melodious quality in the slow second movement, Martinu’s music featured excellent harmony of first and second violins and violas that was brought to the point of crystal-clear unity. The execution of Suk’s String Serenade is always a feast for listeners and, without exception, a touchstone for musicians. In all movements, the unforgettable ‘singing’ melodies give the orchestra countless opportunities to amaze the audience with brilliant synchronization and harmony, but they also pose countless challenges, whether in terms of harmony as such or in terms of transparent intonation. With this interpretation, the Czech Chamber Orchestra added its signature to a prominent list that is dominated by Talich’s famous recording. From behind the conductor’s stand, Ondrej Kukal underscored all that we find and want to hear in Suk’s music, achieving both an elite purity in musicians’ synchronization and masterful confidence. Joined in a single soloist-type body, the musicians “breathed as one” in the composition’s arched phrases and gave the audience an intoxicating musical experience that is only rarely heard. A truly amazing performance.
19 November 2002 | Author: Eva Vitova
Written for: Harmonie, November 2002
- ...Characterized by an incredible intensity of colour and synchronization, the resultant sound is absolutely unique and unmistakable... The orchestra has proven beyond any doubt that – with the same ease – it can perfectly interpret pieces other than the obligatory romantic serenades... The focus of the evening’s second half was the premiere of Kukal’s Chamber Symphony for String Orchestra Op. 16, whose starting point was the author’s 1st string quartet. This post-modern composition, which gives new shape to various elements of last century’s music, shows captivating intensity and openness of expression that allows it to communicate with a diverse spectrum of listeners without pandering to their taste. The orchestra used the opportunity and fully showcased their qualities – not only in this composition, but also in Schubert’s early and little-known Overture in C minor D 8, whose inclusion I consider unnecessary, and especially in Bela Bartok’s rustic Romanian Dances in which violinist Jana Vlachova dazzled with her solo performance.
