Dvorak: The Complete Works for Solo Piano, Volume I Inna Poroshina, piano (ESS.A.Y Recordings CD 1059).Dvorak: The Complete Works for Solo Piano, Volume I Inna Poroshina, piano (ESS.A.Y Recordings CD 1059) Most of us do not think of Dvorak as a composer of piano music. Aside from his "Humoresque hu·mor·esque n. Music A whimsical or fanciful composition. [German Humoreske, from Humor, humor, from Englishhumor.] ," we may be hard-pressed to think of any of his piano works. Out of the blue, then, came this CD, which turns out to be the first of a five-volume set! Recorded in Kiev, this turns out to be a fine and most enjoyable recording. The CD opens with Theme and Variations, Op. 36, interesting in their variety (nine movements in 15 minutes), followed by the brief, galloping Polka polka, ballroom dance for couples in 2/4 time. Originated by Bohemian peasants about 1830 from steps of the schottische and other dances, the polka by 1835 reached the drawing rooms of Prague, from which it spread to the capitals of Europe. in E Major, then the miniature Silhouettes, Op. 8 (12 movements in just under 17 minutes), two stately Menuets, Op. 28, and finally the folky folk·y n. & adj. Variant of folkie. , rhythmic Dumka dum·ka n. A song, especially a Slavic folksong, that has alternating happy and sad passages. [Slovak, Ukrainian folksong, from Ukrainian, diminutive of duma, , Op. 28. Although only a few Dvorak fanatics might be tempted to pick up all five volumes of this set, I can certainly recommend Volume I as an enjoyable recording of melodic, musically satisfying piano works from a composer that we do not usually think of as particularly pianistic pi·a·nis·tic adj. 1. Of or relating to the piano. 2. Well adapted to the piano. pi . |
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