Vilém Veverka, the oboist on this recording, is one of the most respected musicians in the Czech Republic, having studied with leading oboists and performed with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Composer Biography
Due to conflicts with the Communist regime and Soviet occupation, Jan Novák emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1968, living in Denmark, Italy, and Germany until his death in 1984.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Novák's compositional style was influenced by Stravinsky's Neo-Classicism, contemporary popular music (jazz, swing), traditional Moravian folk-music, and the Christian tradition of his birthplace.
Recording & Production
The Oboe Concerto and Piano Concerto were recorded in the Besední dům in Brno, while the Concentus biiugis was recorded in the hall of the Brothers of Charity Monastery, also in Brno.
Album & Artwork
This album, titled 'JAN NOVÁK Orchestral Music, Volume One', features the first recordings of the Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra and the Concentus biiugis.
Composer Biography
Jan Novák, a leading Czech composer after WWII, was born in Nová Říše, Czech Republic, and was renowned for his fluency in Latin, in which he also wrote poetry and translations.
Composition History
Jan Novák studied with Bohuslav Martinů, a prominent Czech composer, in New York in 1947-48, and Martinů became his pre-eminent model, influencing Novák to compose a new Piano Concerto.
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