Hunt for Otakar Zich's elusive Octet-Nonet in F minor op.3a

[JP]

Greetings everyone, having heard the good tidings regarding the first commercially released recording of Foerster's Stabat Mater, I was wondering whether the works of another largely unserenaded Czech composer Otakar Zich will likewise be revived as well. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otakar_Zich

Special attention should be drawn to his Chod Suite op.3a scored for Octet chamber ensemble with an alternative Nonet performing arrangement for strings and woodwind.  It's a stylistic blend of sorts between Dvorak's Wind serenade op. 44, Foerster's wind quintet op.95 and Fibich's piano quintet. It is therefore somewhat curious indeed that this work has not been resurrected with a new recording as all that remains is a dated Supraphon recording from the 1950s performed by the Czech Nonet which inexplicably has not been reissued after all these decades. 

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/octet-sheet-music/19254957

http://www.worldcat.org/title/nonet-in-f-minor-nonett-f-moll/oclc/38910783

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Digital-Booklet-Arranged-Jaroslav-Version/dp/B011WL0O24

However, it appears that this recording is only selectively available   in certain countries and territories via ITunes download of which excerpted segments of the tracks from the work's 4 movements are listenable here:

http://rippletunes.com/album/Franti-ek-Hant-k-Czech-Nonet-Emil-Leichner-Old-ich-Pergl-Hynek-Ka-l-k-Otakar-Zich-Joseph-Hob-k-Anton-n-Hotov-Vil-m-Koste-ka-Jaroslav-Bla-eMirko-Novotn/Zich-Chod-Suite-Arranged-for-Nonet-by-Jaroslav-Zich-Mono-Version/1020687014/t0

It is therefore hoped that some kind soul will upload the entire recording onto the download section of the Unsung website. In any case, I'm triply sure it'll make an exceptionally suitable coupling with Foerster's Nonet & Joseph Miroslav Weber's Septet (see links below) should such a modern recording eventually materialise. 

http://rippletunes.com/album/Josef-Bohuslav-Foerster-Stuttgart-Nonet/Foerster-Nonet-Op-147/912830491/t0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt5x91RoSxo

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=arnEEXFwqVg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gluGISF9OXw

Warmest Regards to One and All,
JP

[Gareth Vaughan]

I don't know what an "Elusive Hunt" is! I think you mean "Hunt for Otakar Zich's Elusive Octet-Nonet in F minor op. 3a".

[Alan Howe]

Agreed, Gareth. Thread title duly clarified.

[eschiss1]

This is definitely a hunt for the recording, not for the scores/manuscript material from which another performance and recording might (conceivably...) be made? (Unless the work is published and the location of these is no mystery at all...)
VIAF btw. lists two Otakar Zich but only one (1879-1934) is obviously a composer (the other might be if maybe a more modern one if so). (Musicsack says the other- Otakar Zich, 1908-84 - is also a musician. That leaves open the question who composed the opera Vina, first published? 1926, and a piano trio in E minor by Zich first? published 1945?...) However, the more recent Zich - whose Op.1 of 1905 was published in 1923 - 's Op.3 is

"Zimní balada : pro soli, smíšený sbor a orchestr : op. 3" (after Jan Neruda) published 1933.

(J.M. Weber's music interests me- the SBB ... recording? presentation? of Weber's rather elegiac string quartet no.2 in B minor over @ IMSLP - seems memorable to me, for one thing and I want to see/hear more of his music - but yes, that's for another topic, apologies...)

[JP]

Greetings everyone.  It appears that after a long fruitless gestation period of mostly futile searching, it came as a pleasant surprise when I finally stumbled across the old recorded tracks of Zich's Octet-Nonet performed by the Czech Nonet dating back to 1959.  Its licensed under the BNF Collection nestled obscurely among Amazon website's European repositories which are downloadable for a slight fee, so there's no qualms over that. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B011WJ16TG/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

Most unfortunately however, access via online purchase is governed by regulations stipulated by Amazon Media EU which unequivocally states among its terms of use that "Music Content is available only to residents of the United Kingdom - 1.6 Use of the Services." or be it the locally residing subscribers of whichever respective euro-amazon site (e.g. France, Germany or Italy) that one logs into.   

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201380010&pop-up=1

As such, the contents of this particular vintage recording are barred and hermetically sundered from other willing and eager purchasers residing beyond the Eurozone confines.   Added to that,  in view of the fact that it is undisputably a commercially licensed recording effectively demolishes the prospect that it can be permissibly uploaded to Unsung's download section via mediafire or other cloud storage mediums. 

On the other hand , there's an alternative Czech Radio broadcast recording of this work played by the very same ensemble dating from 1976 which was last aired in 2009 according to the archival records of Cesky Rozhlas station:    

http://www2.rozhlas.cz/archivy/index.php?HLEDPO=9442964

Should some kind soul amongst our fraternity happen to have a taped broadcast of this other recording and the means to upload it, by Jove that'll be most fine and dandy indeed!!!     Alas for the time being, the quest to acquire this recording and listen to this work in its entirety remains an elusive pursuit.  So very much within reach yet paradoxically a mere stone's throw beyond one's grasp...  

Best wishes to one and all.

[Alan Howe]

How about if someone kindly downloaded the tracks and sent them to you on, say, CD?

[Mark Thomas]

I have downloaded the tracks for you from Amazon, JP. I'll email you a link.

[Alan Howe]

Even better. Well done, Mark.

[JP]

Thanks very much Mark & Alan, your kind and generous gesture is greatly appreciated. It's a pity that this rare recording can't be shared en-masse among a larger private audience by the entire unsung fraternity except those within the Euro hinterland who have the means to purchase and access the mp3 tracks. However, its gratifying to know that provisions can be made for members to disseminate such recordings privately among themselves on an individual per-request basis.  Warmest Rgds, JP

[Alan Howe]

Kudos to Mark - he has the technological know-how. I'd've had to resort to a CD sent by snail-mail...

[Mark Thomas]

De nada.