Piano Works

Martinu (Artist), Bekova (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 22, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B00000J8QV
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,784 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fantaisie et toccata, H. 281: 1. Fantaisie: Andante - Moderato - Poco vivo - Allegro - Andante -

2. Fantaisie et toccata, H. 281: 2. Toccata: Allegro

3. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 1. En forme de Blues: Poco andante

4. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 2. En forme de Scherzo: Vivo

5. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 3. En forme d'Andante: Adagio

6. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 4. En forme de Danse: Allegro vivo

7. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 5. En forme de Capriccio: Allegretto

8. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 6. En forme de Largo: Lento

9. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 7. En forme d'Etude: Presto

10. Eight Preludes, H. 181: 8. En forme de Fox-Trot: Allegro

11. Piano Sonata, H. 350: I. Poco allegro

12. Piano Sonata, H. 350: II. Moderato (Poco andante)

13. Piano Sonata, H. 350: III. Adagio - Poco allegro

14. Dumka No. 3, H. 285bis: Moderato

15. The Fifth Day Of The Fifth Moon, H. 318: Moderato (Andante)

16. Bagatelle (Morceau facile), H. 323: Moderato

Editorial Reviews

Gramophone - Great Britain, September 1999

Bekova's uniform and unswerving command make light of every difficulty... her performances are of an exemplary quality... a prime issue.

Classic CD - Great Britain, August 1999

Three of Martinu’s most engaging piano works... dispatched with brilliance, generates power, particularly touching, Bekova masters with impressive control.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant achievement by a vastly under-rated pianist., August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Piano Works (Audio CD)

Eleonora Bekova brings all her experience in chamber and song recital work to produce a brilliant recording of these masterworks by Martinu. The Fantaisie et Toccata is demanding of technique and musical vision yet Bekova handles the dissonances and rapid musical developments to produce a reading which is a triumph of eloquence and cohesion. The eight preludes run the gamut of emotional intent yet Bekova handles the jazzy numbers one and two with as much innate sense of ragtime as she measures the dark depths of number five. The Sonata is handled with lyrical virtuosity (why isn't this piece in the mainstream piano repertoire?) and the three miniatures with which Bekova finishes this disk are utterly beautiful. Wow, what a pianist! Its no surprise that Martha Argerich says she is fantastic.

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice survey, November 5, 2009

By 

G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Piano Works (Audio CD)

Eleonora Bekova's cross-sample of Martinu's piano music never received a sequel, and given the success of the Naxos series of the complete piano music probably won't. It is however worth considering for those not wishing to engage on a complete cycle, with such a project's unavoidably variable musical rewards. Well, not everything on this disc can be considered Martinu at his best, either, but the disc comes off to a good start with the (technically demanding) Fantaisie et Toccata written during Martinu's flight from Paris; it is an urgent, fervent, slightly steely piece, full of energy but also air and lightness.

The preludes from 1929 are altogether less light-weight than one could expect, being superbly varied in color, spirit and mode of expression. The 1954 sonata is more introvert and I must admit that I haven't quite manage to come to terms with it - it is resourceful and varied, but it sounds to me like a rather meandering walk towards a very conventional ending, with lots of episodes that seems like false starts that never develops into anything. The last three works on the disc are lightweights - the Dumka is uncomplicated and charming, The Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon an eminently forgettable piece of chinoiserie, and the Bagatelle a fine, neo-baroque miniature.

I have little to complain about with regards to the performance; Bekova's playing is spirited and displays a thorough understanding of the idiom. The sound is good as well, and I think this disc can be safely recommended to anyone remotely interested in Martinu's piano music - it doesn't contain all of his worthwhile work for piano (far from it), and contains some pieces that are not among his strongest, but the result is at least a nicely varied programme.