Ivo Kahánek – Dvořák: The Complete Piano Works (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Dvor’ak’s works for solo piano are in the main an unexplored landscape even for many a pianist and musicologist. This segment of his music lacks Chopin’s sway and finely nuanced emotionality, nor does it possess Liszt’s osten-tatious virtuosity. Just as he did in his entire oeuvre, in his piano works too Anton’in Dvor’ak eschewed flashiness, focusing instead on tender intimate lyricism, teeming with ideas, and shaping even his miniatures with the sensibility of a genius. Such music is certainly worthy of a new complete album. Upon the initiative of Supraphon and the Classical Music Academy, the challenging task was undertaken by Ivo Kah’anek, an artist whose recording of Dvor’ak’s Piano Concerto made with the Bamberger Symphoniker conducted by Jakub Hrusa has deservedly gained critical acclaim. The present set encompasses larger cycles and occasional pieces, as well as several little-known works, recorded for the very first time. The album of Dvor’ak’ piano works provides yet another precious insight into the abundant world of the composer’s soul.

Ivo Kah’anek recalled the creation of the new recording as follows: “Preparations actually began back in the autumn of 2020, when I gave a concert featuring Dvor’ak’s music at Dvor’ak Prague and was the patron of the marathon of Dvor’ak’s pieces for solo piano within the self-same international festival. Yet I would only learn most of the repertoire in the spring of 2021, directly for the purpose of this recording. The most difficult thing to cope with was the time pressure, since due to the availability of the hall and the team we had to record five hours of music within a mere three months. The most gratifying aspect was discovering some little-known gems among Dvor’ak’s numerous piano works and having the opportunity to view the better-known pieces in a new way”.

The album was made with the generous support of the Karel Kom’arek Family Foundation, the Classical Music Academy, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Faculty of Music of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

Tracklist:
1-1. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegro feroce (01:45)
1-2. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Andantino (01:15)
1-3. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegretto (01:43)
1-4. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Vivace (01:15)
1-5. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Presto (01:04)
1-6. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Poco sostenuto (02:49)
1-7. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegro (00:51)
1-8. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegretto II (01:38)
1-9. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegro II (01:28)
1-10. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegretto grazioso (02:00)
1-11. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegretto moderato (01:59)
1-12. Ivo Kahánek – Silhouettes, Op. 8: Allegro feroce II (01:34)
1-13. Ivo Kahánek – Menuets, Op. 28: Menuet No. 1 (06:14)
1-14. Ivo Kahánek – Menuets, Op. 28: Menuet No. 2 (04:40)
1-15. Ivo Kahánek – Dumka, Op. 35, B. 64 (07:55)
1-16. Ivo Kahánek – Forget-me-not Polka, sine, B. 1 (02:41)
1-17. Ivo Kahánek – Polka Per pedes, sine (03:13)
1-18. Ivo Kahánek – Polka in E-Sharp Major, sine, B. 3 (01:54)
1-19. Ivo Kahánek – Tema con variazioni, Op. 36, B. 65 (16:46)
1-20. Ivo Kahánek – Scottish Dances, Op. 41, B. 74 (05:46)
1-21. Ivo Kahánek – Furiants, Op. 42: Furiant No. 1 (05:09)
1-22. Ivo Kahánek – Furiants, Op. 42: Furiant No. 2 (06:33)
2-23. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 1, Moderato (03:44)
2-24. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 2, Allegro con fuoco (03:11)
2-25. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 3, Poco allegro (02:59)
2-26. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 4, Allegro vivace (02:46)
2-27. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 5, Allegro I (02:50)
2-28. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 6, Allegro II (04:51)
2-29. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 7, Allegro III (02:45)
2-30. Ivo Kahánek – Waltzes, Op. 54: No. 8, Allegro IV (02:47)
2-31. Ivo Kahánek – Ecloques, Op. 56: No. 1 in F-Sharp Major, Allegro non tanto. Quasi polka (03:21)
2-32. Ivo Kahánek – Ecloques, Op. 56: No. 2 in D-Sharp Major, Quasi Allegretto (05:01)
2-33. Ivo Kahánek – Ecloques, Op. 56: No. 3 in G-Sharp Major, Moderato (03:22)
2-34. Ivo Kahánek – Ecloques, Op. 56: No. 4 in E-Sharp Major, Allegretto (05:42)
2-35. Ivo Kahánek – Moderato in A-Sharp Major, sine, B. 116 (02:58)
2-36. Ivo Kahánek – Album Leaves: – (01:34)
2-37. Ivo Kahánek – Album Leaves: Allegretto con moto e poco agitato (01:16)
2-38. Ivo Kahánek – Album Leaves: Allegro molto (03:08)
2-39. Ivo Kahánek – Album Leaves: Allegretto (01:55)
2-40. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 1 in G-Sharp Minor, Impromptu. Presto (03:35)
2-41. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor, Intermezzo. Larghetto (03:20)
2-42. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 3 in B-Flat Major, Gigue (02:37)
2-43. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 4 in G-Sharp Minor, Eclogue. Poco allegro (05:33)
2-44. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 5 in G-Sharp Minor, Allegro molto (02:35)
2-45. Ivo Kahánek – Piano Pieces, Op. 52: No. 6 in E-Flat Major, Tempo di marcia (02:59)
3-46. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Allegro moderato (03:14)
3-47. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Vivo e risoluto (02:59)
3-48. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Allegro (02:09)
3-49. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Lento, ma non troppo (04:30)
3-50. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Allegro non troppo (03:08)
3-51. Ivo Kahánek – Mazurkas, Op. 56: Allegro II (03:38)
3-52. Ivo Kahánek – Impromptu in D-Sharp Minor, sine, B. 129 (05:08)
3-53. Ivo Kahánek – Dumka, Op. 12/1, B. 136 (04:44)
3-54. Ivo Kahánek – Furiant, Op. 12/2, B. 137 (04:36)
3-55. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresque in F-Sharp Major, B. 138 (02:56)
3-56. Ivo Kahánek – Two Piano Pieces, posth.: No. 1, Berceuse. Lullaby (02:51)
3-57. Ivo Kahánek – Two Piano Pieces, posth.: No. 2, Capriccio. Allegretto scherzando (02:40)
3-58. Ivo Kahánek – Question, sine, B. 128bis (00:22)
3-59. Ivo Kahánek – Album Leaf, sine, B. 158 (00:51)
3-60. Ivo Kahánek – Two Little Pearls, sine: No. 1, In a Ring (01:22)
3-61. Ivo Kahánek – Two Little Pearls, sine, B.: No. 2, Grandpa Dances with Grandma (02:34)
3-62. Ivo Kahánek – Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98: Moderato (03:59)
3-63. Ivo Kahánek – Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98: Molto vivace (03:41)
3-64. Ivo Kahánek – Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98: Allegretto (04:39)
3-65. Ivo Kahánek – Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98: Andante (03:39)
3-66. Ivo Kahánek – Suite in A-Sharp Major, Op. 98: Allegro (02:38)
4-67. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Vivace (02:38)
4-68. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco andante (02:33)
4-69. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco andante e molto cantabile (03:37)
4-70. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco andante II (02:15)
4-71. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Vivace II (03:21)
4-72. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco allegretto (02:57)
4-73. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco lento e grazioso (02:58)
4-74. Ivo Kahánek – Humoresques, Op. 101: Poco andante III (03:11)
4-75. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Night Journey. Allegro moderato (05:03)
4-76. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Joking. Allegretto leggiero (05:01)
4-77. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: At the Old Castle. Lento (04:40)
4-78. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Spring Song. Poco allegro (03:56)
4-79. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Peasant Ballad. Allero giusto (03:47)
4-80. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Reminiscence. Andante (03:58)
4-81. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Furiant. Allegro feroce (02:59)
4-82. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Goblin´s Dance. Allegretto (03:21)
4-83. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Serenade. Moderato e molto cantabile (04:20)
4-84. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Bacchanalia. Vivacissimo (05:02)
4-85. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: Tittle-Tattle. Andante con moto (03:50)
4-86. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: At the Tumulus. Grave. Tempo di marcia (06:43)
4-87. Ivo Kahánek – Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85: At Svatá hora. Poco lento (02:50)