Despite the modern-day stigma directed toward younger fans of classical music by their peers—let’s face it, you’re going to be called a nerd—it is our earnest aspiration that adolescents branch out a bit and learn to enjoy all varieties of music. In the spirit of that, we set out to create playlists for those who enjoy classical music, as well as those who may want to give it a shot.
This playlist of exclusively Czech music is split into shorter, more accessible works and pieces of larger scale for your listening convenience. Antonín Dvořák may be a familiar name for most musicians, but it is likely that you have never heard of any of the other composers featured on this list. This does not make their music any less good. A certain rhapsodic Bohemian spirit is captured in every one of the compositions we selected, causing them to stand out to classical music aficionados and neophytes alike. All of these recordings should be available either on Spotify or YouTube. We hope you enjoy.
Shorter Pieces: 15 minutes or less
Thunderbolt P-47, Scherzo for Orchestra: Bohuslav Martinů (Vronský conducting the Brno Philharmonic)
David Sheng ’18: The P-47 Thunderbolt may have been one of the heaviest and largest fighter aircrafts developed in history, but it was still equipped with most of the Allied Air Force during World War II. At that time, Martinů had already begun to live in the States and was inspired by the many pilots’ legacies that he heard; this very work was thus born in 1945. It was composed as a tribute to the pilots who had fought in the war and is full of imitations of battle scenes and fanfares—all using Martinů’s very own, unique musical language.
Piano Trio in F Minor: Zdeněk Fibich (The Smetana Trio)
Daniel Xu ’17: To even the most dedicated devotees of classical music, Fibich is an unfamiliar name who is seldom mentioned in the context of great composers. His chamber music definitely deserves some attention, though: this trio is on the short side for a composition of that type, and manages to remain refreshingly dolce even throughout movements marked “con fuoco” and “vivacissimo.”
Pohádka (Fairy Tale): Leoš Janáček (Ericsson and Malý)
DS: My first encounter with this piece was in a recital given by Eastman professor Steve Doane alongside Cornell pianist Xak Bjerken. Although it wasn’t the best performance of this sonata-like fantasy, the piece definitely delighted me. The duo I’m recommending here isn’t very well-known; it was a very recent discovery on YouTube. The rawness and spirit of their playing, however, is definitely a highlight, and on that point, it outshines the many other existing recordings. In any case, one should also not miss the recording by Isserlis and Adés.
Die Moldau from Ma Vlast: Bedřich Smetana (Kubelik conducting the Czech Philharmonic)
DX: This excerpt from Smetana’s magnum opus is a piece that many have heard but may be unable to name. Its famous melody, evoking the image of Bohemia’s most prominent river, flows brilliantly in Kubelik’s recording, where the magnificent swells and cadences are at their most musical. Die Moldau is one of the best examples of tone painting in music I have listened to.
The Noon Witch: Antonin Dvořák (Talich conducting the Czech Philharmonic)
DX: A symphonic poem, The Noon Witch becomes much more intense once the story behind it is known. The piece depicts a misbehaving child who, along with his mother, is pursued by a boogeyman-like Czech folk monster, building to a frightening climax where the mother herself accidentally kills the child. Like the more famous Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, the orchestration uses specific instruments designated to represent each character.
Marathon Pieces: 20 to 40 minutes
String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life”: Bedřich Smetana (Emerson Quartet)
DS: As the title of the work implies, this piece is an autobiographical work. My first few encounters with this quartet resulted in great disgust, as I could not stand the viola solos (I do not mean to offend any violists), and I actually listed this piece as one of my least favorite quartets. However, as time passed by, I began to appreciate this piece more for its dramaticism, heroism, magical quality— they all come together and form this wonderful piece.
Cello Sonata No. 3: Bohuslav Martinů (Isserlis and Mustonen)
DS: Steven Isserlis has really become my favorite cellist, and one must not miss this recording with Mustonen, which received a Grammy nomination last year. The piece itself is full of syncopations, tuneful melodies, and surprises. If you aren’t acquainted with Martinů’s music yet, this is a great piece to start with; not to also mention the inconceivable partnership between Isserlis and Mustonen.
String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters”: Leoš Janáček (Hagen Quartet)
DS: “You stand behind every note, you, living, forceful, loving,” began one of Janáček’s more than seven hundred letters to his spiritual friend, a married woman 38 years his junior. This exact quartet was inspired by those 700 or so letters, providing us a glimpse of some of Janáček’s more personal characteristics, and bearing witness to this unusual relationship. As a matter of fact, when Janáček met this woman, Kamila Stösslová, in 1917, he quickly fell in love with her despite the age difference and the fact that both were married people.
Sinfonietta: Leoš Janáček (Mackerras conducting the Vienna Philharmonic)
DX: I didn’t know of this piece until I read Murakami’s 1Q84, where it plays a significant role. Thankfully, the high expectations that I had coming into my first listening experience were not disappointed. This is a great piece. Its main selling point is the energy that permeates all 25 minutes of it; it’s a military fanfare, not one of those dull classical pieces that will put you to sleep. Although Sinfonietta was dedicated to the armed forces of Czechoslovakia, while sounding rather victorious, a certain sadness flows through the piece, somehow reflecting World War I: “The war to end all wars.”
Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”: Antonin Dvořák (Kubelik conducting the Berlin Philharmonic)
DX: For many this piece needs no introduction. Each one of the four movements is a veritable masterpiece; there are so many memorable tunes from this symphony that even two-to-three minute segments from it have been adapted to other mediums. The spiritual cor anglais solo in the Largo, the fiery intro to the last movement, the pining melody of the first—the New World Symphony as a whole is probably the most famous of all Czech compositions and my personal favorite symphony. If nothing else on the marathon segment of this list, you should czech this one out.