Prague Chamber Orchestra
The Prague Chamber Orchestra is the premier chamber ensemble in the Czech Republic. As is traditional in chamber orchestras, the ensemble performs without a conductor, and is generally lead by the concertmaster. Considerably larger than most chamber orchestras, the Prague Chamber Orchestra employs 36 players. It presents a series of subscription concerts each year in the Dvorák Hall of the House of Artists, which is also the home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The ensemble tours widely at home and abroad, and participates in many music festivals such as the Prague Spring Festival and the Bratislava Music Festival. The orchestra's repertoire focuses on Classical-era works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven but also extends to some early Romantic pieces, and a substantial number of contemporary compositions. Most of its concerts include at least one work by a Czech composer. Many new works have been composed for or dedicated to the Prague Chamber Orchestra, and a number of these have had their premier performances with the ensemble. Known for its sweet and lyrical tonal quality, the Prague Chamber Orchestra is one of the most highly regarded chamber ensembles in Europe.
Established in 1951, the Prague Chamber Orchestra had its beginnings in the Czechoslovakia Radio Symphony Orchestra when a chamber group was formed from the symphony's members to record works that did not require the full orchestra. The ensemble's original repertoire was taken primarily from the Baroque and early Classical periods, with an emphasis on the old Czech masters such as Jan Dusek, Johann Stamitz, Anton Reicha, and the masters of Citoliby. The orchestra made its first recording in the year it was founded, and has continued to record extensively throughout its history.
As the orchestra's popularity grew and its public concerts began to overshadow its recording and broadcasting duties, the ensemble gradually separated from its parent organization. In 1955, the group gained the sponsorship of the National Museum and was allowed to use the museum's archive of musical scores. By 1964, administration of the orchestra was placed in the hands of the government Ministry of Culture. The orchestra began its work with young artists and students when it came under the management of the Music Studio of the Czech Music Fund in 1967. Instructive concerts were introduced and many gifted young soloists and composers have had the opportunity to work with this eminent chamber orchestra since the early 1970s. An 11-member string ensemble under the leadership of concertmaster Oldrich Vlcek, was established from within the Prague Chamber Orchestra in 1976. The Virtuosi di Praga, as it is named, tours and performs separately from the full ensemble, and sometimes acts as a virtuoso ensemble when needed for concerto works. Known for its sensitive interpretations of works by Czech composers from the Baroque to the Contemporary, the Prague Chamber Orchestra is truly worthy of its reputation as one of the finest chamber ensembles in Europe.
© TiVo
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Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 10, 42, 12, 46 & 13
Charles Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Telarc on Jun 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Everybody's Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 32, 35, 36, 38 & 39
Charles Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Telarc on Apr 28, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 14-18
Charles Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Telarc on Jan 1, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Die Flöte am königlichen Hof
Vaclav Kunt, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Aleš Bárta, Pavel Belousek
Symphonic Music - Released by Bella Musica Edition on Oct 17, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 8, 9, 44, 47, 45 & 11
Charles Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Telarc on Jun 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mercadante: Works for Clarinet & Orchestra
Dieter Klöcker, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Vaclav Kunt, Giuseppe Porgo, Jan Schroeder
Classical - Released by Orfeo on Nov 4, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Global Reflections
Nancy Ambrose King, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Francis Colón
Classical - Released by Equilibrium on Apr 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carmen Saeculare
Classical - Released by Naxos on Feb 26, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BENDA, J.A.: Medea
Brigitte Quadlbauer, Hertha Schell, Peter Uray, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Christian Benda
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Naxos on Jun 21, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BENDA, J.A.: Ariadne auf Naxos / Pygmalion
Brigitte Quadlbauer, Hertha Schell, Peter Uray, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Christian Benda
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Naxos on Apr 3, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Baroque Masters
Classical - Released by Legacy International on Jan 13, 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, K. 19a, 5-7 & 55
Charles Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by Telarc on Jun 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies Hob.I:6 "Le Matin", 7 "Le Midi", 8 "Le Soir" & 22 "The Philosopher"
Prague Chamber Orchestra, Bernhard Klee
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
M. Haydn: Divertimento in D Major, MH 68
Prague Chamber Orchestra, Dieter Klöcker, Gernot Schmalfuss
Classical - Released by Orfeo on Jun 25, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sinfonias Nos. 7-12
Prague Chamber Orchestra, Christian Benda
Classical - Released by Naxos on Sep 14, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour piano
Paul Badura-Skoda, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by TransArt Live on Jan 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 73 & 96
Symphonic Music - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Mar 31, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Martinu - Stamitz - Lukas
Jitka Hosprová, Prague Chamber Orchestra
Classical - Released by ArcoDiva on Sep 2, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos allemands pour flûte
Bruno Meier, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Jaroslav Tuma
Classical - Released by Naxos on Nov 18, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88 & 103
Chamber Music - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Sep 25, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Danses concertantes - Fried: Gothic Concerto, Cassation
Chamber Music - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Apr 6, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo