Customer Reviews

Janacek - Chamber Works / Hoffman · Rudy · Amoyal · Mackerras

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Let me begin by saying that this only my third disc of the music of Czech composer Leos Janacek. (The other two being "Piano Works" with Rudolf Firkusny on DG Originals, and "Intimate Letters" with the Juilliard String Quartet.) From the onset I have been impressed by Janacek's compositional style -- he seamlessly melds the passion of the great Romantic composers with the musical exploration and freedom of the early 20th Century composers, and in the process develops quite a unique voice. The chamber pieces collected here, performed by Sir Charles Mackerass and the Paris National Opera Orchestra (and its soloists Mikhail Rudy, Pierre Amoyal and Gary Hoffman), includes such diverse pieces as the Conte, Presto and Sonate, which are all for violin and piano, the Cappricio for piano and seven instruments, and the Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra. I find all of these pieces quite refreshing musically as I am literally surprised at every turn by Janacek's eclecticism. I am definitely looking forward to discovering more of the music of Janacek.

I am listening to this for the millionth time as I write. This CD has become one of those perennial favorites that constantly haunts me. It is one of the most magical sets I own. Performance and sound quality are warm and open.

Janacek wrote an approachable kind of chamber music. This disc does not represent all of it. For one, the Sextet Mladi is not represented. But the featured pieces are rollicking, expansive and expressive. The musicians know their music well. And they put everything they have into it. These performances are to be chosen over the Firkusny-Kubelik DG Originals.