---FIRST HALF HOUR---
:04—Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900): “Moonlit Night,” from “Impressions from the Countryside,” Op. 54, 1898, Marek Stilec, Czech National Symphony [Naxos 572985]. Fibich’s father was a Czech forester, but his mother was Viennese, and Fibich was regarded as less Czech than that of Smetana or Dvorak, to the detriment of his reputation at a time of Czech nationalism. His music criticism was more to blame for this than his music. He wrote Czech-sounding tone poems before Smetana did.
:07—Josef Suk (1874-1935): Fantastic Scherzo, Op. 25, 1903, JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic [Naxos 572323]. Dvorak’s student, later his son-in-law, wrote music that is very Czech but also may bear the influence of Mahler. His most famous piece.
:24—Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): “Carnival Overture,” Op. 92, excerpt, 1893, Zubin Mehta, New York Philharmonic [MK 44923]. Part of a suite of three tone poems.
---SECOND HALF HOUR---
:30—Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900): “Zaboj, Slavoy and Ludek,” Op. 37, 1873, Marek Stilec, Czech National Symphony [Naxos 572985]. This piece continues for another seven minutes with a distinctly Brucknerian penchant for repetition.
:42—Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884): “The High Castle,” from “My Country,” 1874, Jiri Belohlavek, Czech Philharmonic [Supraphon 25862].
:48--Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884): “The Moldau,” 1874, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic [EMI 90052].
---THIRD HALF HOUR---
:04—Leos Janacek (1854-1928): “Far and Wide,” from the opera “Jenufa,” 1904, Peter Breiner (Czech), New Zealand Symphony [Naxos 570555]. The opera was set in Moravia, the eastern or Slovak part of what used to be Czechoslovakia.
:08—Josef Suk (1874-1935): Folk Dance from “Pohadka,” or, “Fairy Tale,” Op. 16, 1898, JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic [Naxos 572323].
:12--Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884): “Sarka,” from “My Country,” 1879, Jiri Belohlavek, Czech Philharmonic [Supraphon 25862].
:22--Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): “In Nature’s Realm,” Op. 91, Istvan Kertesz, London Symphony [Decca 480 4870].
---FOURTH HALF HOUR---
:30—Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900): “Toman and the Wood Nymph,” Op. 49, 1875, Marek Stilec, Czech National Symphony [Naxos 572985].
(TRICK QUESTION: IS THIS CZECH?)
:43—Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 2, “Dumka,” arranged by the Viennese Fritz Kriesler (1875-1962) who makes it more schmaltzy than the original. Nicolas Koeckert, violin w/Milana Chernyavska, piano [Naxos 557388].
:45—Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884): “Blanak,” from “My Country,” excerpt, Rafael Kubelik, Czech Philharmonic [Supraphon 12082]. The concluding movement.
:49—Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): “My Home,” Op. 62, Istvan Kertesz, London Symphony [Decca 480 4870]. One of the two main themes is a song, “Where is My Home?” that is now the Czech national anthem.