Album
Jan Bartoš
Kabeláč: Eight Preludes, Motifs from Exotic Lands - Smetana: Dreams
Digital services
Catalogue Number: SU 4324-2
Published: 24th February 2023
Genre: Chamber Music
Format: 1 CD
This album has received following awards:
- Quarterly Criticʼs Choice, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (2023)
Miloslav Kabeláč (1908–1979) – Eight Preludes for Piano, Op. 30; Motifs from Exotic Lands for Piano, Op. 38. Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) – Rêves (Dreams). Six Characteristic Pieces for Piano
Jan Bartoš – piano
What do Bedřich Smetana and Miloslav Kabeláč have in common that they feature on Jan Bartoš’s new album? Both of them were distinguished composers, conductors and pianists. Both of them created modern and timeless music for piano, which, however, remains overshadowed by their symphonic works. Smetana was writing his cycle Rêves (1875) at the time when he was completing Šárka and From Bohemian Fields and Groves, perhaps the most remarkable of the six tone poems comprising Má vlast. Kabeláč was composing the two piano cycles, Op. 30 and Op. 38, while also focusing on Mystery of Time, his symphonic magnum opus, which in recent years has been discovered by some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, in Berlin, Cleveland, London and elsewhere.
Kabeláč’s life serves as a prime example of the fates that befell the Czech humanists, artists and intellectuals from the 1930s to the 1970s amid the turbulent historical events. While his music garnered success worldwide, he was silenced by the Communist regime in his homeland. Kabeláč’s style evolved from complex to simple, thus in many respects ushering in the accession of post-modernism and minimalism. As attested to by his cycle Motifs from Exotic Lands, he was boldly inspired by non-European traditional music. Following on from critically acclaimed Leoš Janáček (Gramophone Editor’s Choice) and Vítězslav Novák albums, Jan Bartoš is now presenting Kabeláč and Smetana in live recordings made at the Dvořák Hall of Prague’s Rudolfinum.
Jan Bartoš presents to the world little-known Czech piano gems
Jan Bartoš – piano
What do Bedřich Smetana and Miloslav Kabeláč have in common that they feature on Jan Bartoš’s new album? Both of them were distinguished composers, conductors and pianists. Both of them created modern and timeless music for piano, which, however, remains overshadowed by their symphonic works. Smetana was writing his cycle Rêves (1875) at the time when he was completing Šárka and From Bohemian Fields and Groves, perhaps the most remarkable of the six tone poems comprising Má vlast. Kabeláč was composing the two piano cycles, Op. 30 and Op. 38, while also focusing on Mystery of Time, his symphonic magnum opus, which in recent years has been discovered by some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, in Berlin, Cleveland, London and elsewhere.
Kabeláč’s life serves as a prime example of the fates that befell the Czech humanists, artists and intellectuals from the 1930s to the 1970s amid the turbulent historical events. While his music garnered success worldwide, he was silenced by the Communist regime in his homeland. Kabeláč’s style evolved from complex to simple, thus in many respects ushering in the accession of post-modernism and minimalism. As attested to by his cycle Motifs from Exotic Lands, he was boldly inspired by non-European traditional music. Following on from critically acclaimed Leoš Janáček (Gramophone Editor’s Choice) and Vítězslav Novák albums, Jan Bartoš is now presenting Kabeláč and Smetana in live recordings made at the Dvořák Hall of Prague’s Rudolfinum.
Jan Bartoš presents to the world little-known Czech piano gems
Reviews
“Jan Bartoš’s playing of the preludes is magnificent, both in projecting the mesmerizing impetus of the opening and closing numbers and in realizing the delicately reimagined Impressionism of the third and fifth… While these pieces offer plenty of the bracing, nationalist Smetana, nearly all tend toward wistful reflection. Bartoš is an ideal interpreter here, providing abundant brilliance without sacrificing poetry… Beautifully recorded, this is one of the best and certainly most stimulating recordings of Czech piano music of recent years.”
BBC Music Magazine, April 2023
“Bartos passe sans peine de l’objectivité un peu distante de Kabelac à l’élégance, à la pudeur mais aussi au brio de Smetana.”
Diapason, May 2023
“C’est plutôt Debussy que lorgne Jan Bartoš dont le délicat nuancier impressionniste plonge l’ensemble du cycle dans une ambiance presque ésotérique. À ce titre, les résonnances magiques de son piano dans un premier Prélude aussi trouble qu’aérien et les effets de « cloches dans la brume » du troisième font immanquablement penser à l’auteur des Images pour piano.”
Classica, July 2023
“Bartoš lädt die virtuosen Stücke mit knisternder Spannung auf und spielt die lyrischen Teile mit zartleuchtendem Ton. Insgesamt gelingt dem Pianisten ein starkes Plädoyer für drei fabelhafte Klavierzyklen, deren Eigenart im Dvorák-Saal des Prager Rudolfinums besonders gut zur Geltung kommt.”
Piano News, April 2023
“Jan Bartoš, der letzte Schüler des großen Ivan Moravec, ist selbst zu einem großartigen Pianisten herangereift. Mit weiter, dabei fein gestufter Dynamik, vielen Klangfarben und technischer wie musikalischer Meisterschaft setzt er sich für Smetana und Kabeláč ein.”
Fono Forum, June 2023
“All in all, this is a wonderful recital of lesser-known piano music in great performances.”
Fanfare, July 2023
“Bartos is a fine pianist who writes his own excellent notes and shines in the virtuosity of the Lisztian Smetana. The sound is very good.”
American Record Guide, September/October 2023
“Kabeláč’s Eight Preludes for Piano were premiered in 1957 and have an otherworldly feel… They’re terrific little pieces, wonderfully played here by Jan Bartoš… A remarkable disc, all three performances captured live in exemplary sound.”
The Arts Desk, October 2023