Iva Bittova newest release with the Prague Philharmonia is a sweeping and sonically ample project featuring older and newer compositions from Bittova's repertoire arranged for symphony orchestra. These include pieces created in tandem with Pavel Fajt (Periny/Feather Duvets), Vladimir Vaclavek (Zvon/The Bell, Uspavanka/Lullaby, Sirka v louzi/A Match in a Puddle, Zeleny venecek/Green Wreath), with the bands Dunaj (V cernem/In Black) and Cikori (Zapiskej/Whistle), works within her solo projects (Paraskeva, Elida), as well as a new piece (Vetvicka/Twig).

Guitarist and composer David Doružka, a leading and awarded representative of the Czech jazz scene, whose activities go beyond Czech borders, comes with his new album "Autumn Tales" almost ten years since his previous album "Silently Dawning", although in the meantime he obviously worked on dozens projects of other artists. The album, recorded in trio with acoustic rhythm section, contains mainly David's original compositions, but for inspiration and repertoire, however, he also used sources of Jewish music, oeuvre of Bohuslav Martinu and Czech interwar popular jazz.

The pianist and composer Beata Hlavenková is a respected authority on the Czech musical scene. She has been known above all as a musical partner of the famous singer Lenka Dusilová – in the Baromantika and Eternal Seekers projects – and as co-author of a great number of Dusilová’s songs, but also thanks to her own albums and collaboration with various local and international artists. The author’s new project, “Bethlehem”, mostly comprises new arrangements – or re-compositions – of traditional Christmas songs of the Czech, British, Polish, German and French provenience, but also a handful of Hlavenková’s own compositions, all in the author’s solo piano performance. The Christmas carols recast into new original form and combined with the author’s clearly discernible style bring profound aesthetic experience.

Classical Music

Czech pianist and composer Martin Brunner's debut album on Animal Music. A cycle of compositions composed for his eponymously named trio with assistance from the Epoque String Quartet. Founded in 1999, the Epoque Quartet perform across Europe and maintain a varied and multi-genre repertoire.

Classical Music

Classical Music

The foremost Czech cellist Jirí Bárta brings a complete recording of Bach’s cello suites. With this new album he returns to the same repertoire which he recorded 23 years ago, but enriched with life experience and offering a new interpretation. This time he has recorded all the suites on a baroque cello with gut strings and thus has come closer to the possible original sound; expressivity has been superseded by meditation and peacefulness. Bárta approaches the set of compositions as a six-movement symphony (“I remember the time when I performed the suites for the first time years ago. It felt like an epiphany: the individual suites materialized for me in a definite shape as a symphony in six movements, as a story of life in six chapters, as a perfectly logical and thoroughly structured large composition.”). Bárta spent a long time studying the material and preparing the new interpretation and recording which has the aspiration to become the classical-music event of the season.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Saxophonist Karel Ruicka has lived in New York for more than twenty years where he has performed and recorded with many foremost musicians. Fourteen years after his first solo album came out, he now brings out his new recording, entitled Grace & Gratitude. The lineup whom he has invited to work with him in the studio is exceptional: John Patitucci on the double bass, Jon Cowherd on the piano and Nate Smith on the drums form a veritable all-stars team to whom the happy Ruicka has dedicated the first piece on the album, Brooklyn Brotherhood. The recording comprises exclusively Ruickas own compositions and brings us jazz of the highest quality in first-class performance and in beautiful

Classical Music

Vertigo sextet’s new album is a follow up to their previous collection called “Taj” (2014). This release shows again that in a constant quest for new form, new content and new expression they do not have competition on the Czech jazz scene. Their new compositions give a more accessible and “song-like” impression, without losing their sophistication and originality. Each of Vertigo’s previous albums has been awarded or nominated the Czech “Angel Prize” as a “Best Jazz Album of the Year.” The group’s style is characterized by creativity, total improvisation, and sophisticated compositions. This is an album of deeply authentic and emotionally based original music.

“Scintilla” is a follow-up to Beata Hlavenkova’s previous award-winning release, “Theodorus.” The new material on this album blurs the line between genres, creating a thematically unified album. Each track on this release features one or more guest artists, including Anders Aarum, Julie Dahle Aagard, and Kenneth Ekornes.

Classical Music