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BBC Music Magazine 5*

Foerster: Symphony No. 2; Cyrano de Bergerac

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Details

Composer
Josef Bohuslav Foerster
Artist
Hradec Kralove Philharmonic Orchestra
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
Naxos
Released
Dec 05, 2025
Catalog #
8574654
UPC
747313465477

About

Josef Bohuslav Foerster was a pivotal figure in Czech musical history and a lifelong friend of fellow German-speaking Bohemian, Gustav Mahler. Foerster's Symphony No. 2, dedicated to the memory of his sister, Marie, achieves a satisfying unity, with it's sombre qualities eloquently transformed into a fervent apotheosis. Cyrano de Bergerac was Foerster's most successful orchestral piece and is a perfect example of his late-Romantic finesse. Conceived as an autonomous work not intended as incidental music, it's 'five symphonic images' each relates to a specific place in the drama.

Critic reviews

  • “…a stirringly funeral second movement at its heart… Foerster’s Second Symphony is otherwise largely amiable in feel, rich in melody… the superbly handled performance here can only help the Czech composer’s cause.”

    BBC Music Magazine, 5 stars, January 2026

Tracklist 9 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro moderato 10:56
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    10:56
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  2. 2 II. Andante sostenuto 07:56
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante sostenuto
    Duration
    07:56
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  3. 3 III. Allegro 05:33
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    05:33
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  4. 4 IV. Allegro con brio 11:19
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    11:19
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  5. 5 I. Andante con moto 06:35
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Andante con moto
    Duration
    06:35
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  6. 6 II. Andante sostenuto 03:24
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Andante sostenuto
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  7. 7 III. Allegro - Tempo di Valse 06:01
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro - Tempo di Valse
    Duration
    06:01
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  8. 8 IV. Allegro deciso 09:55
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Allegro deciso
    Duration
    09:55
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec
  9. 9 V. Andante sostenuto 05:52
    Track
    9
    Title
    V. Andante sostenuto
    Duration
    05:52
    Composer
    Josef Bohuslav Foerster
    Ensemble
    Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Marek Štilec