Mathilde Kralik - Hymnic Symphony; Piano Trio (Silvia Spinnato)

Information

Composer: Mathilde Kralik

• Hymnische Symphonie
• Piano Trio in F Major

Jacquelyn Wagner, soprano

Female Symphonic Orchestra Austria

Silvia Spinnato, conductor

Chanelle Bednarczyk, violin

Alba Hernández Cárcamo, cello

Heghine Rapyan, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Gramola Records

_____________________

In autumn 2021, the Female Symphonic Orchestra Austria, led by founder and chief conductor Silvia Spinnato and featuring soprano Jacquelyn Wagner, presented the posthumous world premiere of the Hymn Symphony by Mathilde Kralik von Meyrswalden at the International Bruckner Festival in Linz, over 80 years after its completion. Acclaimed as a “sensational symphonic rediscovery,” the concert revived Kralik’s largely forgotten orchestral output, complemented here by her Piano Trio in F major. Once praised by critic Eduard Hanslick for her chamber music and songs, Kralik’s symphonic works had long remained neglected, and this recording brings them back into public recognition.

Mathilde Kralik von Meyrswalden (1857–1944) was an accomplished composer and pianist from Linz, Austria, born into an ennobled Bohemian family. Trained in composition, piano, and musicology by Anton Bruckner, Franz Krenn, and Julius Epstein, she excelled alongside fellow students such as Gustav Mahler. Her chamber music and songs received contemporary acclaim, including praise from critic Eduard Hanslick. Kralik composed operas, oratorios, and symphonic works—though most orchestral pieces remained unpublished. A devout Catholic and cultural figure in Vienna, she hosted a music salon, supported women’s artistic networks, and lived discreetly with lifelong partner Alice Scarlates. Despite her early prominence, her music largely fell into obscurity after her death.

High Resolution 24-bit / 44.1 kHz