Bedřich Smetana - Ma patrie (Rafael Kubelík)

Information

Composer: Bedřich Smetana

• La fiancée vendue, JB 1:100: Ouverture
• Ma patrie, JB 1:112

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Karel Ancerl, conductor

Wiener Philharmoniker / Rafael Kubelík, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Les Indispensables de Diapason

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Renowned conductor Rafael Kubelík brought a uniquely personal authority to Bedřich Smetana’s Má Vlast, recording the cycle commercially more than any other maestro. This 1959 performance with the Vienna Philharmonic demonstrates his idiosyncratic interpretation, seamlessly capturing the rustic, festive, and patriotic dimensions across all six tone poems. Music flows with organic phrasing and heightened emotional commitment, highlighted by a passionately driven execution of "Šárka." While preceded by earlier efforts and succeeded by later accounts, this recording remains a compelling showcase of Kubelík’s distinct artistic connection to Smetana's masterpiece.

Rafael Kubelík (1914–1996) was an eminent Czech conductor and composer celebrated for his vibrant interpretations and principled artistry. After training in Prague and making his debut with the Czech Philharmonic at age 19, he fled his homeland following the 1948 communist coup. Kubelík held major leadership roles as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Opera at Covent Garden—where he conducted the world premiere of Berlioz's Les Troyens—and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. A prolific neo-romantic composer of operas, symphonies, and chamber works, he remained a guest conductor for the world's leading ensembles throughout his international career.