Search - Vaclav Smetacek :: Kabelac: Do Not Retreat! Cantata, Op. 7; Symphony 4, Op. 36

An interesting Czech modernist

Scott Spires | Prague, Czech Republic | 11/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd guess that Czech composer Miloslav Kabelac (1908-79) is virtually unknown outside his native turf. After hearing his 4th Symphony in concert, I was impressed enough to go out and buy this disc. That symphony is the centerpiece of this collection. It's for chamber orchestra, and manages to pack a lot of angst, energy and gravity into a small space. It has kind of a Russian sound (think Shostakovich and Prokofiev), but leaner, less extravagant. Also on this CD are "Reflections," 9 miniatures for orchestra which sound like fragments chipped off some much larger work; and "Euphemias Mysterion," a weird, ritualistic piece for soprano and small ensemble with a whole mess of percussion. It's the sort of thing you might hear at one of those contempo-music festivals where everyone dresses in shabby dark clothes and looks like they forgot to comb their hair. A very worthwhile disc."