Esprit

Afflatus Quartet

Label: Exton
Format: SACD
Barcode: 4526977001766

Catalog number: OVCL 176
Releasedate: 11-10-11

The first album of the quartet features French repertoire, both original and arrangement. Their sound is so well-blended, perfectly balanced with four instruments, creating whole enjoyable sound of French music with "Esprit"!

Afflatus Quartet derives from Afflatus Quintet, the winner of the International Music Competition of the ARD Munich 1997 which is one of the most prestigious competition of chamber music in the world
The Afflatus Quartet/Quintet has been on the music scene since 1995
Its members seek to enrich as well as continue the strong tradition of Czech wind music, pursuing this goal successfully since their first public performance
Their repertoire consists not only of quintet literature's well-known chefs d'oeuvre, but also of works written especially for the ensemble
Each performer holds numerous prizes from national and international competitions, and each of them is employed by top European symphony orchestras
Hybrid (CD + SACD 2ch/5ch)

Afflatus Quartet derives from Afflatus Quintet, the winner of the International Music Competition of the ARD Munich 1997 which is one of the most prestigious competition of chamber music in the world. With Radek Baborak, the world famous horn player and Afflatus member, taking "vacation" from the ensemble, the four members, each the splendid musician active in Europe, especially in Czech Republic, make the best possible unity with the woodwind quartet ensemble. Their first album features French repertoire, both original and arrangement. Their sound is so well-blended, perfectly balanced with four instruments, creating whole enjoyable sound of French music with "Esprit"!

Programme on this cd:
Ibert: The Little White Donkey
(Woodwind Quartet version);
Ibert: Deux Mouvements;
Ibert: Cinq Pieces en Trio;
Bozza: Sonatine;
Bozza: Trois Pieces pour une musique de nuit;
Debussy: Golliwog's Cakewalk
(Woodwind Quartet version);
Debussy: The Little Shepherd
(Woodwind Quartet version);
Gounod: Funeral March of a Marionette
(Woodwind Quartet version);
Tomas: Concert Champetre;
Francaix: Quartet for Wind Instruments

Afflatus Quartet derives from Afflatus Quintet, the winner of the International Music Competition of the ARD Munich 1997 which is one of the most prestigious competition of chamber music in the world.

Roman Novotny - flute (1968)
A member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Novotny graduated from the Academy of Music in Prague where he studied under Jiri Valek. In 1987, he won both the Conservatories Competition in Brno and the Dusek Competition in Prague, and in 1988 won the Amati Kraslice Competition. In 1996 he received an honorable mention in the Prague Spring International Competition - the highest ranked flutist from the Czech Republic.

Jana Brozkova - oboe (1968)
A member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Brozkova graduated from the Academy of Music in Prague where she studied under Jiri Mihule. She has received first prize in the European Prize Competition in Zurich, an honorable mention in the 1986 Prague Spring International Competition, and third prize in the same competition in 1991. She is a winner of the Fernand Gillet's International Double Reed Society Competition in Chicago 1997. Since 1997, she has been teaching at HAMU in Prague.

Vojtech Nydl - clarinet (1972)
A member of the Prague Philharmonia, Nydl graduated from the Academy of Music in Prague. In 1994 he studied with Michel Arrignon at the Conservatoire National Superieur in Paris. Nydl received second prize at the Amati Kraslice Competition in 1988, and he won first prize at the Concertino Praga in 1990 and the Dusek Competition in Prague in 1991. He is also a member of the Czech Clarinet Quintet.

Ondrej Roskovec - bassoon (1970)
A member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Roskovec graduated from the Academy of Music in Prague as a student of Frantisek Herman and Jiri Seidl. From 1989-1993, he was a member of the Czech Nonet. He won first prize in the Conservatories Competition in Brno in 1987, first prize in the Amati Kraslice Competition in 1988, and second prize in Amati Kraslice in 1990. He was awarded an honorable mention in the Prague Spring International Competition in 1991 and third prize in the same competition in 1996.