SUK: Piano Works – Pavel Štěpán (2 CDs) SUPRAPHON

Josef Suk (1874-1935), the leading exponent of the Czech Modern movement, was so talented that he began to study at Prague Conservatory when he was only eleven. He began to compose at an early age, and although he was a violinist by trade he wrote for the piano throughout his entire life. As much as Suk loved to write, composition was a “sideline” for him, (much as it was for Gustav Mahler, whose was primarily employed as head of the Vienna Opera), whereas his “full time job” was his career as the second violinist of the famous Czech Quartet, with which he traveled the world, playing thousands of concerts between 1892 and 1933. The piano was Suk’s intimate artistic confessor and interpreter, privy to his innermost feelings andmoods. It would be only a slight exaggeration to call his piano works a piano reduction of his abstract musical and creative workshop. The career of Czech pianist Pavel Štěpán (1925-1998),who recorded this collection, continues a great family tradition; his father is the composer, pianist, theorist and Suk specialist Václav Štěpán. His five LP recording of the complete piano worksof Josef Suk was awarded a Supraphon Gold Album in 1978. His friend and chamber music partner Ilja Hurník has written that “the art of Pavel Štěpán is an art of suggestive hints, which thanks to his precise technique

CD 1
Josef Suk
1. Fantaisie-Polonaise (C major), Op.5 07:14
Josef Suk
2. Humoresque in C major 01:36
Josef Suk
Moods, Op.10
3. Legend 07:57
4. Capriccio 03:27
5. Romance 03:36
6. Bagatelle 02:20
7. Springtime Idyll 04:23
Josef Suk
Piano Pieces, Op.12
8. Andante 05:03
9. Allegro moderato 03:38
10. Adagio, ma non troppo 03:30
11. Allegro, ma non troppo 02:47
12. Andante con moto 03:13
13. Allegro vivace 03:54
14. Allegretto 03:07
15. Andante 07:12
Josef Suk
16. Village Serenade 02:41

CD 2
Josef Suk
Suite for Piano, Op. 21
1. Adagio, Allegro vivace 06:14
2. Minuetto (Moderato) 03:57
3. Dumka (Adagio, ma non troppo) 05:17
4. Allegro ma non troppo 06:08
Josef Suk
Spring. The Cycle of Piano Works, Op. 22a
5. Spring. Allegro con brio 05:17
6. The Breeze. Andante, quasi Allegretto 01:52
7. In Expectation. Andante con moto ed espressivo 03:19
8. Andante 02:02
9. Yearning. Allegro non troppo 03:04
Josef Suk
Summer Moods. The Cycle of Piano Works, Op. 22b
10. At Midday. Moderato 04:20
11. Children Playing. Allegretto 02:03
12. Evening Mood. Andante espressivo 06:46
Josef Suk
About Mother. 5 pieces, Op. 28
13. When Mother Was Still a Little Girl. Allegretto molto moderato 03:27
14. Long Ago in Spring. Adagio – Allegro non troppo 04:47
15. How Mother Sang at Night to the Sick Child. Andante 04:54
16. About Mother’s Heart. Andante sostenuto 05:37
17. Souvenirs. Andante 04:57

CD 3
Josef Suk
Things Lived and Dreamt, Op. 30, sešit I.a II.
1. Allegro moderato. With humour and irony, here and there with excitement 02:06
2. Allegro vivo. Restlessly and shyly, without strong expression 01:47
3. Andante sostenuto. Mysteriously and highly airily 04:00
4. Poco allegretto. Contemplatively, then increasingly aggressively 02:44
5. On my son’s recovery. Adagio. Calmly, with deep feeling 06:20
6. Moderato quasi allegretto. With quiet, carefree good humour 03:24
7. Adagio non tanto. Simply, then with shattering power 05:23
8. Vivace. Gently, twittering like a swallow 01:55
9. Poco andante. Whisperingly and mysteriously 03:03
10. The forgotten graves in the corner of the Křečovice cemetery. Adagio. Dreamily 06:05
Josef Suk
Lullabies, Op. 33
11. Sleeping Children. Andante sostenuto 03:18
12. Song. Andante 01:32
13. Sentimental Self-parody on a Popular Song. Andante quasi adagio 02:19
14. On a Friend’s Recovery. Andante moderato 04:07
15. Christmas Dream. Moderato con moto 02:49
16. Death, come softly. Andante con moto 06:41
Josef Suk
17. Friendship, Op. 36 05:19
Josef Suk
Episodes
18. Andante 05:05
19. Ella – Polka 02:43
20. Albumleaf. Andante 05:17
21. Christmas Eve. Andante con moto 03:10