Stupka conducts Antonin Dvorak Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9

A tribute to František Stupka (1879-1965) ranked among the greatest Czech conductors of the 20th century, alongside Bedrich Bakala, Rafael Kubelík, Vaclav Talich and Karel Ančerl. After leading a string quartet, he was co-director of the Czech Philharmonic (1946-56) with Talich. His career was limited to the East and his significant contribution to new ensembles like the Moravian Philharmonic remained without any modern studio recordings. Here we offer as a reminder Stupka’s landmark rendering of two of Dvorak’s masterpieces.