“When I started arranging and recording national anthems some 17 years ago, nobody expected the project would become so big and popular. In the meantime, it has been an important part of two Summer Olympics and numerous other sporting, cultural and social events. It’s hard to imagine the amount of time and work that has been invested into this endeavour, and it could not have been done without the incredible efforts and expertise of several anthem experts, all the musicians, but mainly without the extraordinary recording team that has been involved in this project from its beginning – sound engineer Otto Nopp and Ladislav Krajcovic. This is an extraordinary project and any other existing anthem collection does not come close, in completeness, quality of the research or the size of the orchestral forces used. Every time this album is updated and released, the reactions are always overwhelming – from uncountable press articles and radio/TV shows all the way to special archbishops’ blessings. I hope this latest version, with its unprecedented number of anthems, will be no less appreciated.” Peter Breiner