PETR POPELKA

SMETANA’S MUSIC – STORIES BROUGHT TO LIFE IN TONES

Album detail
Catalogue number: SU 4347-2

Popelka does not view Bedřich Smetana’s legacy as an obligatory Czech national classic, but rather as an object of love and vital artistic quest. Petr Popelka and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra have recorded the complete symphonic works of Bedřich Smetana, including the cycle of symphonic poems Má vlast; String Quartet No. 1, “From My Life”, in George Szell’s brilliant orchestration; the Festive Symphony, dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph I and three “Swedish” Liszt-inspired symphonic poems. Supraphon is releasing the extraordinary album, marking the 200th anniversary of Smetana’s birth, at the end of the current Year of Czech Music. We talked with Petr Popelka prior to the album’s release.


When did the idea of recording Smetana‘s symphonic works emerge?

The initial idea dates back to 2022, after I’d assumed the post of principal conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. When considering what we could record, I suggested Bedřich Smetana, with regard to the approaching 200th anniversary of his birth. We decided to undertake this large-scale project, opting for music constituting a crucial component of Czech culture. Má vlast has been recorded on numerous occasions, and we aimed to capture the spirit of the present. Fifty years down the road our successors may hear it somewhat differently.


How important do you deem the cycle of symphonic poems Má vlast?

Smetana’s ultimate masterpiece, Má vlast, should be approached a bit like an opera, a great story. As a cycle of poems based on the theme of the homeland, it is absolutely unique in the history of music. Most significantly, I don’t know a work written with greater love.


What fascinates you most about Smetana?

I marvel at his dramatic talent. Each and every note attests to his will to tell stories that are difficult to convey in words. That’s crucial for today’s listeners too. In our recording, we strove to foreground stories retold in tones. 


Are you satisfied with the outcome?

It was wonderful teamwork. We used Czech Radio’s Studio S1, with the result being emphasis on a certain sonic similitude of the recordings. What is more, spatial sound connoisseurs can look forward to streaming in the Dolby Atmos format. We so enjoyed working on the album that when putting finishing touches to it the recording director Petr Strejc, the sound engineer Rostislav Supa, the orchestra and I felt sorry that the creative process was coming to an end. We didn’t rush things at all, paying attention to every detail. I am immensely satisfied with the album.

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