Bohuslav Martinů - Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3 & 4 (Rudolf Firkušný)

Information

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

• Piano Concerto No. 2, H. 237
• Piano Concerto No. 3, H. 316
• Piano Concerto No. 4 "Incantation", H. 358

Rudolf Firkušný, piano

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Libor Pešek, conductor

Date: 1993

Label: RCA

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Review

Although the five piano concertos are not of comparable importance to the Martinu symphonies, they are not of negligible interest. Martinu returned to the medium throughout his career: the First and weakest dates from 1925 and the last, the Fantasia concertante in B flat, from 1957, two years before his death. I have listed no comparisons at the head of this review, for, to be frank, these performances not only have special authority but are in a class of their own. In a recent review I recommended Emil Leichner's Supraphon survey with the Czech Philharmonic and Jiri Belohlavek only as ''a stopgap until something better turns up''. Well, here it most certainly is!

The disc bears the title ''Tribute to Rudolf Firkusny'' and the jewel-case reminds us that he gave the first performance of all three concertos. He was in fact the dedicatee of the Third but its first recording (and I think the first of any of the five numbered concertos) was entrusted to Josef Palenicek (Supraphon, 5/65), who also recorded the Fourth. Incantation is undoubtedly the finest of them all, highly imaginative in its exotic sound-world, with what sound like wild Aztec bird calls and war cries, and full of extraordinarily luminous and subtle sonorities. I remember hearing Firkusny play this at the Edinburgh Festival in the late 1950s and have never been quite as impressed as I was then—that is, until this present account, which will, I suspect come as a revelation to those who have heard only the Palenicek, Leichner or Havlikova recordings. There is the right sense of pace—and space: phrases have time to breathe and make their point. The Czech Philharmonic under Libor Pesek give Firkusny dedicated and sympathetic support. I can't imagine this performance ever being surpassed. The recording is very good and allows one to hear more orchestral detail than ever before, though hi-fi fanciers may find the piano a fraction too prominent.

The Second Concerto was composed in 1934 for Germaine Leroux who, shortly after the war, recorded the sinfonietta giocosa for piano and orchestra on three 78rpm Supraphon discs that were generously endowed with memorable quantities of surface noise. In Firkusny's hands the work makes an impression completely different from, and much more positive than, any of the preceding recordings I have heard. It has a real sense of warmth and delight, and like all good music makes one feel better. The Third, too, emerges in fresher and more vivid colours than ever before. What is also astonishing is that at no time does Firkusny's playing betray an inkling of his years: he was 81 when these performances were given!

In my days as a BBC producer I had the privilege of producing him both as a speaker and pianist, and would hope that some of his broadcasts both here and on the Continent will find their way on to disc. He was an aristocrat among pianists and this is a worthy memorial to him. In short, a most distinguished release which is recommended with all possible enthusiasm.'

— Robert Layton

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Bohuslav Martinů (December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He was a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and briefly studied under Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk. Martinů was a prolific composer who wrote almost 400 pieces. Many of his works are regularly performed or recorded, among them his oratorio The Epic of Gilgamesh, his six symphonies, concertos, chamber music, a flute sonata, a clarinet sonatina and many others. Martinů's notable students include Alan Hovhaness, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Jan Novák and many others.

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Rudolf Firkušný (11 February 1912 – 19 July 1994) is a Czech-born American pianist. He began studying music at age five with Leoš Janáček and later trained under Vilém Kurz and Josef Suk. He also studied in France, Germany, and Italy with Alfred Cortot and Artur Schnabel. Firkušný debuted in the U.S. in 1938 and settled in New York after the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, later becoming an American citizen. He performed all over the U.S. as well as in Europe and Japan, appeared with major orchestras, and made many excellent recordings. He taught at Juilliard and remained active until his death from cancer in 1994.

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