Janacek Archive
Song of a Czech = Works of DVORAK & JANACEK – Cantus – Cantus
Unusual but worthy repertory captures the spirit of an age shared by two composers.
SMETANA: String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor “From My Life”; JANACEK: String Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata”; String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Pages” – Jerusalem Q. – Harmonia mundi
Searing, musically potent readings of three Czech quartet masterpieces from the Jerusalem Quartet make for compelling listening.
JANACEK: The Cunning little Vixen (complete opera) x 2, Blu-rays (2013)
It’s not often a chance to review two releases of this opera comes about—and the differences in concept are quite revealing.
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; Songs and Dances of Death; The Nursery – New Zealand Sym. Orch./ Peter Breiner – Naxos Pure Audio Blu-ray
New orchestrations of three important works by Mussorgsky, in Blu-ray hi-res.
Signs, Games + Messages = Works of JANACEK & BARTOK – Jennifer Koh, violin/ Shai Wosner, p. – Cedille
Jennifer Koh and Shai Wosner explore the wages of folk music when it meets, headlong, the experimental genius of three Slavic composers.
“LEOS JANACEK: The Piano” = On an Overgrown Path, Books I – II; Moravian Dances; Zdenka Variations; Piano Sonata 1.X.1905; In the Mists; Miniatures; Album for Kamilu Stoesslovou; Moravian Folksongs – Cathy Krier, p. – Cavi Music (2 CDs)
A survey of the piano music of Leos Janacek by Cathy Krier reminds us of the often visceral, original imagination of this composer’s treatment of his Moravian roots.
“Duo” = Works by Koechlin, Schmitt, Rivier, Bozza, Cartan – Jean-Guy Boisvert, clar./ Christiane Laflamme, flute/ Jean-Willy Kunz, harpsichord & p. – Atma“Blow the Winds Northerly” = Works by Francaix, Janacek & Klein – Stevenson Winds feat. Emmanuel Laville, oboe, & Mark O’Keeffe, trumpet – Nimbus Alliance
Wind music mostly à la francaise, though the second discs offers a welcome side excursion to Moravia.
BLOCH: Violin Sonata No. 2 “Poeme mystique”; JANACEK: Sonata for Violin and Piano; SHOSTAKOVICH: Sonata – Midori, v./ Ozgur Aydin, p. – Onyx
Midori explores three “highly personal pieces. . .each of which [exploits its] special capacity to communicate the inner workings of a mind. . .to find solace from turmoil.”
“A Folk Song Runs Through It” = JANACEK: In the Mist; BARTOK: Improviasations on Hungarian Peasant Songs; Piano Sonata; Romanian Dances; KODALY: Seven Pieces – Amdrew Rangell, p. – Steinway & Sons
Ethnic modernism provides the unity to Andew Rangell’s latest album, an exploration of Slavic folk motifs through three eminently virtuoso composers of the Twentieth Century.
LEOS JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass (Missa Solemnis) (Orig. Version); Taras Bulba – Rhapsody for Orchestra – Radio Sym. Orch./ Mark Janowski; Soloists/Radio Choir Berlin (in Mass) – PentaTone
A rousing hi-res surround reading of two important Janacek works.
SMETANA: From My Homeland; DVORAK: Romance in F Minor; SUK: Four Pieces; JANACEK: Violin Sonata – Silvie Hessova, violin/ Daniel Wiesner, p. – Cube Bohemia
Two young Czech artists celebrate their national heritage in 2004 performances of lyrical beauty and strong conviction.
“Sonates Françaises” = Cello Sonatas by MARCELLE SOULAGE; PIERRE-OCTAVE FERROUD; PAUL VIARDOT – Genevieve Ibanez, cello/ Odile Bourin, p. – Skarbo/Anima “Felix Austria” = KODÁLY: Sonata for Cello and Piano; Sonatina for Cello and Piano; LIGETI: Sonata for Solo Cello; BARTÓK: First Rhapsody; DVOŘÁK: Rondo in G Minor; JANÁČEK: Pohádka; DAVID POPPER: Hungarian Rhapsody – Pamela Smits, cello/ Sabine Simon, p. – Universe Classics
Two fascinating musical outings for cello and piano with nationalistic overtones. Which to choose? How about both!
Bronislav Gimpel, violin = Works of SIBELIUS, SZYMANOWSKI, WIENIAWSKI, SCHUBERT, MENDELSSOHN & Others – Various artists – Audite (3 CDs)
The Ukraninian violinist was among the finest virtuosis on his instrument. A 3-CD reissue package.
Josef Suk, violin – The Early Recordings = Music of DVORAK, SMETANA, MARTINU, JANACEK, GRIEG, RESPIGHI, DEBUSSY, POULENC, FRANCK, CHUBERT, MOZART, HONEGGER, KODALY & Others – Supraphon (6 CDs)
We witness the beginnings of a legendary career here from violin virtuoso Josef Suk, one of the greats in Czech music-making.
JANACEK: Suites – Jenufa and The Excursions of Mr. Broucek – Vesa-Matti Leppanen, v./New Zealand Sym. Orch./Peter Breier – Naxos
Orchestral arrangements of early Janacek operas demonstrate his skill at writing tuneful and dramatic music.
LEOS JANACEK: Glagolitic Mass; Sinfonietta – Soloists/ Jaroslaw Malanowicz, organ/ Warsaw Philharmonic Choir/ Warsaw Philharmonic/ Antoni Wit – Naxos Blu-ray
One of the two November audio-only Blu-ray releases from Naxos.
Czech Chamber Music = JOSEF FOERSTER; VITEZSLAV NOVAK; JANACEK; FIBICH – Kinsky Trio Prague – Praga Digitals
A delightful collection of fine Czech chamber music, showing varied aspects of the Bohemian nationalist school.
Sviatoslav Richter Archives Vol. 20 = JANACEK: Concertino for Piano; HINDEMITH: Sonata for Viola and Piano; Piano Sonata No. 2; Sonata for Bassoon and Piano; Sonata for Trumpet and Piano – Doremi
Doremi presents a series of live performances from Budapest and Moscow, 1978-1985.
“Simply Strings” = BARTOK: Divertimento for Strings; JANACEK: Suite for Strings; SIBELIUS: Impromtu nach Nos. 5 & 6; BRITTEN: Simple Symphony – Württemberg Ch. Orch. Heilbronn/ Ruben Gazarian – Bayer
The program of works by four composers is well balanced.
JANACEK: Violin Sonata; GRIEG: Violin Sonata No. 2; FRANCK: Violin Sonata – Vadim Repin, violin/Nikolai Lugansky, p. – DGG
“Like childbirth, it‘s worth the pain,” claim the participants in this diversely passionate violin-piano recital.
LEOS JANACEK: Sinfonietta for Orchestra; Taras Bulba (Rhapsody for Orchestra); Suite from the Opera “The Cunning Vixen” (arr. Jilek) – Bamberger Symphony/Jonathan Nott – Tudor
A fine collection of the very distinctive orchestral music of Janacek.
LEOS JANACEK: Piano Works Vol. 1 = Sonata 1.X.1905; On an overgrown path I & II; Reminiscence; In the Mist – Slavka Pechocova, piano – Praga Digitals
Janacek’s works exhibit much variety within his individual style, so even hearing the entire disc at one sitting does not seem repetitive.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
