Karel Ančerl

The distinguished Czech conductor Karel Ančerl forged a distinctive orchestra style during his 18 years as conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and many traces of that style remain in Czech music today. He left Czechoslovakia after the country was invaded by the Soviet Union in 1968, and left his imprint as well on several major Western ensembles. Ančerl amassed a substantial recording catalog, dating back to the 1940s. Ančerl died in Toronto on July 3, 1973. Reissues of his recordings may even have had a denser schedule than those issued during his lifetime; much of his large LP output was reissued in digital editions. These included the Supraphon label's 43-volume Karel Ančerl Gold Edition. Smaller labels also delved into Ančerl's rich recorded legacy, with Urania Records releasing the album Mahler, Sibelius, Janacek, in 2025, originally recorded with the Czech Philharmonic in 1961.