Bohuslav Martinu is a composer whose works are, thankfully, becoming more and more popular and widely performed. With an oeuvre of more than 400 works, it is satisfying to see more frequent appearances of his compositions both on CD racks and on concert programs. Highly influenced by contemporary American composers as well as jazz harmonies, Martinu's music is unshakably interesting harmonically, texturally, and especially rhythmically. Pianist Giorgio Koukl does an admirable job of maintaining these interesting facets in ...
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Bohuslav Martinu is a composer whose works are, thankfully, becoming more and more popular and widely performed. With an oeuvre of more than 400 works, it is satisfying to see more frequent appearances of his compositions both on CD racks and on concert programs. Highly influenced by contemporary American composers as well as jazz harmonies, Martinu's music is unshakably interesting harmonically, texturally, and especially rhythmically. Pianist Giorgio Koukl does an admirable job of maintaining these interesting facets in this first volume of solo piano works. Koukl was first introduced to the music of Martinu through venerable pianist Rudolf Firkusny, who was not only a friend of Martinu but also one of the greatest interpreters of his music. Koukl's playing has a great deal in common with Firkusny's. This performance is marked by rhythmic precision, meticulous voicing, and a clean, clear sound that is distinct and audible. Koukl deftly switches between the extremely varied demands of the pieces on...
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