|
Kühn's Choir Prague (= KCP) was founded in 1958 by only 21 years old choirmaster Pavel Kühn who continued the heritage of his father, professor Jan Kühn (1891-1958), an important representative of the Czech choir music. From the new ensemble, Pavel Kühn managed to make a top-class choir of the greatest qualities of music interpretation. These are recognized by both public audience and critiques not only in The Czech Republic but also in many European countries where the choir is regularly invited.
The repertoire of the KCP is extraordinarily extensive. In the field of the a capella choir literature it includes pieces from Renaissance to contemporary music, however the main focus of the choir's dramaturgy was set to the Romanticism. It had become an inovating perfomer of the a capella music of the World Romanticism both on concert stages and recording studios.
Besides the Johannes Brahms', Felix Mendelssohn's, or Bruckner's motets, the KCP prepared for example the Czech premieres of Richard Strauss'es Zwei Gesänge, Robert Schumann's Vier Doppelchörige Gesänge (op. 141), The Mottetos by Max Reger, Vier Chöre by E. Grieg, etc.
The KCP aims its attention also to the World music of 20th century, such as the music of Samuel Barber, Arnold Schoenberg, Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, and Francis Poulenc. The choir inspired numerous Czech contemporary composers who broadened its repertoir. E.g., Laudes by Antonin Tucapsky, Caprichos by Lubos Fiser, and The Maledictions and Benedictions by Petr Eben.
The KCP was founded to carry a very interesting artistic mission: It was the performance of cantata Mikes from Mountains from Bohuslav Martinu made in Spring 1959. Further on, their repertoire of cantatas, oratorios, and mass literature was built in close cooperation with The Prague Symphony Orchestra, with which the choir performed numerous significant works. Later, the choir started to cooperate with The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, The Czech Radio Symphonic Orchestra, and other homeland and foreign orchestras. The choir performed Janacek's The Fate in Wiener Konzerthaus, Dvorak's Stabat Mater and Requiem during The Festival of A. Dvorak in Frankfurt together with The Prague Symphony Orchestra, Berlioz'es Te Deum with Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Claudio Abbado in Salzburg and Frankfurt, Johannes Brahms'es German Requiem in Nürnberg and Graz, Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony in Lyon, etc.
In The Czech republic, the choir lead 40 years long tradition of the christmas concerts with Jakub Jan Ryba's Czech Noël Mass. The choir is often invited to the radio, television, and motion picture studios where it performed a number of recordings for the purposes of these studios. The KCP has had long-time cooperation with the Czech recording company Supraphon for, which Pavel Kühn for many years worked as a music director. For this company the choir recorded the complete choir work of Bohuslav Martinu.
After death of Pavel Kühn in Spring 2003, the choir selects Jan Rozehnal as its new leader. Jan Rozehnal is a choirmaster well-known both in The Czech Republic and abroad and is prepared to continue this remarkable Kühnian tradition. |
