Orchestral works, Vol. IV.
This fourth volume in the first complete recording of the orchestral works of Zdeněk Fibich features shorter orchestral works and occasional pieces for theatre projects. They include the evocative overture A Night at Karlštejn Castle, the Mendelssohnian overture to the incidental music for The Jew of Prague, as well as the witty and elegant ballet music from the opera Hedy. Specially prepared from original sources for this recording by Marek Štilec, the four Tableaux vivants (‘staged pictures’) reflect a 19th-century Central European fashion for staged pieces, including fanfares, majestic ceremony and regal splendour, not intended to outlive their immediate purpose.
Don O’Connor: "Štilec’s conducting, as in his other installments in this series, is sympathetic to Fibich’s style, and he keeps a firm hand over the structure of a work. The playing of the orchestra is fine—vigorous and full-bodied, with good ensemble. Naxos’s recorded sound is excellent." © 2015 American Record Guide
