Kahánek: Dvořák – The Complete Piano Works (24/192 FLAC)

Composer: Antonín Dvořák
Performer: Ivo Kahánek
Number of Discs: 4
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Supraphon
Catalogue: SU42992
Release: 2021
Size: 9.5 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
Silhouettes, Op. 8
01. Allegro feroce
02. Andantino
03. Allegretto
04. Vivace
05. Presto
06. Poco sostenuto
07. Allegro
08. Allegretto II
09. Allegro II
10. Allegretto grazioso
11. Allegretto moderato
12. Allegro feroce II

Menuets, Op. 28
13. Menuet No. 1
14. Menuet No. 2

15. Dumka, Op. 35, B. 64
16. Forget-me-not Polka, sine, B. 1
17. Polka Per pedes, sine
18. Polka in E-Sharp Major, sine, B. 3
19. Tema con variazioni, Op. 36, B. 65
20. Scottish Dances, Op. 41, B. 74

Furiants, Op. 42
21. Furiant No. 1
22. Furiant No. 2

CD 02
Waltzes, Op. 54
01. No. 1, Moderato
02. No. 2, Allegro con fuoco
03. No. 3, Poco allegro
04. No. 4, Allegro vivace
05. No. 5, Allegro I
06. No. 6, Allegro II
07. No. 7, Allegro III
08. No. 8, Allegro IV

Ecloques, Op. 56
09. No. 1 in F-Sharp Major, Allegro non tanto. Quasi polka
10. No. 2 in D-Sharp Major, Quasi Allegretto
11. No. 3 in G-Sharp Major, Moderato
12. No. 4 in E-Sharp Major, Allegretto

13. Moderato in A-Sharp Major, sine, B. 116

Album Leaves
14. –
15. Allegretto con moto e poco agitato
16. Allegro molto
17. Allegretto

Piano Pieces, Op. 52
18. No. 1 in G-Sharp Minor, Impromptu. Presto
19. No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Intermezzo. Larghetto
20. No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Gigue
21. No. 4 in G-Sharp Minor, Eclogue. Poco allegro
22. No. 5 in G-Sharp Minor, Allegro molto
23. No. 6 in E-Flat Major, Tempo di marcia

CD 03
Mazurkas, Op. 56
01. Allegro moderato
02. Vivo e risoluto
03. Allegro
04. Lento, ma non troppo
05. Allegro non troppo
06. Allegro II

07. Impromptu in D-Sharp Minor, sine, B. 129
08. Dumka, Op. 12/1, B. 136
09. Furiant, Op. 12/2, B. 137
10. Humoresque in F-Sharp Major, B. 138
11. Two Piano Pieces, posth.: No. 1, Berceuse. Lullaby
12. Two Piano Pieces, posth.: No. 2, Capriccio. Allegretto scherzando
13. Question, sine, B. 128bis
14. Album Leaf, sine, B. 158

Two Little Pearls, sine
15. No. 1, In a Ring
16. No. 2, Grandpa Dances with Grandma

Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98
17. Moderato
18. Molto vivace
19. Allegretto
20. Andante
21. Allegro

CD 04
Humoresques, Op. 101
01. Vivace
02. Poco andante
03. Poco andante e molto cantabile
04. Poco andante II
05. Vivace II
06. Poco allegretto
07. Poco lento e grazioso
08. Poco andante III

Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85
09. Night Journey. Allegro moderato
10. Joking. Allegretto leggiero
11. At the Old Castle. Lento
12. Spring Song. Poco allegro
13. Peasant Ballad. Allero giusto
14. Reminiscence. Andante
15. Furiant. Allegro feroce
16. Goblin´s Dance. Allegretto
17. Serenade. Moderato e molto cantabile
18. Bacchanalia. Vivacissimo
19. Tittle-Tattle. Andante con moto
20. At the Tumulus. Grave. Tempo di marcia
21. At Svatá hora. Poco lento

Dvořák’s works for solo piano are in the main an unexplored landscape even for many a pianist and musicologist. This segment of his music lacks Chopin’s sway and finely nuanced emotionality, nor does it possess Liszt’s osten­tatious virtuosity. Just as he did in his entire oeuvre, in his piano works too Antonín Dvořák eschewed flashiness, focusing instead on tender intimate lyricism, teeming with ideas, and shaping even his miniatures with the sensibility of a genius. Such music is certainly worthy of a new complete album. Upon the initiative of Supraphon and the Classical Music Academy, the challenging task was undertaken by Ivo Kahánek, an artist whose recording of Dvořák’s Piano Concerto made with the Bamberger Symphoniker conducted by Jakub Hrůša has deservedly gained critical acclaim. The present set encompasses larger cycles and occasional pieces, as well as several little-known works, recorded for the very first time. The album of Dvořák’ piano works provides yet another precious insight into the abundant world of the composer’s soul.


Ivo Kahánek recalled the creation of the new recording as follows: “Preparations actually began back in the autumn of 2020, when I gave a concert featuring Dvořák’s music at Dvořák Prague and was the patron of the marathon of Dvořák’s pieces for solo piano within the self-same international festival. Yet I would only learn most of the repertoire in the spring of 2021, directly for the purpose of this recording. The most difficult thing to cope with was the time pressure, since due to the availability of the hall and the team we had to record five hours of music within a mere three months. The most gratifying aspect was discovering some little-known gems among Dvořák’s numerous piano works and having the opportunity to view the better-known pieces in a new way”.


The album was made with the generous support of the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, the Classical Music Academy, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Faculty of Music of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.