Kukal & Teml reviewed

“A composed ascent in [Kukal’s Symphony No. 1 “With Glockenspiel”], the opening minutes are beautifully written, beautifully interpreted by Jakub Hrůša, and beautifully played by the Czech Philharmonic... This is remarkable music, deeply powerful... A magnificent symphony. Kukal has a strong voice; his piece is cogent, beautifully structured and above all packs a powerful emotional punch. ...
Contrasts are at the heart of the piece [Teml’s The Labyrinth of Memory], but there is an underlying thematic cohesion. The music changes mood quickly, from child-like skipping to furrowed-brow determination in a heartbeat. There is beauty aplenty, not least in the phenomenally played clarinet solos and fine solo violin... The composer's achievement is to carve out a piece that appears free-form and yet is cohesive, a stream of consciousness with arrival points, if you will.”
- Classical Explorer

“The more I heard Kukal’s [Symphony No. “With Glockenspiel”], he more impressed I am with its craftmanship and dramatic impact.”
- Gramophone

“A truly magnificent, dramatic work [Kukal’s Symphony No. 1 “With Glockenspiel”] with wonderful orchestral timbres, spectacular fortissimi, and thrilling quiet passages. The Czech Philharmonic, strongly inspired by Hrůša, plays superbly throughout, and the sound captured by the sound engineers is full and warm.
"The 18-minute work [Teml’s The Labyrinth of Memory] is composed with corresponding variety and ingenuity: at times it is rhythmic and powerful, at other times very calm and imbued with mysterious depth. Additionally, a connection to American film music is evident. The Czech Philharmonic, conducted by Tomáš Netopil, delivers a compelling interpretation of this work.”
- Pizzicato

“In a sense, the two works couldn’t be more different, one coming from the early part of a composer’s career and the other from the pen of a 90-year-old composer, but they both have a depth and urgency of structure that tells the listener much about both the composers and the complexities of Czech music. It’s a highly satisfying recording that leaves the listener much to ponder.”
- Interlude

“Beautifully served by the magnificent Czech Philharmonic and by two outstanding conductors, Jakub Hrůša (who will succeed Semyon Bychkov as chief conductor in 2028) and Tomáš Netopil, the two works, both firmly tonal in character, are undoubtedly skillfully orchestrated... [Kukal’s Symphony No. 1 "With Glockenspiel"] is effective, well-crafted music, almost cinematic in quality, avoiding both undue length and easy effects, with the glockenspiel, naturally, having the final word... [Teml’s The Labyrinth of Memory]'s nearly twenty minutes pass agreeably, thanks to colorful, skillful, and appealing orchestration. While it successfully evokes the fragmentary nature and richness of memory.”
- ConcertoNet

"Dle mého subjektivního názoru je to hudba (Ondřej Kukal - Symfonie č. 1) na úrovni například symfonických děl Kabeláče – perfektně zvládnuté řemeslo, silné melodie, ještě silnější emoce; zpověď a zároveň předtucha zásadního životního zlomu na počátku tohoto století. Z nahrávky doslova vyzařuje silné osobní zaujetí dirigenta, jemuž se podařilo přenést svůj entusiasmus na orchestr."
"Jestliže Kukalova kompoziční sémantika je pevně ukotvena hlavně ve 20. století, Teml se nebojí osvěžit svůj symfonický obraz Labyrint i prvky smysluplné aleatoriky, nebojí se grotesky… Jeho orchestr jeho bohatý zvukově i rytmicky. I zde slyšíme na konci katarzi, leč přece jen pozitivnější než už Ondřeje Kukala."
- Polyharmonie