Josef Suk, Rudolf Firkusny.

Josef Suk, Rudolf Firkusny

(Dvorak, Janacek, Brahms, Beethoven)

Josef Suk - violin, Rudolf Firkusny - piano. Production: Petr Vit. Text: Eng., Ger., Fr., Czech. Recorded, IMF Prague Spring, Dvorak Hall of the Rudolfinum, 18.5. 1992. Released: 2005. TT: 70:24. DDD. 1 CD Supraphon SU 3857-2.

The recital bringing together two legends - Rudolf Firkusny after decades of exile and rejection, and the truly national figure Josef Suk, was one of the main magnets of the Prague Spring festival in 1992. Both musicians were in top form, and with all the experience of their long careers behind them they had no interest in pretension or false sentiment and simply wanted to share the beauty of music with the people in the audience. From the Czech repertoire they naturally chose the pair Dvorak - Janacek (Sonatina for Violin and Piano in G major op. 100 B 183 and Sonata for Violin and Piano), and from the wider European repertoire Beethoven - Brahms (Violin Sonata no. 10 in G major and Violin Sonata no. 3 in D minor op. 108), to which they gave romantic wings. The Suk conceptions is impressive, clearly chiselled, yet broad and sweeping, and it arouses great respect. The Rudolfinum Steinway literally sung under the fingers of Rudolf Firkusny. The absolute foundation of the recording is the melodic line, whether inward in the Sonatina or expressive in the Janacek. For me it is the latter's Sonata that is the high point of the recording, which by lucky chance has been taken from the original video recording thanks to the firm BVA International. It is to the firm's credit that we have a record of an important moment in the history of the Prague Spring Festival since 1989.

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