Young Czech pianist Matyáš Novák in a solo recital in which he included piano compositions by Bedřich Smetana and Josef Suk. He will also present his own virtuoso arrangement of the world-famous symphonic poem Vltava.

Bedřich Smetana
Czech Dances, Book II Op. 21, JB 1:114

Josef Suk
Piano Pieces Op. 7

Bedřich Smetana (arr. Matyáš Novák)
Má vlast JB 1:112, II. Vltava

Matyáš Novák – piano

After his successful performance with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto in 2020, the young Czech pianist Matyáš Novák will present his solo recital, which includes piano compositions by Bedřich Smetana and Josef Suk.

In the second series of Czech Dances, Bedřich Smetana attempted to create a kind of counterpart to Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances. Smetana reached for specific Czech dances and tunes from Karel Jaromír Erben’s collection of Prostonárodní písní a říkadel (Prostonárodní písní a říkadel), which he supplemented with some ancient folk dances. Thus was created a ten-part cycle which, thanks to Smetana’s brilliant piano stylisation, became a spectacular and popular piano recital number.

In the cycle of six Piano Pieces, Josef Suk summarised his early piano pieces from 1892 and 1893. The young composer’s charming piano bits reflect the influences of Dvořák, Grieg and Tchaikovsky. The opening movement of the cycle, entitled The Song of Love, achieved a popularity comparable perhaps only to Dvořák’s Humoreske or Fibich’s Poem.

Smetana’s symphonic poem Vltava became the subject of piano transcriptions immediately after its premiere. The composer himself wrote it for four-hand piano; a two-hand piano version was later created by Jindřich Kàan of the Albésti. In his Ostrava recital, Matyáš Novák will present his own virtuoso arrangement of this world-famous work by Smetana.