Legende No. 4 - MVSR2307 | Musica

Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904) composed his Legend No. 4, op. 59, like his Slavonic Dances, first for the piano in 1880, but scored them shortly afterwards. The cycle of ten smaller pieces with an extra-musical programme of legends is considered a lyrical pendant to the Slavonic Dances. Legend No. 4, Molto maestoso, begins with a distinct horn motive which eventually develops into a breathtaking balladic composition. Pavel Stanék’s scoring for concert band is very close to Dvorák’s original version.

Pavel Stanék was born in 1927 in Prague. He finished his studies at the conservatory there, in 1950, and from this year up to 1954 he was conductor of the Folk Ensemble. During his military service he conducted the Central Band of the Ministery of the Interior and was their director and artistic leader almost for almost six years. From 1961 to 1963 he was conductor of the light opera theatre "Na Fidlovacce" and in 1963 he was appointed as director of the Ostrava Radio Orchestra, until 1990. During this period and after he was often invited as guest conductor. As a composer, Pavel Stanék influenced the development of wind music by his extraordinary compositions. He was often inspired by folk music of his homeland