New album

JANÁČEK

Jiří Bárta cello

Terezie Fialová piano

Sonata for Violin and Piano

Pohádka (Fairy Tale) for Cello and Piano

Dumka for Violin and Piano

Romance for Violin and Piano

Adagio for Cello and Piano

Presto for Cello and Piano

Violin parts in Sonata, Dumka and Romance have been arranged for cello by Jiří Bárta and will be released as world premiere recordings.

Out on April 12, 2024 on CD, LP and digitally.

About the project

Cellist Jiří Bárta and pianist Terezie Fialová dedicate their new album to the legacy of Leoš Janáček. The album features three pieces written originally for violin and piano: the well-known Sonata that had been, nonetheless, neglected at the time of its origin, Dumka, and Romance. The violin parts of the three compositions have been arranged for the cello by Jiří Bárta and are released in a world premiere in this form. Janáček composed Dumka and Romance during his studies in Leipzig, an unhappy period when he tortured himself with doubts about his talent. They both show traces of classicist and romantic style and Barta's cello recording even more pronounces the wistfully elegiac disposition of the piece. Cello adaptation of the Sonata is based on Janacek's version from 1922.

The album also also includes the only two compositions by Janáček intended for cello and piano, Pohádka (Fairy Tale), with a fourth movement that had been part of one of the working versions of the work but discarded later by Janáček, and the short Presto, originally probably intended as one the movements for the Fairy Tale. Inspiration by the tragic story of the Tale of Tsar Berendey and his child reflects Janáček's own experience. “Like most of Janáček’s chamber works, Fairy Tale provides a fascinating insight into the composer’s soul,” says Jiří Bárta and describes his memories of his first encounter of Janacek's music:

“I’m listening to the strangely beautiful music, so different from anything I’d have encountered as a child. Harrowing, yet tender, sad, but in a different way, moving, yet devoid of whining and false tears. (…) In his almost despondent genuineness, he will not forgive any mannerism or insincerity, making it hard for the performer to decipher him. Even at moments of greatest anguish, he is faithful to the principles of beauty and truth.”

About the artists

Jiří Bárta is one of the foremost cellists of his generation. He studied in Prague with Josef Chuchro, in Cologne with Boris Pergamenschikow and in Los Angeles with Eleonore Schoenfeld. He has been awarded the Europäische Förderpreis für Musik in Dresden and the Rostropovich-Hammer Award in Los Angeles. He has appeared at festivals such as Edinburgh, Kuhmo, Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, as a concerto soloist or in recital he has performed in the most famous venues all over the world, including Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall etc. He performed with instrumentalists such as Quatuor Ebene, Ilya Gringolts, with orchestras such as Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Symphony and, finaly, with conductors such as Jiří Bělohlávek, Charles Dutoit, Jakub Hrůša, Gianandrea Noseda, Libor Pešek, Gennadi Rozhdestvenski and Maxim Shostakovich.

As a recording artist, on a Supraphon label Jiří Bárta has released Dvorak Cello concerto with Czech Philharmonic/Jiří Bělohlávek, live recording of performance commemorating Dvorak‘s 100 year’s anniversary televised throughout Europe by Arte Channel. Both CDs with Kodaly Cello works and Martinu/Foerster/Novak concertos respectively have been awarded Gramophon Editor’s Choice. He has collaborated with mezzosoprano Magdalena Kozena on her Deutsche Grammophon Lieder project awarded by Gramophone Award.

In 2018, Bárta returned to the studio to record Bach's Cello Suites, this time for baroque cello, and in November 2021 he and pianist Terezie Fialová released Beethoven's complete Sonatas for Piano and Cello, both for Animal Music.

Terezie Fialová is an outstanding young Czech pianist. She is a sought-after chamber music partner to many leading soloists. She was awarded at international competitions in Italy, Netherlands and Russia. She performed at international festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad. Together with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and conductor Pietari Inkinen she performed Peter Eben’s extremely challenging Piano Concerto at the Prague Spring Festival 2019. In 2019, she also debuted as a member of the Eben Trio alongside violinist Roman Patočka and cellist Jiří Bárta, performing Bent Sørensen's Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra "L'Isolla della Cittá" by the Danish composer Bent Sørensen. The ensemble is the recipient of the Czech Chamber Music Society Award and won the international chamber ensemble competition Lyceum Club International de Suisse Music Competition in Lausanne. Together they have performed on major stages such as the Auditorium de Louvre in Paris, the Gasteig, the Laeszhalle, the Kennedy Center, the National Hall of Performing Arts in Beijing and the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai.

Terezie is the only Czech pianist who participated in the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy in 2013 in Switzerland where she was invited again in 2017. Her successful debut at the international Newport Music Festival, USA was praised by critics as "stunning performance and very bright future". She participated in recording of three CDs one of which was dedicated to the composer Petr Eben and it was awarded "Recording of the Months" and "IRR Outstanding" on a British music website.

Personnel & sound

Jiří Bárta cello

Terezie Fialová piano

Recorded at Atrium Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic, August 2023

Sound engineer: Ondřej Urban

Recording directors: Ondřej Urban, Terezie Fialová & Jiří Bárta

Producers: Terezie Fialová & Petr Ostrouchov

Piano: Steinway & Sons C227

Cello: Dietmar Rexhausen 2012

The album is published with the support of the Ministry of Culture as part of the celebration of the Year of Czech Music and the 170th anniversary of Janáček's birth.

Tracklist

Violin parts in Sonata, Dumka and Romance arranged for cello by Jiří Bárta.

*World premiere recordings

Technical information

Release date:

April 12, 2024

Publisher:

Animal Music

International distribution:

Supraphon / Believe

Formats:

CD, LP, stream, download

Liner notes:

Jiří Bárta, 2023

Photos:

Iveta Bláhová (Studio Najbrt), 2024

Animal Music

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110 00 Praha 1

Czech Republic

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