Lady Godiva / De Profundis / Toman & Wood Nymph
All admirers of lush, late-romantic tone poems should find plenty to enjoy in this release.Vítezslav Novák(1870-1949) is underrepresented in the catalogs, and this disc marks an important step in his evaluation. The sound-world is lush and saturated, an atmosphere captured well by Chandos's spacious recording. Straussian opulence with a soft Slav accent would be an apt description of these pieces. Throughout, Pesek exhibits an indigenous understanding of the Bohemian musical language, and the BBC Philharmonic responds passionately. The tenderness ofLady Godiva(written in 1907 and apparently composed in two days) is touchingly portrayed, while the imaginative orchestration ofToman and the Wood Nymph(1906-07), more daring than that of Godiva, is relished to the full. The laterDe Profundis(1941) proceeds in grand gestures on a journey from its initial subterranean rumblings to its organ-drenched, upliftingly triumphant conclusion. Warmly recommended.--Colin Clarke