Customer Reviews

Dvorák: Piano Works Played on Dvorák's Own Bösendorfer Piano

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this CD with some of Dvorák's own piano compositions on his own piano, a Bosendorfer, which I have coveted for over 3 decades. Since I can't afford the real piano, settling for music played on one is a pleasure. Short piano compositions by this composer are usually delightful and the selections here were no exception.

*
Dvorák was a violist who wrote very well for string ensembles.
On the other hand, although he too played piano his robust music for that solo instrument seems not entirely idiomatic.
It's good characteristic music, but the voicing is strangely ambivalent: one gets the feeling that it would sound finer scored for string quartet.

This thoroughly Czech issue was recorded in the Republic (1998) by Dvorák specialist Radoslav Kvapil performing on Dvorák's own 1879 Bösendorfer.
Recorded at a distant mid-range, the piano's sound is good and interesting.

Kvapil has made a nice selection of representative works: the 12 `Silhouettes' B.98; a Dumka and Furiant B.136-37; the delicious original version of the American Suite B.184; and the famous Humoresques B.187.

A nice disc for piano enthusiasts, worthy of the occasional spin.

*
Giulini/CSO Symphony No. 9
Fricsay/BPO Symphony No. 9
Fricsay/BPO Symphony No. 9
Abbado/BPO Symphony No. 9
Bernstein/IPO Symphony No. 9
Bernstein/NYPO Symphony No. 9
Harnoncourt/RCO Symphony No. 9
Karajan/BPO Symphony No. 9
Karajan/BPO Symphony No. 9
Kubelik/BPO Symphony No. 9
*