Czech Philharmonic; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jiri Belohlavek - Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater, Op.58 (2017) 2CDs

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Czech Philharmonic; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jiri Belohlavek - Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater, Op.58 (2017) 2CDs

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Antonín Dvorák's Stabat Mater, Op. 58, truly merits the adjective "tragic"; it was written after the deaths of two of the composer's children in succession, and his grief rolled out in great, Verdian waves. There are several strong recordings on the market, including an earlier one by conductor Jiří Bělohlávek himself, but for the combination of deep feeling, technical mastery from musicians and singers who have spent their lives getting to know the score, and soloists who not only sound beautiful but are seamlessly integrated into the flow, this Decca release may be the king of them all. To what extent was the strength of the performance motivated by Bělohlávek's likely fatal illness (he died days after the album entered the top levels of classical charts in the spring of 2017)? It's hard to say, although he also delivered top-notch performances of Dvorák's Requiem in his last days. The members of the Prague Philharmonic Choir sing their hearts out in the gigantic, shattering opening chorus, which has rarely if ever had such a mixture of the impassioned and the perfectly controlled. Sample the chorus "Virgo virginium praeclara" to hear the magically suspended quality Bělohlávek brings out of the singers in lightly accompanied passages. The soloists, soprano Eri Nakamura, mezzo Elisabeth Kulman, tenor Michael Spyres, and bass Jongmin Park – an international group in this otherwise almost all-Czech production – are uniformly strong, but what stands out most is how inevitable their entrances sound. If this turns out to be Bělohlávek's swan song, it is an accomplishment for the ages. Highest possible recommendation.

Review by James Manheim, Allmusic.com

Physically diminished by chemotherapy, but unyielding to his illness, Jiří Bělohlávek bade farewell to London in April with a performance of Dvořák’s Requiem. His final recording is of the same composer’s Stabat Mater, with the Czech Philharmonic. The work, a colossus of lamentation and consolation, is on an epic scale, and Bělohlávek’s performance is masterful in its pacing. The massive first movement unfolds with a profound inevitability; an hour later, the Amen has a real sense of arrival. There’s a spacious, burnished quality to the sound, the orchestra’s dark-timbred strings and emollient, airborne flutes; the choir all warmth and substance, even if one could occasionally wish it a touch more incisive. The four soloists fit their differing roles well: bass Jongmin Park and mezzo Elisabeth Kulman are solemn yet supple; Eri Nakamura’s bell-like soprano and Michael Spyres’s buoyant tenor are well matched in their duet. It’s a moving farewell.

Review by Erica Jeal, The Guardian

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Czech Philharmonic; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jiri Belohlavek - Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater, Op.58 (2017) 2CDs

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Czech Philharmonic; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jiri Belohlavek - Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater, Op.58 (2017) 2CDs

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Czech Philharmonic; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Jiri Belohlavek - Antonin Dvorak: Stabat Mater, Op.58 (2017) 2CDs

Close