A double stroke of fate divided Josef Suk’s life into a “before and after.” Within little more than a year he first lost his mentor and father-in-law Antonín Dvorák and then his young wife Otilie. The Swiss pianist Karl-Andreas Kolly’s latest release illustrates this break pervading Suk’s entire compositional oeuvre and offers a refreshing look at a composer who has not yet received his proper due.
Suk’s piano cycle Moods op. 10 continues to be situated very much in the best Bohemian tradition; Dvorák’s influence is quite audible. The rhythm and harmony of the five enchanting character pieces evoke memories of folk music from the eastern Austro-Hungarian Empire, often with its typical, slightly melancholy undertone, while it also becomes quite evident that the extremely successful violinist Suk knew his way around the piano.
Karl-Andreas Kolly concludes his Suk recital with a “Love Song” capturing ecstatic longing with suspended harmonies full of yearning and languishing. The MDG sound engineers again have captured this gem in the best SACD technology, high resolution and in 3-D, for the perfect Lucullan audio feast at home.
