Firkusny, Kubelik: Janacek – Piano Works (2 CD, APE)

Performer: Rudolf Firkusny
Orchestra: Members of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Rafael Kubelik
Composer: Leos Janacek
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 408 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc 1:
01. Tema con variazioni (Zdenka-Variations) – Tema. Andante – Variazioni I – VII
02. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 1. Nase vecery (Our evenings)
03. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 2. Listek odvanuty (A leaf blown away)
04. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 3. Pojdte s nami! (Come with us!)
05. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 4. Frydecká Panna Maria (The Madonna of Frydek)
06. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 5. Stebetaly jak lastovicky (They chattered like swallows)
07. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 6. Nelze domluvit! (Words fail!)
08. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 7. Dobrou noc! (Good night!)
09. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 8. Tak neskonale uzko (Unutterable anguish)
10. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 9. V placi (In tears)
11. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 10. Sycek neodletel! (The barn owl has not flown away!)
12. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 11. Andante
13. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 12. Allegretto
14. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 13. Più mosso
15. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 14. Vivo
16. On an overgrown path (Po zarostlém chodnicku) – 15. Allegro – Adagio
17. Reminiscence (Vzpominka) for piano solo

Disc 2:
01. Piano – 1. Predtucha [Sonata 1.X.1905 (From the street)
02. Piano – 2. Smrt [Sonata 1.X.1905 (From the street)
03. In the Mists (V mlhách) – 1. Andante
04. In the Mists (V mlhách) – 2. Molto adagio
05. In the Mists (V mlhách) – 3. Andantino
06. In the Mists (V mlhách) – 4. Presto
07. Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra – 1. Moderato
08. Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra – 2. Più mosso
09. Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra – 3. Con moto
10. Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra – 4. Allegro
11. Capriccio – 1. Allegro
12. Capriccio – 2. Adagio
13. Capriccio – 3. Allegretto
14. Capriccio – 4. Andante

Simplicty, clarity, elegance

This recording came as a bit of an awakening to me. I am only familiar with the larger orchestral works and initially purchased this disk because I liked some other recordings by Firkusny. ON AN OVERGROWN PATH was a revelation. What I love about Firkusny here, though I have head him be quite passionate–even ferocious–in other recordings, is his utter simplicity and clarity of approach. Nothing is too broad or overly sentimental. The music takes care of the sentiment all by itself. This is also what I love about Gilels’s approach to the Grieg LYRIC PIECES, of which these put me in mind: clarity and elegance with no musical hyperbole. The orchestral pieces are equally fine, with Kubelik as a sensitive conductor, but it is the first disk that has captured my heart. This may soon become desert island material for me.