Novák: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1

Featuring

Marek Štilec
Moravská filharmonie Olomouc
Vítězslav Novák

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Composer Biography

Novák studied law at Prague University on a scholarship while also attending the Conservatory, where he studied music with Dvořák until 1895.

Composer Biography

Vítězslav Novák, the composer, was born in Kamenice nad Lipou in Southern Bohemia in 1870 and became responsible for his family's upkeep after his father died when he was 12.

Performer Biography

The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the Czech Republic, is based in Olomouc and focuses on 19th and 20th-century classical music, including works by distinguished Czech composers.

Performer Biography

Marek Štilec, the conductor, began his musical studies on the violin at the Prague Conservatory and later studied conducting with Leoš Svárovský at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

Critical Reception

During the inter-war period, Novák's reputation diminished due to professional setbacks, including a cultural schism initiated by Zdeněk Nejedlý, who advocated for Smetana as the true embodiment of Czech music.