Most original poster of the year: the most famous Czech baroque ensemble opens the Prague Spring 2021 with My country. You might want to smile, but this score from 1882 is contemporary with others (4e Symphony by Brahms, 3e of Bruckner) that the “baroque” approach. If the idea is good (and Norrington had had it), the problem is perceived very quickly. In the Smetana room, chosen rather than the resonant Rudolfinum, it is very likely that the concert of the excellent musician Václav Luks was captivating, but this does not translate to the disc, because the image remains too distant and global for ‘we really savor the work of articulation, the volumes and the added value of the timbres. Instead of novelty, there are certainly some interesting sounds, for example at the heart of Sarka, but above all a lot of “less”. Less impact and sound density, less dull threats at the start of Tabor (episode also affected by the minimalist management of vibrato), less fervent grandeur and weight. Experimental CD.
To see in video