Janacek: In the Mists

Since his first release for Virgin Classics, Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations in 2000, Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski’s has produced a catalogue which ranges from Bach and Mozart, through more Beethoven to Chopin, Szymanowski and Webern, and which includes several prizewinning recordings.

Both intellectual and inspirational, Anderszewski has said of musical interpretation: “One can speculate endlessly about the right ingredients, the perfect combination but the essential question remains unanswerable, lying far beyond the limits of the cleverest and most refined argument. And yet one goes on searching and, while realising that the search is about everything, the essence may yet reveal itself in the most unexpected way.”

This new release captures live performances by Anderszewski at a very recent recital – December 2008 – in New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall. The critic of the New York Times made clear that this was an exceptional musical experience.

After a performance so intense and draining, the notion of encores almost seemed superfluous. But Bartók’s Three Hungarian Folksongs from the Csik District had a welcome earthiness”

Anderszewski repeated the programme in Chicago shortly afterwards, and the response of the Chicago Sun Times was at a similar level of enthusiasm:

“There is something deeply comforting about the kind of perfection that Polish-Hungarian pianist Piotr Anderszewski brought to his program of Bach, Janácek and Beethoven … Perfection is a relative term when it comes to art, of course. There are myriad but equally valid ways to play a Bach partita or Beethoven sonata … Different artists plumb different facets in a piece of music, and listeners can only benefit from hearing what each one has managed to unearth.

But during the two hours or so that they are onstage, artists like Anderszewski manage to create a universe that seems utterly complete unto itself. There is a sense of inevitability in their performance, a feeling that the true essence of a composer's intentions has been discovered. Especially when our daily lives are battered by forces beyond our control, it is reassuring to spend an afternoon in a world of such richly calibrated balance.“

“It can be hard not to wax hyperbolic when confronted with the pianist Piotr Anderszewski’s sensitive touch and potent imagination.” New York Times

Eric Schneider has studied both the piano and conducting. He pursued a career as an accompanist and has worked with world renowned singers such as Christine Schäfer and Matthias Goerne. This is his first solo recording.

Janacek left only a few piano masterpieces, their language forming a sort of dreamlike counterpoint to his fantastic operatic repertoire. Slavka Pechocova’s playing reflects the rigour of her first teacher, Martin Hrsel, and the almost-Impressionistic expressiveness of her second, Professor Ivan Moravec, in a new, highly spirited, recording of Janacek’s Piano pieces which should be acclaimed as one of the most promising of the year so far. She made her Proms debut at the Proms last year with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Jirí Belohlávek in Martinu’s Concerto for 2 Pianos.

Intimate Studies is the innovative debut release from Czech pianist Lada Valešová who developed a fresh and intriguing programme of works that link both teacher and student alike during the early part of the 20th century. The CD features 20th century piano music composed by four of her native country’s leading composers: “In the Mist” (Janácek), “Suite for Piano Op.13” and “Allegro Moderato” (Haas), “Film en Miniature H.148” (Martinu) and “Spring Op.22a” (Suk).

Of particular note is the performance of a rare collection of eleven tone poems and studies, some complete miniature works, some unfinished kernels of ideas written by Janacek under the collected title: “Intimate Studies”.

Born in Pilsen in the Western part of the Czech Republic, Lada Valešová is a graduate of the Prague Conservatoire, Prague Music Academy and Guildhall School of Music and Drama (where she is now a professor). Lada has won many prizes including two awards at the International Smetana Piano Competition. Her teachers include the Russian pianist and pedagogue Valentina Kameníková and Eugene Indjic, the outstanding pianist and pupil of Arthur Rubinstein. Her playing has received high recognition from various artists including the late Sir George Solti, and she has had the honour of working with Galina Vishnevskaja and Mstislav Rostropovich.

Janácek’s works for piano written in the first decade of the twentieth century present an original language, abrupt, bald, secret and disquieting, which has no truck with ‘pianistic gestures’ - even though their creator was a pianist and organist by training.

Janacek made a very important comment about the notes on a printed page being steeped in life and blood – 'otherwise,' he said, 'they are like playthings: useless'. If only more musicians took heed of that comment in general. And if only more pianists demonstrated Janacek's wish in their performances of his music. The record catalogues are riddled with bland performances, and thankfully, Ewa Kupiec is an exception to this unfortunate rule. The sheer physical awkwardness of Janacek's writing holds no fear for her and her mastery and understanding of the Czech and Slavic musical idioms are everywhere in evidence.