catalogue

The history of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the best-known Czech orchestra, began over 100 years ago. On 4th January 1896, Antonín Dvořák himself conducted his works at the first concert of the Czech PO. The early years were hard for the young orchestra especially for financial reasons. But through the hard work of its skilled members, each of whom has always been an outstanding musician, and devoted conductors, the orchestra has gained its foremost position among Czech ensembles and has attained wide international acclaim. The conductors who most influenced the orchestra’s distinguished style were Václav Talich, Karel Ančerl, Rafael Kubelík and Václav Neumann. During its 100-year history, the Czech PO has worked with many famous conductors and composers: Gustav Mahler, Zdeněk Fibich, Edvard Grieg, Alexander Glazunov, Jacques Ibert, Alexander Zemlinsky, Charles Munch, Leonard Bernstein, Erich Kleiber, Jiří Bělohlávek, Serge Baudo, Libor Pešek, and many others. The Czech PO is also closely connected with the famous Prague Spring festival.

The documentary presents a wealth of archival materials as well as interviews with current members of the orchestra and offers a knowledgeable insight into the history and work of one of the outstanding international ensembles.