Description

ALEXANDR PLOCEK (PRAGUE, FEBRUARY 26 , 1914 – PRAGUE, NOVEMBER 29, 1982)

 

 

 

 

Alexandr Plocek was a distinguished Czech violinist, soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue who played an important role in the development of Czech musical life in the 20th century. He was born on February 26, 1914, in Prague and died there on November 29, 1982.

Plocek studied violin with the celebrated Czech violin pedagogue Otakar Ševčík and later with Jaroslav Kocian, as well as in Paris. His artistic career encompassed solo performance, chamber music, and orchestral work. He served as concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937–1942 and again from 1949, and was also a soloist.

In chamber music, Plocek is particularly remembered as a founding member and first violinist of the Smetana Trio, established in Prague in 1934 with pianist Josef Páleníček and cellist František Smetana. The ensemble became one of the important Czech chamber groups of its generation. Plocek subsequently performed with different line-ups of the trio, including with cellists Josef Šimandl and Miloslav Sádlo.

Plocek was also closely associated with the Prague Quartet, serving as its first violinist from 1941 to 1946. His repertoire included both the central Classical and Romantic violin literature and works by Czech composers. His surviving recordings include Beethoven’s violin sonatas with Josef Páleníček and music by Bohuslav Martinů, including the Third Violin Sonata.

Alongside his performing career, Plocek was an influential teacher. From 1946 he taught at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and he also taught at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno from 1948 to 1952. Among his pupils was the celebrated Czech violinist Josef Suk.

Plocek’s recorded legacy is particularly valuable today because it preserves an important strand of the Czech violin tradition of the interwar and postwar periods. His performances reflect the highly developed Czech school of violin playing associated with Ševčík and Kocian, while his work with the Smetana Trio places him among the important figures in the history of Czech chamber music. His recordings of Beethoven, Martinů, and Czech repertoire remain significant documents of this tradition.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Franz Schubert – Josef Páleníček, Alexander Plocek, Saša Večtomov – Trio für Klavier, Violine und Violoncello Es-dur op. 100

Label: ETERNA – 8 20 059

Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono

Country: German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Released: 1958

Genre: Classical

Style: Romantic

Trio für Klavier, Violine und Violoncello Es-dur op. 100

A1 Allegro

A2 Andante Con Moto

B1 Scherzo, Allegro Moderato

B2 Allegro Moderato

Cello – Saša Večtomov

Composed By – Franz Schubert

Piano – Josef Páleníček

Sleeve Notes – Harry Goldschmidt

Violin – Alexandre Plocek

VEB Deutsche Schallplatten

Matrix / Runout (Matrix / Runout A): 0 203 217

Matrix / Runout (Matrix / Runout B): 0 203 218

Other (Rear Print Code): (285) BmG 0001/58

 

Alexander Plocek, Josef Páleníček – Ludwig van Beethoven, op. 12 č 1, op. 30 č 1

Label: Supraphon – DV 5587

Format: Vinyl, LP

Country: Czechoslovakia

Genre: Classical

Style: Romantic

A1 Sonáta Č. A-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: I. Allegro

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

A2 Sonáta Č. A-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: II. Adagio molto espressivo

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

A3 Sonáta Č. A-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: III. Allegreto con variazioni

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

B1 Sonáta Č. 1 D-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: I. Allegro con brio

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

B2 Sonáta Č. 1 D-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: II. Tema con variazioni. Andante con moto

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

B3 Sonáta Č. 1 D-Dur Pro Housle A Klavir: III. Rondo. Allegro

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

Label Code (Side A): VM 1572

Label Code (Side B): VM 1573

Matrix / Runout (Side A, stamped): VM 1572/E 1A1B

Matrix / Runout (Side B, stamped): VM 1573/B 1A1B

 

Alexander Plocek & Josef Páleníček : Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata No. 9 In A Major Op. 47 “Kreutzer”

Label: Supraphon – LPM 116

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10″, Mono

Country: Czechoslovakia

Genre: Classical

Sonata No 9 In A Major For Violin & Piano, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”

A1 I. Adagio Sostenuto – Presto

A2 II. Andante Con Variazioni (1)

B1 II. Andante Con Variazioni (2)

B2 III. Presto

Piano – Josef Páleníček

Violin – Alexander Plocek

English cover version.

Matrix / Runout (A-side label): LPM-116 MM 279

Matrix / Runout (B-side label): LPM-116 MM 280

 

Van Beethoven / Alexander Plocek, Josef Páleníček – Sonata No. 7 In C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2

Label: Supraphon – LPM 128

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10″, Mono

Country: Czechoslovakia

Released: 1952

Genre: Classical

Style: Romantic

A1 I. Allegro Con Brio

A2 II. Adagio Cantabile

B1 II. Adagio Cantabile

B2 III. Scherzo. Allegro

B3 IV. Finale. Allegro

Composed By – Ludwig Van Beethoven

Piano [Klavír] – Josef Páleníček

Violin [Housle] – Alexander Plocek

Side A: 16’10”

Side B: 10’40”

[Liner notes signed with monograms “Dr Šl-Smo”.]

Domestic pressing with catalog# DM 5113 and with Czech credits and export cover with export catalog# LPM 128

Matrix / Runout (Side A): MM 281-RS

Matrix / Runout (Side B): MM 282-RS

Matrix / Runout (Side A – Full runout stamp): MM 281/R B1-2 S

Matrix / Runout (Side B – Full runout stamp): MM 282/K S

Other (Retail Price Code): C

 

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexandr Plocek, Karel Šejna, Ede Zathureczky – Ludwig van Beethoven/ Romance in G Major, Op. 40/ Romance in F Major, Op. 50

Label: Supraphon – LPM 263

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10″, Mono

Country: Czechoslovakia

Genre: Classical

Style: Classical, Baroque, Romantic, Modern

A1 Romance in G Major, Op. 40

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

Conductor – Karel Šejna

Orchestra – The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Violin – Alexandr Plocek

A2 Romance in F Major, Op. 50

Composed By – Ludwig van Beethoven

Conductor – Karel Šejna

Orchestra – The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Violin – Alexandr Plocek

B1 Pastorale Gentile

Composed By – Girolamo Frescobaldi

Piano – Michal Karin

Violin – Ede Zathureczky

B2 The Dragon Fly

Composed By – Zsolt Nándor

Piano – Michal Karin

Violin – Ede Zathureczky

B3 Valse No. 15 A Major

Composed By – Johannes Brahms

Piano – Michal Karin

Violin – Ede Zathureczky

B4 For Children

Composed By – Béla Bartók

Piano – Michal Karin

Violin – Ede Zathureczky

 

Bohuslav Martinů, Alexander Plocek, Josef Páleníček – Sonata No 3 For Violin And Piano

Label: Supraphon – LPM 301

Format: Vinyl, LP

Genre: Classical

A1 I. Poco Allegro

A2 II. Adagio

B1 III. Scherzo

B2 IV. Lento. Poco Allegro

Piano – Josef Páleníček

Violin – Alexandr Plocek

 

César Franck – Sonata In A Major For Violin And Piano

Label: Supraphon – LPM 115

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10″

Country: Czechoslovakia

Genre: Classical

Sonata In A Major For Violin And Piano

A1 I. Allegretto Ben Moderator

A2 II. Allegro

B1 III. Recitativo Fantasia. Ben Moderato

B2 IV. Allegretto Poco Mossa

Composed By – César Franck

Piano – Josef Páleníček

Violin – Alexander Plocek

Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): MM 283

Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): MM 284

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alexander Plocek, Josef Páleníček – Sonata In G Major / Sonata In E Minor / Sonata In B Flat Major

Label: Supraphon – LPV 365

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono

Country: Czechoslovakia

Genre: Classical

Style: Classical, Piano, Sonata

Sonata In E Flat Major For Piano And Violin, K. 454

A1 I Largo, Allegro

A2 II Andante

A3 III Allegretto

Sonata In G Major For Piano And Violin, K. 301

B1 I Allegro Con Spirito

B2 II Allegretto

Sonata In E MInor For Piano And Violin, K. 304

B3 I Allegro (Moderato)

B4 II Tempo Di Minuetto

Pressed By – Gramofonové Závody – VM 991

Pressed By – Gramofonové Závody – VM 992

Composed By – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano – Josef Páleníček

Violin – Alexandr Plocek

Matrix / Runout (Runout side A): VM 991 A 1A2A

Matrix / Runout (Runout side B): VM 992/E 1A1B