Pearls from the Czech Republic
The pianist Ivo Kahánek has compiled piano music from his home country. There is much that is unknown.
"Music from the Czech Republic enjoys a high reputation all over the world (...). The piano music of Czech composers, on the other hand, is not very well known beyond the borders of the Czech Republic (...)." The Czech pianist Ivo Kahánek is probably not entirely wrong with this statement. Every now and then you hear a work by Janáček. Beyond that, piano pieces by Smetana, Dvořák, Suk or Martinů are quite rare on our stages, not to mention lesser-known composers.
With its collector's booklet A journey of discovery through Czech piano musicpublished by Bärenreiter Praha, Kahánek aims to counteract this shortcoming. It contains compositions by fifteen composers from the pre-classical period to the present day. Among them, of course, well-known works such as the indestructible Humoresque in G-flat major by Dvořák or three pieces from Janáček's cycle On an overgrown path. Smetana is represented with two album sheets and a polka, Josef Suk with two enchanting Idylls are represented. In addition, however, there are numerous miniatures by Milan Dlouhý, Jiří Vřešťál, Luboš Sluka and many other composers whose names are not very familiar outside the Czech Republic.
Particular mention should be made of Bells for the night by Petr Eben, a very simple but beautiful-sounding tone poem. Also the Preludio ostinato by Miloslav Kabeláč, with its constant repetition of a short motif, has a suggestive effect (reminiscent of Janáček). But it is not always about meditative music. Jiří Vřešťál's witty study in sixths is very entertaining and should be fun for many. However, the prerequisite for this is loose wrists ...
In order to appeal to as many pianists as possible, Ivo Kahánek has endeavored to include compositions in the collection "that can also be played by beginners or slightly advanced players. Even the most demanding pieces do not exceed the level of the lower grades in their technical difficulty ...", he writes in the foreword. This is probably a somewhat over-optimistic assessment. Because even the easy Sonatina III by Jiří Antonín Benda or the Rondo in G major by Jan Václav Voříšek are of course not for beginners. And a few pieces demand a virtuoso level, such as the grotesque Devil's polka by Vítězslav Novák. Overall, however, the focus is on artistically ambitious works that require a great deal of tonal sense and creative imagination with moderate technical effort. Therein lies the special educational value of this Voyage of discovery.
Incidentally, one gladly agrees with the editor's hope that one may be "inspired to track down even more treasures of Czech piano music".
Journey of discovery through Czech piano music, pieces for slightly advanced players, selected and revised by Ivo Kahánek, BA 11560, € 17.95, Bärenreiter, Prague
