Tomas the Scarecrow: Czech Music for Cello (2x CD) - CD

"The music of Antonín Dvořák is a family silver for the Czech cellist, which he must not forget. During my student years Michal Macourek and I rehearsed and played Rondo, Calm and Polonaise many times.

Two compositions by Klement Slavický were discovered for me by Barbora Sejáková, a great pianist who is an enthusiastic interpreter and promoter of Slavický's music. With Ballade the composer follows his teacher Josef Suk, the virtuoso Burlesque is a brilliant example of the composer's refined compositional work.

František Smetana was one of my great teachers. He gave me the sheet music for Meditation at a lesson and I promised him that I would record it one day. Years passed and I kept putting off working on this piece. It was only during the covid-19 pandemic that her time came and I was able to fulfill my promise.

The Temperaments of Jan Malek was originally supposed to be filmed with Ludmila Čermáková by my excellent teacher and role model, Evžen Rattay, but unfortunately fate did not favour it. Ludmila Čermáková accompanied me throughout my studies at the Academy of Performing Arts and also always at master classes with Evžen Rattay. That's why we started recording Temperaments together.

I fell in love with Luboš Sluka's music when I was a student at the conservatory. I like to play his cello sonata, but unfortunately I did not record it with Barbora Sejáková for Czech Radio. Fortunately, the Czech Radio dramaturgy has shown interest in other works by Sluk.

Michal Macourek contributes to this CD not only as an excellent pianist and great composer, but also as an excellent musical director. This triple role of his symbolizes our coming together over beautiful music. The composition Siaram is a variation on the old theme of La Folia and the title itself recalls the name of Marina Marais, whose composition La Folia we played together many times. ”

Year of publication: 2021

Playlist

CD 1
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK - Rondo for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 94 B 171 / ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK - Silent Woods for Cello and Piano, Op. 68 B 173 / ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK - Polonaise for Cello and Piano in A major, B 94
KLEMENT SLAVICKÝ - Two Compositions for Cello and Piano
Ballad / Burlesque / FRANTIŠEK SMETANA - Meditation on the Hymn „ St. Wenceslas” for Cello
CD 2
LUBOŠ SLUKA - Solitude
LUBOŠ SLUKA - Two Nocturnes for Cello and Piano
Nocturne. Moderato, No. 1 / Nocturne. Moderato, No. 2 / MICHAL MACOUREK - Siaram
JAN MÁLEK - Temperaments
Theme - Var.1 Il malinconico / Var. 2 Il collerico / Var. 3 La coppia fl emmatica / Var. 4. Il sanguigno - Tema - e Coda