New classical music is blooming in recording studios around the world this spring, with several orchestral and solo piano sessions taking shape in the Czech Republic with PARMA’s production team this month. Read on for a look at our recording sessions in Prague, Ostrava, and Brno.
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
May sessions began with the recording of composer Atesh Camurdan’s 1st movement of his Symphony No. 1 in F Major: The Battle of Gallipoli, with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. Movement I. “The Sick Man of Europe,” was recorded in Ostrava’s Vesmír Concert Hall
“This is the story of the Battle of Gallipoli, the spark that birthed the new nation of Türkiye from the ashes of a sick and dying empire, a tale that has inspired and will continue to inspire those who must work together to resist oppression and aggression,” says Camurdan.
“The first movement is a snapshot of a day in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the middle of World War I. It is a borderline funeral march for a dying empire, but within the march are the seeds of rebirth that will eventually sprout into a new nation.”
Recording continued with the Janáček Philharmonic continued with composer Matthew Jackfert’s Foggy Moon Over the Gorge, a piece for orchestra about the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia.
Jackfert is a native of Charleston WV. He completed his undergraduate Composition degree at West Virginia University, while studying under Dr. John Beall and David Taddie, as well as his undergraduate Chinese degree.
Composer Mark Dal Porto with Filharmonie Brno
Filharmonie Brno
Nearby in Brno, composer Mark Dal Porto flew in to record his new symphonic work, Symphony of the Ages, with the Filharmonie Brno at Blahoslavův Dům.
“I view Symphony of the Ages as an especially relevant work for today’s audiences as its meaning and emotions are meant to accurately reflect the times we live in,” says Dal Porto.
Symphony for the Ages explores thematic blend of nostalgia, navigating anxieties of the modern world, rustic joy and playfulness, restoration, and redemption, tracing an emotional arc that mirrors both personal reflection and collective experience.
“As expected, it was a wonderful experience,” says Dal Porto.
“The Production Team was truly outstanding and a delight to work with — Jan, Martina, Jaroslav, Adam, as well as the conductor Stanislav Vavrinek. They most certainly did a brilliant job! I’m grateful to you for setting everything up for me regarding this project. It all worked out so well!”
photo: Matouš Zukal | credit: Petra Hajská
Solo Piano with Matouš Zukal
Spring sessions concluded in Prague at PARMA’s Studio Martínek with composer Howard Scott Hartley’s The Evening’s End Soliloquy, a quiet, unfolding monologue united by repeated quarter notes, meant to evoke the rhythm of a clock, a heartbeat, or nature.
Recorded by the celebrated pianist Matouš Zukal, Hartley’s work reaffirms his longtime focus on writing compelling melody, inspired by composers like Chopin and Beethoven.
“…a very fine session today. I enjoyed Matous’ performance very much and am excited to hear the final takes.”
– Howard Scott Hartley