Composer: Milan Dvořák
Performer: Milan Franěk
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Toccata
Catalogue: TOCC0319
Release: 2015
Size: 195 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Jazz Piano Etudes
Book 1
01. No. 1. Allegro
02. No. 2. Allegro
03. No. 3. Allegro
04. No. 4. Medium
05. No. 5. Allegretto
06. No. 6. Medium tempo
07. No. 7. Allegro
08. No. 8. Vivo
09. No. 9. Vivace
10. No. 10. Moderato
11. No. 11. Medium boogie tempo
12. No. 12. Zive (Vivo)
13. Np. 13. Cha-cha moderato tempo
14. No. 14. Allegro
15. No. 15. Fast
16. No. 16. Allegretto
17. No. 17. Swingy
18. No. 18. Rubato
19. No. 19. Slowly
20. No. 20. Fast
21. No. 21. Medium
22. No. 22. Medium slow
23. No. 23. Moderato
24. No. 24. Medium tempo
25. No. 25. Moderato
Book 2
26. No. 1. Medium tempo
27. No. 2. Presto
28. No. 3. Moderato
29. No. 4. Con moto
30. No. 5. Sostenuto
31. No. 6. Medium bossanova
32. No. 7. Allegro
33. No. 8. Moderato
34. No. 9. No tempo indication
35. No. 10. Allegro
36. No. 11. Vivo
37. No. 12. Slowly with beat
38. No. 13. Allegro
39. No. 14. Blues (Slowly)
40. No. 15. Con moto
41. No. 16. Medium tempo
42. No. 17. Allegro
43. No. 18. Medium tempo
44. No. 19. Swingy
45. No. 20. Medium tempo
The Czech composer Milan Dvořák (b. 1934) – no relation to his better-known namesake – has been a well-known pianist in Czech swing groups and big bands since the 1960s and his still active as a performer in his early 80s.
His 45 Jazz Piano Etudes developed from transcriptions of popular songs, with a first volume appearing in 1971 and the second in 1985.
Dvořák’s aim was two-fold: to keep the music within the range of amateur jazz pianists and yet maintain the harmonic, melodic and rhythmic interest of each piece. These sprightly miniatures have been taken up the world around, but this is the first time they have been recorded.
This recording was made in direct consultation with the composer, who also advised on details in the booklet commentary. Milan Dvořák’s 45 Jazz Piano Etudes join Igor Raykhelson’s Jazz Suite (TOCC0055) as one of the rare jazz-classical crossover releases in the Toccata Classics catalogue.
Milan Franěk studied at the Conservatoire in Pilsen and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and in Graz and at the Charles University in Prague. He is also a prize-winning trombonist. He has taught at various music institutions and music universities both in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has been the President of the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) for the Czech Republic since 2010. This is his first recording for Toccata Classics.