The Afflatus Quartet/Quintet has been in the music scene since 1995. Afflatus Quartet derives from Afflatus Quintet, the winner of the International Music Competition of the ARD Munich 1997 which is one of the most prestigious competitions of chamber music in the world. With Radek Baborák, the world-famous horn player and Afflatus member, taking "vacation" from the ensemble, the four members, each the splendid musician active in Europe, especially in Czech Republic, make the best possible unity with the woodwind quartet ensemble. Their second album features classical repertoire by Beethoven and Mozart. All of them are arrangements, but the distinguished ensemble members of Afflatus create sound rich and full of variety of colors, like an organic instrument made of four musicians, with celestial, beautiful sound for "Classical".

Immerse yourself in the timeless brilliance of Ludwig van Beethoven's music with this captivating album: a remarkable live performance led by the legendary conductor George Szell, accompanied by the virtuoso pianist Rudolf Firkušný and the prestigious Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Released by Gebhart, the album captures the essence of Beethoven's compositions, infusing them with passion and precision. The symphonic grandeur and expressive nuances come alive under Szell's masterful direction, while Firkušný's piano prowess adds depth and beauty to the performances. This album is a testament to the enduring power of Beethoven's music, brought to life by exceptional musicians in a live setting that resonates with energy and emotion.

Once the least performed and recorded of Gustav Mahler's symphonies, due mostly to its taxing length, the Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" in C minor now appears with some regularity on disc and with increasing frequency on SACDs. This recording from Exton, featuring Zdenek Mácal and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, is remarkable for its spacious sound, close-up details, and wide-frequency range, and the interpretation is on a par with many other first-rate performances, so finding points of distinction between them is perhaps a futile endeavor, especially since only aficionados of this work will detect them. Mácal is certainly attuned to Mahler's extreme mood swings and a unique mix of innocent reverence and sardonic parody, and there is nothing lacking in the CPO's brilliant execution of the score, which displays many extended techniques and an extraordinary palette of tone colors.

Mischa Maisky (cello), Lars Anders Tomter (viola) and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy performs Richard Strauss' "Don Quixote (Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character)" & "Symphonic Poem "Death and Transfiguration" on this Japanese SACD. A pure DSD recording.

After their critically-acclaimed recording of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, the Czech Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov continue their Pentatone Mahler cycle with a rendition of the composer’s Fifth. The Fifth Symphony marks an important turning point in Mahler’s symphonic output, away from the prominence of vocal movements in his previous symphonies. And whereas the Fifth seems to follow a teleology from darkness to light like its predecessors, the trajectory is much less straightforward, and full of enigmatic turns. Bychkov’s exceptional eye for detail and pacing make him an ideal guide through this work, while the Czech Philharmonic is capable of letting all the colours of Mahler’s score shine.

This is the world's first SACD reissue of Lalo's famous performance, which combines the beautiful and rich sound of violin of Ida Handel with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ančerl. This reissue uses a new DSD sound sourced from the original analog master tape. The jacket photo uses the original LP design, renews the sound quality and reprints.