Eben - Job for Organ

Job for Organ is an eight movement organ cycle by the Czech composer Petr Eben (1929-2007). This work is based upon the story of Job in the Old Testament. The eight movements of this cycle tell the story of Job's struggle, perseverance, and triumph in the midst of human suffering. Job remains faithful to God throughout his trials, and in the end God rewards him for his faithfulness. Eben's compositional technique is dramatic in nature and his music lends itself to theatrical interpretation. This document provides a detailed musical analysis of each movement of the work, and the author offers a possible recreation of the plot and its interpretation, based upon extensive analysis of the score and Petr Eben's program notes.The analysis demonstrates that Job for Organ is a product of utmost craftsmanship. It is a powerful musical drama that vividly portrays Job's ordeal utilizing an extended musical program.

EJO

Eben: The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart

The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart of Petr Eben. The composer(1929-2007) was fascinated by Comenius's famous book for most of his life, and from 1991 to June 2003 he played celebrated improvisations on the theme in many different countries.

ELS

Kabeláč - 2 Phantasies for organ, Preludes for piano, Suite for saxophone & piano, Sonata for cello & piano

Selection of compositions of Miloslav Kabeláč for organ and piano and chamber music with piano participation : Fantasies for organ in G minor and D minor (J.Hora), Op. 32 (1957–58), 8 preludes for piano (I.Kahánek), Op. 30 (1955–56), Suite for saxophone and piano, Op. 39 (1959) and Sonata for cello and piano.

KFS

Eben - Organ Work 2: Sunday Music, Small Choral Partita, Chagall Windows

Petr Eben (1929-2007) was a Czech composer of modern and contemporary classical music, organist and choirmaster. His music has been widely performed and recorded since about 1980, with his popularity still apparently on the rise. The majority of his works are compositions for organ. Stylistically, his musical language can be considered as "neoexpressionistic" in many ways, however in some works we can hear some kind of new forms of impressionistic tendencies. He is usually compared with Olivier Messiaen (what confirmed relatively frequent combination of those two composers in organists recitals and on discs, but in other than organ works remains less experimental. Since 1989, he was honorary president of the Society for spiritual music. This recording is performed by Siegelinde Ahrens.

EO2

Kabeláč - Eight Inventions For Percussion Instruments

Eight Inventions For Percussion Instruments, op.45 (1962), of Miloslav Kabeláč by French ensemble Les Percussions de Strasbourg (1970),

KIP

Kabeláč - E fontibus Bohemicis

E fontibus Bohemicis, op.55 of Miloslav Kabeláč from 1965-72 is the sixmovement electro-acoustic composition "E fontibus Bohemicis", with the subtitle Six tableaux from Czech annals, finished in 1972, is the processing of the sound of the biggest bell of Prague "Sigismond", in the course of the work joined in by the oldest Czech chorale, by the organ version of the Hussite song , the fragment of the oldest Czech chronicle (by Cosmas), and by John Hus's words, the apex of the whole composition.

KFB

Hirsch - Symphonies Nos.2 & 3

Vladimír Hirsch's Symphony for integrated ensemble and electronics, op. 47, "Defensa" (1997) and "Sinfonia integra per orchestra, organo e percussione", op.52 (1998). Performed by Czech Integrated Ensemble with soloists Martina Sanollová (vocals) and Vladimír Hirsch (organ, other keyboard instruments, electronics). Formally classical compositions, using digitally processed instrumentation and synthetic sounds. Symphony No.3 was performed live in 1999 at the Prague Industrial Festival under the patronage of the Open Society Fund. This album is a revised version of both works from 2003.

H23

Fišer - Extracta

The horizon of Luboš Fišer’s  (1935-1999) world, as reflected in his compositions, is extensive. It is delineated by broad borders of his cultural knowledge and interests. He understood the excursions into the past only in relation with the present. His works have often both the mood of celebration, and warning as well. Fišer’s contribution to contemporary musical culture is considerable, his compositions often grasp the dynamic lifestyle of our modern era which he managed to express in a lapidary form of almost atomic energy. This album is a selection from his works.

FLE

Kabeláč - Symphony No.8, Metamorphoses II

The music of Miloslav Kabeláč is characterised by his own extraordinary artificial tone-creative principles. His musical expression makes use of elements of exclamation, rhythmic shouts, monotonous and exalted invocations, mysterious, magical and symbolic meanings. The basic ideas of Kabeláč’s works is namely an emphatic warning against the danger of a decline of all positive values of humanity in context of the historical situation at the time of the origin of main works (World War II, communist regime in our country and the Soviet occupation of Czechia in 1968). Typical orchestration and and favourite instrumentation: symphonic orchestra, percussion ensemble, organ, piano, mixed choir, solo vocals. Performers Václav Neumann (conductor), Prague Percussion Ensemble, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Václav Rabas (organ), František Maxián (piano), Jana Jonášová (soprano).

K8M

Dvořák, Janáček, Martinů, Novák, Schulhoff, Eben - Songs My Mother Taught Me

Magdalena Kožená, one of the most acclaimed recitalists of today, presents a personal collection of songs she has known since childhood and that form some of her earliest musical influences. A haunting collection of songs by Czech composers such as Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Vítězslav Novák, Ervín Schulhoff and Petr Eben, all deeply rooted in the rich Czech folk song tradition.

SMM

Hirsch - Markéta, the daughter of Lazar

“Markéta, dcera Lazarova” (Markéta, the daughter of Lazar), op.85, 2009-2010, by Czech composer Vladimír Hirsch. Originally soundtrack to the stage play of the same name, a romantic drama, based on Vladislav Vančura's novel. The music in conjoint short pieces, contemporary classical in its base, with an industrial and ambient tint, flows from choral motifs and sorrowful violins surrounded by calm ambience to dramatic eruptions of passion and violent hunts of percussion, clanging metal, nervous pianos and disturbing string inputs.

HMD

Eben - Laudes, Two Choral Fantasies, Good King Wenceslas Variations

The third volume of the Petr Eben series with Günther Rost. The Graz organ professor chose the Schuke organ in the Wuerzburg university church for this recording. Besides well known Laudes, it includes the Two Chorale Fantasies, the Laudes and A Festive Voluntary-Variations on Good King Wenceslas.

EO3

Kabeláč - Mystery Of Time, Hamlet Improvisation

Mystery of Time, passacaglia for large orchestra, op.31 &  Hamlet Improvisation for large orchestra, op.46, performed by Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ančerl. Miloslav Kabeláč (1908-1979) was a Czech composer belonging to the foremost Czech symphonists. New ways of expression presentated by Kabeláč in his eight symphonies and the perspectives opened by him to modern understanding and conception of this traditional genre in a way corresponding to their importance and impact.

KMH

Eben - Faust, Four biblical dances

Petr Eben was commissioned to write the stage music for a production of Goethe's Faust for the anniversary of the Burgtheater in Vienna in 1980. The Faust organ cycle provides us with a glimpse into the eternal struggle within man's being. The rhythmic element of the organ has always inspired Eben, and in the Four Biblical Dances he chooses the rarely used genre of the dance. Performed by Halgeir Schiader.

EFB