Parnassus returns to international availability these extraordinary recordings by the Czech Philharmonic and the founding father of the modern Czech orchestral sound, Václav Talich. Drawing on Mark Obert-Thorn’s superb transfers and using Urlicht AudioVisual’s state-of-the-art restoration system to abate shellac surface noise and improve frequency response without impeding the unique orchestral sound, these essential recordings from the golden age of the 78 sound better than ever!
“In 1935 Talich brought the Czech Philharmonic to London, where he made legendary Dvoräk recordings including this Eighth Symphony – in which I feel I am truly in touch with the composer. Stanislav Novák’s violin solos are exquisite, the pacing of the traditionally shaped performance is flawless and the strings sliding up and down in the Scherzo are irresistible. In 1938, just after the Munich betrayal, conductor and orchestra were back at Abbey Road to record supple accounts of Dvorak’s Sixth and Seventh symphonies and [here] their loveliest Talich recording, Suk’s Serenade for Strings. Here everything is dewy-fresh and transparent, the solo playing (Alexander Plocek) is light as gossamer (Suk wrote the passage for solo strings at the end of the Adagio specially for Talich).”
-Gramophone
