Janáček
Animal, 2024
8/10
The cellist Jiří Bárta and pianist Terezie Fialová bring their heartfelt and skilled playing to 6 selections- a few of which are world premiere recordings.
“Sonata for Violin and Piano, JW VII/7” starts the listen with the firm keys and elegant strings that create much beauty and warmth, and “Pohádka (Fairy Tale) for Cello and Piano, JW VII/5” follows with a dreamy approach, where the swirling piano is met with poetic string prowess.
Into the middle, “Dumka for Violin and Piano, JW VII/4”showcases meticulous bowing from Bárta amid Fialová’s intimate key progressions, while ““Romance for Violin and Piano, JW VII/3” indeed tugs on the heartstrings thanks to the lovely strings and sublime piano playing.
The final piece, “Presto for Cello and Piano, JW VII/6”, is a bit more firm, as rumbling keys and dense strings meet at a very exciting, cinematic intersection.
The duo have already released music that spans Bach and Beethoven, and the chemistry between these artistic and life partners is joyous, moving and tender for this precise and memorable occasion.
Travels well with: Baborák Ensemble- Horn Quintets; Aneta Majerová-Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Children´s Notebooks