Rafael Kubelik at 100 June 29 2014

[Petrushka]

Tomorrow, June 29, is the centenary of the birth of Rafael Kubelik.

Some conductor's reputations take a bit of a nosedive after their death but with Kubelik the trajectory has been in the opposite direction: his reputation seems to have soared in recent years. Possibly overshadowed during his lifetime by those giants of the podium, Karajan, Bernstein and Solti among others, we can see now that he was a giant of the podium himself. His lifetime encapsulates the 20th century from his birth the day after the shots in Sarajevo to the fall of Communism.

I only saw him just the once. He gave a concert with his beloved Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall on June 27 1980 which consisted of the Mozart 40 and Mahler 1.

For anyone who saw it televised, the relay from Prague of Kubelik and the Czech PO in Smetana's Ma Vlast in 1990 in a free Czechoslovakia was an unforgettable and emotional event of the first order.

I've been playing CDs from the Kubelik Symphonies box in recent weeks and if anyone doubts how great a conductor he was they should hear this. Strongly recommended.

Did any of our Forum members play for him? Hornspieler? Tony? Favourite recordings or concerts anyone?

[Pabmusic]

Tomorrow, June 29, is the centenary of the birth of Rafael Kubelik.
...

The nicest (conducting) compliment that I was ever paid was that my 'style' was like Rafael Kubelik's. I'm still chuffed.

I'd go for (1) Janacek's Sinfonietta and (2) Suk's Asrael. Both with the Bavarians.

[amateur51]

I saw him conducting only once, at the Barbican around 1985 when he conducted Janacek Sinfonietta and Bruckner symphony no 9, a great evening

I have the recently released Symphonies box too and I'm enjoying dipping into it. I've always regarded him as being in a 'special' category of conductor alongside Giulini and Kempe. There are 'live' recordings of him accompanying Curzon in Beethoven and perhaps Mozart concertos and a complete (I think) 'live' Mahler cycle. Treasures indeed

[Petrushka]

Here is the 1990 Ma Vlast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76R0N2GN6Jo

[amateur51]

The nicest (conducting) compliment that I was ever paid was that my 'style' was like Rafael Kubelik's. I'm still chuffed.

I'd go for (1) Janacek's Sinfonietta and (2) Suk's Asrael. Both with the Bavarians.

A great compliment Pabs - hope your comb is nearer to hand than the Maestro's was

[Pabmusic]

Here is the 1990 Ma Vlast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76R0N2GN6Jo

Oh, how lovely!!

A great compliment Pabs - hope your comb is nearer to hand than the Maestro's was

No. Never. And I used to sweat a lot

[MLF]

Tomorrow, June 29, is the centenary of the birth of Rafael Kubelik.

I've been playing CDs from the Kubelik Symphonies box in recent weeks and if anyone doubts how great a conductor he was they should hear this. Strongly recommended.

Did any of our Forum members play for him? Hornspieler? Tony? Favourite recordings or concerts anyone?

I bought this as a birthday present to myself yesterday (my wife refuses to buy me CDs). The Dvorak cycle is very enjoyable - have been saving the 9th for a long drive this afternoon.

[richardfinegold]

I saw him Conduct in Chicago probably about the same time that Pet saw him Conduct--1980, only he was leading the Chicago SO. This was about 25 years after he had been run out of town by Claudia ("Acidy") Cassiday, the Critic for the Chicago Tribune who made it her personal mission to excoriate him (and a decade later did the same to Jean Martinon). It was a great Concert, one of the most memorable of my life. Bartok's Divertimento and Martinu's Frescoes were both on the program. It was my first encounter with both of these great pieces. The affection for Kubelik amongst the patrons and the critics was very effusive and totally warrented by the quality of the music making. Looking back I realize that some of that affection may have been an attempt at atonement for the raw deal that Kubelik had gotten here.
I have been listening to a lot of Kubelik lately. His Mahler Cycle is on my turntable just now and I just listened to his Pictures at an Exhibition from 1953 with the CSO as I work my way through one of the large Mercury boxes. My favorite Kubelik recordings are his Dvorak symphonies with the Bavarians. I also learned Ma Vlast from his recording with the Boston SO and I think there is a Ma Vlast in the Mercury box with the CSO that I haven't heard yet that I look forward to hearing.
When I was in Salzberg last year I picked up a pristine lp set of K and the Bavarians in the Brahms Symphonies. I was eager to play them upon my return home. Alas, they were a major dissapointment, genial, affectionate, and deadly dull.
While I was in Prague I went to the shop at the Rudolfinum and the footage of K conducting after the Velvet Revolution was being played on the monitor in the shop.

[HighlandDougie]

I get a lot of enjoyment from this box

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recordings-conducted-Kubelik-Rafael/dp/B000BV5RDS/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1403970328&sr=1-3-fkmr1&keywords=RAFAEL+KUBELIK+Rare+Recordings+1963+-+1974

especially the Gürrelieder but it has now become rather pricey

This box was announced some time ago

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Hmv-Orchestral-Recordings-1937-1983/dp/B00JGGY5FU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1403970524&sr=1-1&keywords=RAFAEL+KUBELIK+the+hmv+recordings

but the release date seems to have slipped. I never saw him in the flesh: I was due to see him with the LSO in Edinburgh but he was indisposed (and we got Zdenek Macal instead). He retired from conducting not long afterwards. I agree with Ams that he is one those conductors like Rudolf Kempe and C M G (to whom I would add Jean Martinon) who achieved wonderful results without making a lot of fuss about it. His Bavarian RSO Asrael (as recommended by Pabs) was the recording that convinced me that it was a work which deserved to be played more often - now, alas, also only available at rather silly prices.

[Petrushka]

...especially the Gürrelieder but it has now become rather pricey

I bought that Gurrelieder on LP in May 1975 and it is easily my first choice in this work. I managed to get the CD three years ago and it sounds superb. Still available second hand but rather expensive. Surely a candidate for re-issue in his centenary year?

[Barbirollians]

Great conductor . Favourites of mine are not merely that Ma Vlast but his records of Mahler 1 the Schumann symphonies and the Dvorak Slavonic dances

[Roehre]

... And I used to sweat a lot

As Kubelik does, as shown on the video which triggered my love for classical music: a performance of Beethoven 2 and leonore III with the Concergebouworkest, broadcast December 17th 1970. Sweat is dripping from his nose.

His Mahler cycle (bought October 1974) was the one through which I learnt that music, and still one of the finest, especially 1 and 8.
It's DGG's 1973 symphony edition which made him record the Dvorak cycle. Reluctantly it must be said, as he was unconvinced he should record especially no.1, with strong doubts re no.2 too. The symphonies then numbered 1-5 (present 6,7,5,8 and 9) Kubelik did in the 1960s already, but DGG insisted on all nine, as Supraphon was recording all of them too with Vaclav Neumann.
After that he entered on the Slavonic Dances and all of the symphonic poems bar one: he bluntly refused to record the Hero's Song op.111, for political reasons this time.

His Taras Bulba + Sinfonietta LP showed his affinity to Janacek, and Schumann 1-4 in his hands are my favourites.

[Petrushka]

The Dvorak cycle is incorporated into the Symphonies boxed set but I've not played them yet. In fact, I've never knowingly heard 1 - 5 at all.

The Beethoven cycle, recorded with nine different orchestras is excellent, culminating in a very fine 9th easily one of the very best currently on my shelves and with close to 60 versions there already that's an indication of how good it is.

Kubelik was an under-rated genius of the podium and I do so wish I'd heard him live in concert more than the single time I did.

[richardfinegold]

As Kubelik does, as shown on the video which triggered my love for classical music: a performance of Beethoven 2 and leonore III with the Concergebouworkest, broadcast December 17th 1970. Sweat is dripping from his nose.

His Mahler cycle (bought October 1974) was the one through which I learnt that music, and still one of the finest, especially 1 and 8.
It's DGG's 1973 symphony edition which made him record the Dvorak cycle. Reluctantly it must be said, as he was unconvinced he should record especially no.1, with strong doubts re no.2 too. The symphonies then numbered 1-5 (present 6,7,5,8 and 9) Kubelik did in the 1960s already, but DGG insisted on all nine, as Supraphon was recording all of them too with Vaclav Neumann.
After that he entered on the Slavonic Dances and all of the symphonic poems bar one: he bluntly refused to record the Hero's Song op.111, for political reasons this time.

His Taras Bulba + Sinfonietta LP showed his affinity to Janacek, and Schumann 1-4 in his hands are my favourites.

I never heard of A Heros Song. I own the DG collection of Kubelik conducting Dvorak tone poems and Overtures and that has been my source for this music. I burned it to a hard rive and do not have album notes. What is the story behind the piece?

I just did a Wiki search and it states there is no specific program for the piece. What was the nature of Kubelik's objection.
Also, can any one recommend a recording of it?

[Roehre]

I never heard of A Heros Song. I own the DG collection of Kubelik conducting Dvorak tone poems and Overtures and that has been my source for this music. I burned it to a hard rive and do not have album notes. What is the story behind the piece?

I just did a Wiki search and it states there is no specific program for the piece. What was the nature of Kubelik's objection.
Also, can any one recommend a recording of it?

A Hero's song op.111 was -as I understand- misused by Czechoslovakian communist regimes to show that Dvorak [who died in 1904 !] already showed understanding for the hero-labourer [keeping in mind Kubelik fled his homeland in 1948 after the communist coup]. That's easily done, as the symphonic poem hasn't got a a specific programme. There is no musical reason to discard this piece. It's Dvorak's last free standing orchestral composition, and his return from a literary/programmatic source for his symphonic poems op.107-110 to a mere abstract one might have been followed to a return to the symphonic form, a symphony no.10.
There are a couple of recordings available, this one on Naxos combining the work with the equally unknown but lovely Czech Suite op.39